What do you do to your laundry to make it smell really good?

Arm and Hammer liquid detergent! Always smells lovely.

I use Tide detergent and liquid Downey softener. It smells divine. Also, when ironing, I use Niagara starch.

Hang it to dry. Nothing will make your laundry smell better than letting it air dry, preferably outside. You can’t duplicate that freshness with any chemical.

I like to pour a little bit of spray ‘n’ wash into the water, it has a nice scent that lingers. Be careful using too many dryer sheets, you might end up with spots on your clothes. :)

I will hang sheets on the line to dry in the breeze.
Ahhhhhhh, heaven…I’m in heaven…fa la la la la la la la la la laaaaaaaaaaaaaa!XD

I put Downy fabric softener and when I dry them I put a dryer sheet in it

I add Twenty Mule Team Borax and a couple tablespoons of that liquid bleach? No; it’s not really bleach.—I’ll go look; just a sec..—Ultimate Care Bleach by Clorox.

I do my laundry to make it smell better.

If you’ve changed detergents and dryer sheets, maybe the problem is with your water. I don’t know how you would check it, maybe wash a towel with no detergent, and dry it without dryer sheets, and give it a sniff. If it doesn’t smell right then, maybe look into a water filter filter.

I second hanging laundry outside to dry. Nothing beats it.

I hang my laundry outside to dry as others do. It’s the best. However, I dry the towels in the dryer, because I like them to be fluffy. I use Gain liquid softner on them, and that smells good.

Like jake, I prefer to have some items dried in the dryer for a softer feel, like cotton underpants and shirts. How is the best way to combat that while hanging them outside to air dry?

I love Gain detergent, and Downy softener

I never liked dryer sheets compared to liquid softener. Go for the real stuff!

I always use Downy and whatever decent detergent is on sale. Tide, Cheer, Arm and Hammer, whatever. The laundry always smells great. It’s the only upside to doing laundry!

@Pied_Pfeffer do you use a liquid softener in the wash?

Hang it outside to dry whenever I can.

Like @curlyz, we use Gain detergent, which makes it smell really good, along with Downy fabric softener.

I love the way my laundry smells when it’s freshly washed. :D

Help it after it is washed. Put sachets in your drawers and closets.

I also hang mine outside to dry in the breeze. The sunshine also whitens and sanitizes. @Pied_Pfeffer, if you want to soften some things up a bit, after you take them off the line, you can tumble them in the dryer on no heat for a few minutes.

@wilma Good point. That works if there is a clothes dryer. My fiancé doesn’t.

If you close the washer, after using it, it can smell, from mold growing. Leave it open to have air and dry. Don’t leave wet wash sitting in washer for a long time, before drying, for same reason. . . Clothes will smell, after drying. If that is the case, make sure washer is clean and fresh-run a load of soap & for real bleach and nothing, or rags. rewash clothes, use bleach and hot water, besides soap, if possible. have you ever noticed spots on clothes left wet, in a pile for a while? that’s mold growing and can make clothes smell.

my clothing doesn’t smell bad… it just doesn’t smell like fresh laundry should! I was kinda hoping someone had some secret – like fresh lemon drops added to the water or something! thanks for all the advice!

@Samantha_Rae Don’t do that, it’ll bleach all your laundry a little bit.

Double rinse everything.

Essential Oils.

When using the dryer throw in a damp cloth that has on it a few drops of essential oil (this can last 2–4 loads, especially when no heat is used).

When hanging on the line spritz while still wet (put several drops of essential oil in a 4oz spray bottle, add some distilled water, shake well). You can even use this on dry sheets before making the bed, it is heavenly.

Lavender, Grapefruit, Lime, Geranium, or Sandalwood are a few I like to swap around (sandalwood and Ylang-ylang used together on the sheets is an “oh là là” sensual surprise).

I don’t use bleach, fabric softeners or any detergents with perfumes and stuff. What makes my laundry smell best is it’s never been left to sit wet for more than a spell. Once fabric gets a mildew then no matter how many times you wash it after, each time it gets damp, sweaty or wet then you’ll smell that mildew all over again and even on your skin. On occasion I do run an empty hot water wash with bleach to clean the wash tub and lines. I also 2nd cleaning the filters and wiping away sticky soap and dust grime.