There’s something so wonderful about the fresh scent of clean laundry right out of the dryer, isn’t there?

Unless…the scent isn’t so fresh. (uggh!)

Before we can chat about how to make our laundry smell good, we first need to address how to get smell out of clothes!

Reasons why laundry may have bad smells & unpleasant odors right out of the dryer.

A few weeks ago I noticed our laundry had an unpleasant smell right out of the dryer. It drove me crazy enough that I decided to research and get to the bottom of the issue. Not only did I discover why clothes fresh from the washer and dryer can sometimes still have bad odors, I also found out how to get the best results for clothes with a clean scent – without the use of fabric softener or dryer sheets!

Here are some common culprits for smelly laundry:

• Wash water temperature When using natural laundry detergent without toxic chemicals (like I do), the wash water must be HOT. Water temperature makes a difference in getting clothes truly clean. I have started to use the hottest setting for the wash cycle for best results. (Of course, you need to be mindful of clothing with delicate fabrics and adjust accordingly for them.)
• A dirty washing machine Does your washing machine smell? If your answer is yes, you should deal with that first! A smelly washing machine with a musty smell is a breeding ground for bacteria and stinky clothes. Here are the simple steps for how to get rid of smell in washing machine: First, clean out your dirty washing machine by wiping around the seal (if it is a front loader) with hot soapy water. Then run it through a cycle with some baking soda sprinkled in the drum, and 1/4 cup of white vinegar in the detergent drawer. The main culprit for a stinking washing machine is that there isn’t enough air flow through it and the tightly closed area grows bacteria and creates a musty smell. To prevent that from happening, just leave the door open slightly between washes.
• Overloading the washing machine.Stuffing the washer too full doesn’t result in clean clothes. Wash smaller loads so that the water can rinse through the items easily.

How to get smell out of clothes in the washing machine

Here is the simple DIY recipe for clean clothes from the washing machine:

1. Use a good quality natural detergent (I love Norwex detergent personally. A little detergent goes a LONG way.)
2. Sprinkle on a little baking soda and a splash of white vinegar on each load. (Baking soda and white vinegar act as natural deodorizers. Don’t worry, the clothes won’t have a vinegar smell.)
3. Set the water temperature on HOT.
4. Put the wash cycle on “soak” (so the clothes have more time to sit in the water and get clean.)

How to make laundry smell good straight out of the dryer – without dryer sheets!

I admit, I really love the strong clean smell that comes with dryer sheets and high quality fabric softener. However, once I found out how many harmful chemicals are in them, I switched to using wool dryer balls.

I absolutely love wool dryer balls!

Have you discovered the benefits of wool dryer balls, too?:

• They absorb the moisture from damp clothes and cuts down on the dryer time.
• They help eliminate static cling
• They last a LONG time. In the long run, dryer balls help you save money on dryer sheets and fabric softener.

Add your favorite scent to laundry with natural essential oils

My friend told me a natural way to give your clean clothes a great scent is to put one drop of your favorite essential oil onto each wool dryer ball. You can either do that right before you dry your wet clothes, or you can dry them first and then put the essential oil on the balls and throw them in on the fluff cycle for just a few minutes.