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How to Get Clothes Smelling Fresh Without Using Fabric Softener

The fragrances used in fabric softeners and detergents can irritate nasal passages; some workplaces have gone fragrance-free as a result. Even for those who aren't sensitive to the chemicals, the scent of some fabric softeners can be cloying. In addition, not all fabrics respond well to fabric softeners -- some materials come out of the dryer with oily stains left by the fabric softener. However, that doesn't mean your clothes are doomed to smell stale. A few changes to your laundry routine can have your clothes smelling springtime-fresh without harsh chemicals.

Things You'll Need

  • Laundry detergent
  • 1/2 cup baking soda
  • 1/2 cup vinegar
  • Clothesline (recommended)
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Instructions

    • 1
      Fragrance-free detergents are sometimes packaged in white bottles.

      Choose your laundry detergent. If you are working in a fragrance-free environment, purchase a fragrance-free laundry detergent. If you are washing fabrics that cannot tolerate fabric softener, verify your laundry detergent isn't an all-in-one that includes fabric softener.

    • 2

      Sort your laundry into loads small enough to fill no more than three-quarters of the washing machine. Crowded laundry doesn't clean well.

    • 3

      Load the machine so the detergent is evenly distributed. For top-loading machines, pour the detergent and 1/2-cup baking soda into the machine. Begin the machine's cycle, which starts with the machine filling with water. Add your laundry when the detergent and baking soda are mostly dissolved by the water in the machine. Pour 1/2-cup vinegar into the cavity reserved for fabric softener.

      For front-loading machines, add the detergent and 1/2-cup baking soda. Add the laundry to the machine and shut the door. Pour 1/2-cup vinegar into the cavity reserved for fabric softener. Begin the washing cycle.

    • 4

      Remove laundry from the washing machine as soon as the cycle stops. Laundry can begin to develop a mildew smell if left in a damp, enclosed space.

    • 5
      The scent that many fabric softeners try to emulate is available right outside your front door.

      Hang the laundry outdoors to dry or use the lowest-effective heat setting on the dryer to prevent scorching.

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