For fresh and fragrant laundry, even during the heat of summer, choose all-natural remedies
On occasion, your clothes may retain unpleasant odors, despite having washed them in the washing machine. This problem occurs especially in summer, when sweat tends to penetrate deeply into the fibers of clothes, making removal difficult. That said, this problem can crop up all year round: exposure to smoking, humidity, mold, cooking vapors and more, are just some of the the ways your clothes can get smelly at any time.
Fortunately, there are numerous all-natural remedies that can help you solve this problem, ensuring your laundry is always fresh and fragrant. Keep reading to find out more:
In the washing machine: baking soda and rock salt
To remove unpleasant odors from clothes during a machine wash, you can use several all-natural products/remedies. Amongst these, baking soda and rock salt are of great help and are readily-available products:
- baking soda: often used to deodorize shoes, refrigerators and small spaces in general, baking soda is incredibly useful in the washing machine. Add 120 grams directly to the drum: the soda will help balance the pH of the water, remove stains and neutralize unpleasant odors;
- rock salt: just two tablespoons of rock salt added directly to the washing machine's drum with the laundry will both combat unpleasant smells and act as a fabric softener. Additionally, rock salt will help preserve the colors of dark or colored garments and will protect white garments from yellowing.
Essential oils
Essential oils are also great to when it comes to freshening and perfuming laundry. Here's a list of some of the most commonly used oils for this purpose:
- lavender: this essential oil is particularly suitable for perfuming laundry (especially in summertime). Lavender has anti-moth, anti-bacterial and anti-mold properties which all help to remove unpleasant odors. You can add a few drops of lavender oil directly to your laundry detergent or spray lavender water on your clothes before putting them in the washing machine; if you use a dryer, you can apply a few drops of lavender oil to a few cotton pads (or cotton wool balls) and put these in the tumbler with your laundry;
- tea tree: this is another oil with strong anti-septic and anti-bacterial properties and can be used exactly like the above-described lavender oil method;
- mint: a refreshing oil par excellence, mint essential oil can be added during the wash cycle or whilst drying the laundry in the clothes dryer (again, by using cotton pads);
- citronella: added during washing or drying, citronella oil will not only refresh and perfume your clothes, but will also help keep annoying insects at bay.
Choose whatever essential oil you like or create your own "DIY blend" by mixing a few drops of each/some essential oils together. Even the oils of citrus fruits - especially lemon - and aromatic herbs (such as rosemary or thyme), can be useful in making your clothes feel fresher and smell great!
Drying laundry outdoors
Taking advantage of sunny, summer days to dry your laundry is not only a great way to save electricity, but also to ensure your clothes will be fresh and fragrant when dry. UV rays have disinfectant and whitening properties that are useful for white fabrics (but be careful with colored garments, as these could fade in the sun: always dry colored garments outdoors by first turning them inside out). Additionally, fresh air will naturally remove humidity and unpleasant odors, giving your laundry longer-lasting freshness.
For even better results and to perfume your laundry, you can also choose to hang your laundry up to dry near aromatic plants and herbs. Lavender, thyme, mint and rosemary can infuse their scents into your clothes simply by placing the drying rack/clothes horse near them (or by placing a few sprigs between the folds in your clothes). Doing this, your laundry will "acquire" a delicate and fresh, natural scent.
How do you go about refreshing and perfuming your laundry?
