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How to Add Scent to Laundry

Melissa Lewis

If you have unscented laundry detergent or perhaps you prefer a stronger fragrance when washing clothes, don't go out and purchase the most expensive and pleasant smelling detergent on the market. Rather, make a simple change in the laundry room. Often, it involves adding your favorite essential oil.

Add essential oil to your wash to add a pleasant scent.

Therefore, go to a natural food market, herbal store, skin care store or aromatherapy shop and select your favorite scent, such as rose, lavender or jasmine, to add to your laundry.

  1. Add a fabric softener -- which usually has a pleasant scent -- to the load of laundry. To make your own scented fabric softener, mix 1 cup of baking soda, 6 cups of white vinegar, 8 cups of water and 10 to 15 drops of essential oils. Alternatively, add a pleasant smelling fabric sheet to the dryer to add scent to your laundry.

  2. Fill the laundry cap to the appropriate line with laundry detergent, per label instructions. Add three or four drops of essential oil before pouring the detergent in the washer water. This helps add a scent to laundry detergent that does not smell or has very little scent.

  3. Add three or four drops of essential oil directly to the wash water if you use powdered detergent that has little to no scent. Fill the washer with water before adding the essential oil and detergent. Then, add the clothes and launder.

  4. Tip

    Adjust how much essential oils you add to find the scent strength you prefer.