When you switch to natural laundry detergent, it can sometimes be hard to get used to laundry that “doesn’t smell nice”. In reality, clothes smell clean. It is just very different from the strong synthetic fragrances found in conventional detergents and fabric softeners.
It is really just a matter of habit. When Guillaume and I moved in together and his clothes started being washed with “homemade” detergent, he complained for a few weeks that his clothes didn’t “smell nice”. Then he got used to it ;-)
Below, I explain why I do not use essential oils in homemade laundry detergent recipes, but I also share two little tips if you would like to fragrance your laundry.
NO ESSENTIAL OIL IN HOMEMADE LAUNDRY DETERGENT
I don’t put essential oil in laundry detergent. First, the properties of essential oils break down with heat. Second, they do not dissolve in water and will mostly be washed away with the rinse water. So there is not much point in adding them to your detergent, especially when you think about their price and the amount of plants needed to produce them.
Sodium carbonate and baking soda are enough to disinfect and deodorise your laundry. As for the fragrance provided by essential oils, almost nothing remains once the wash cycle is finished.
HOMEMADE FEBREZE RECIPE
This recipe is best if you dry your laundry in the open air.
Ingredients & equipment
- 2 ml lavandin super essential oil
- 8 ml Labrasol external dispersant
- 500 ml water
- an amber spray bottle
Recipe
Pour the essential oil and the Labrasol into the bottle. Add the water and shake. Label the bottle.
Use
Spray onto still-damp laundry when hanging it up to air dry.
TIP IF YOU DRY YOUR LAUNDRY IN A TUMBLE DRYER
If you use an electric tumble dryer, you can simply put a few drops of lavandin essential oil on a fabric handkerchief and place it in the drum with the rest of the laundry. It will fragrance all your clothes.
That is the tip I use when drying sportswear. Lavandin also has antibacterial properties.