Here are 10 ways to make your laundry smell better:
- 1. Use premium-scented laundry detergent pods
- 2. Use in-wash laundry scent booster beads
- 3. Use scented dryer sheets
- 4. Use fabric refresher spray
- 5. Hang dry your clothes
- 6. Store your items in a well-ventilated space
- 7. Wash smaller loads of laundry
- 8. Clean your washing machine
- 9. Wash sweaty clothes as soon as possible
- 10. Don’t leave wet clothes in the washer
You know that feeling when you bury your face in a fresh load of laundry, expecting a wave of crisp, clean fragrance—only to get nothing? Or worse, a weird, damp towel smell that makes you wonder if your washing machine is working against you?
If your laundry isn’t smelling as good as you’d like, it’s not bad luck—it’s science.
You might think pouring some detergent and hoping for the best is enough. But getting that long-lasting, luxury-level scent takes a little more finesse. The good news? It’s not complicated. From choosing the best laundry detergent to tweaking your drying routine, these 10 simple hacks will have your laundry smelling fresher, longer—no gimmicks, just science-backed solutions.
1. Use Premium-Scented Laundry Detergent Pods
Not all laundry detergents are created equal. A lot of mass-market detergents contain weak fragrances that smell synthetic and barely last past the rinse cycle. If you want your clothes to smell better, switch to an ultra-concentrated, premium-scented detergent like Laundry Sauce.
Our laundry pods are crafted in collaboration with world-class scent artists, featuring fragrances like Australian Sandalwood, Egyptian Rose, French Saffron, and Italian Bergamot. In addition to delivering fragrances that are typically reserved for colognes and perfumes, they keep your clothes, towels, and sheets smelling incredible for up to two weeks.
Pro tip: Hang-dry your laundry to maximize the fragrance life of your laundry detergent. Scent compounds are prone to diminishing in the dryer because of the heat.
2. Use In-Wash Scent Booster Beads
As the name implies, laundry scent boosters enhance and extend the fragrance of your clothes, towels, and bed sheets.
These tiny scent beads dissolve during the wash cycle and deposit additional fragrance onto fabrics, leaving your clothes smelling like pure luxury. Just add the beads into the drum of your washing machine before putting in clothes.
Speaking of luxury…Laundry Sauce Advanced In-Wash Scent Booster comes in signature fragrances such as Australian Sandalwood, Egyptian Rose, Indonesian Patchouli, and Siberian Pine.
3. Use Scented Dryer Sheets
Your washer isn’t the only machine that affects the smell of your clothes—your dryer does too.
The heat from your dryer can “burn off” the scent from your laundry detergent—even the most thoughtfully crafted fragrances are vulnerable to high temperatures. To combat this effect, toss in a scented dryer sheet on a low-heat setting. This will leave your clothes smelling fresh and feeling soft as a cloud when they come out of the dryer.
Laundry Sauce Luxury Scented Dryer Sheets infuse your clothes with sophisticated scents while also reducing static cling and softening your fabrics.
4. Use Fabric Refresher Spray
A fabric refresher spray is the easiest way to keep your clothes, towels, and sheets smelling amazing between washes. Whether it’s gym clothes that didn’t quite make it to the hamper, towels that smell less-than-fresh, or bedding that could use a pick-me-up, this spray gives everything an instant refresh without the hassle of rewashing.
In addition to neutralizing odors and infusing your fabrics with luxurious fragrances, Laundry Sauce Fabric Refresher Spray releases wrinkles and reduces static cling. Just hang or lay your garment flat, spray evenly, and let it air dry for a few minutes.
The wrinkles should fade as the fabric dries, leaving your clothes looking neater and smelling irresistible.
5. Hang Dry Your Laundry
If you love the way your laundry smells straight out of the wash, hang drying is the best way to keep that scent intact. High dryer heat breaks down fragrance molecules, meaning that luxurious detergent scent fades before your clothes even hit your closet. Air drying, on the other hand, locks in the fragrance by letting fabrics dry naturally—no heat damage, no premature scent loss. And if you hang your clothes outside, you get the added bonus of fresh air and sunlight, which help eliminate odor-causing bacteria and leave your laundry smelling extra crisp.
To get the best results, shake out clothes before hanging to prevent stiffness and make sure there’s enough airflow between items to avoid damp, musty smells. Drying near an open window or using a fan indoors speeds up the process while keeping fabrics fresh.
6. Store Your Items In a Well-Ventilated Space
When clothes are crammed into a stuffy closet or tightly packed drawer, airflow is restricted, causing lingering moisture and odor buildup. A properly ventilated space lets fabrics breathe, keeping them fresher for longer and maintaining the fragrance of your detergent—especially if you’re using something as luxe as Laundry Sauce.
If your space tends to get humid, a dehumidifier or sachets of baking soda can help absorb excess moisture. And for an instant refresh, a quick spritz of Laundry Sauce’s Fabric Refresher Spray infuses your clothes with a long-lasting, premium scent—because your laundry should smell just as good coming out of your closet as it did out of the wash.
7. Wash Smaller Loads of Laundry
Overstuffing your washing machine can prevent your items from moving around during the cycle. That means the water and detergent can’t work their way through all of your items, which prevents thorough cleaning.
Pro tip: Run separate cycles for your bedsheets, gym clothes, and towels.
Overloading your washer might be tempting to save time, but you pay the price when clothes don’t come out with the scent you’re hoping for.
8. Clean Your Washing Machine Monthly
If your clothes smell funky, your washing machine itself could be to blame. Over time, washing machines can develop a musty smell from water, dirt, and detergent buildup which can infiltrate your laundry.
If you suspect that’s the case, here’s how to clean, sanitize, and deodorize your washing machine:
- Empty your washer
- Add one quart of bleach or 1-2 cups of white vinegar into the washer drum
- Run a water-only cycle on your washer’s hottest setting
- When the cycle is complete, check the rubber seals and gaskets and the inside of the appliance door or lid for leftover residue buildup or mold
- Do a final rinse cycle to wash away any remaining bleach before doing your next load of laundry
9. Wash Sweaty Clothes as Soon as Possible
The longer your sweaty clothes sit in your laundry basket, the harder it is to eliminate the odor—your body odor, that is. That’s because once sweat gets into synthetic fabrics, it bonds to the fibers. If you hit the gym, don’t wait too long to hit the laundry room.
Pro tip: If you only do laundry once a week, keep your dirty gym clothes in a separate, breathable hamper where the smells can escape.
10. Don’t Leave Wet Clothes In the Washer
It might not seem like a big deal to leave your clean clothes in the washer. But a wet washing machine can quickly turn into a breeding ground for mold and mildew.
Once your wash cycle ends, toss your clean laundry in the dryer ASAP to prevent bad odors from building up. We’re all guilty of getting side-tracked during laundry day, so set a reminder on your phone to put your clothes in the dryer.
Speaking of the dryer, make sure your clothes are completely dry before putting them away. Damp clothes can start to smell if they’re stuck in a closet or drawer.
If You Want the Best-Smelling Laundry, Get the Best-Smelling Detergent
The secret to making your clothes smell great is all in the sauce…the Laundry Sauce, that is.
We got bored with clothes that barely smelled like “spring breeze” and “fresh linen.” So we teamed up with world-class scent artists to create the world’s best-smelling laundry detergent.
Laundry Sauce is the not-so-secret weapon that thousands of people use to make their clothes smell utterly divine, week in and week out. Ditch your supermarket goop and smell your best for less than a dollar per load.
