Doing laundry can be a tedious chore. Nevertheless, there is no way around this household task. After washing, however, you are rewarded with a fresh laundry scent. Who doesn't love sinking their nose into freshly washed bed linen and enjoying the soothing scent for a moment?
We reveal a few tips and tricks on how to maintain the scent of freshly washed laundry for a long time – and all this while keeping sustainability in mind!
Tip 1: The right detergent
For many, fabric softener is the first choice when it comes to a good laundry scent. However, it is well known that the use of fabric softener or laundry perfume is not particularly environmentally friendly and pollutes the groundwater. In addition, the fragrance often causes an unpleasant film on the clothing. Therefore, choosing the right detergent is all the more important if you don't want to sacrifice a fresh laundry scent despite wanting to be sustainable.
Whether you choose liquid detergent, powder, or laundry pods is up to you. The detergent from scentme.de is available in pods, for example, and combines both sustainability and a good laundry scent. Some prefer clean and fresh-smelling detergent, while others are more playful and opt for intense, exotic, or floral scents. The rule here is: trial and error is better than studying!
Tip 2: Less is more
“More is better” should not be the motto when doing laundry. Neither the washing machine drum nor the detergent compartment should be overloaded.
Some assume that a particularly effective and sustainable way of washing is to fill the washing machine completely. However, with a tightly packed drum, neither the water nor the detergent can reach all the fibers, and the laundry smells musty after the wash cycle. To prevent this, you should ensure there is at least a hand's width of space in the washing machine drum. This can save you from having to run another wash cycle!
Another myth that persists: a lot of detergent results in particularly clean and fresh-smelling laundry. However, the opposite is the case – if too much of the respective detergent is used, detergent residues cannot be completely washed out. Especially with shorter wash cycles, you should therefore use less.
Tip 3: Dry laundry immediately
If you want to be particularly sustainable and environmentally friendly, you can do without using a tumble dryer. Those who hang their laundry up and let it dry in the fresh air can benefit from a particularly fresh and long-lasting scent. In addition, the sun can make white laundry shine.
It is important to do this immediately after the wash cycle and not let the laundry sit in the washing machine for several hours. Otherwise, bacteria can settle, which cause an unpleasant odor.
Tip 4: Washing machine maintenance
Like any other electrical appliance, the washing machine requires appropriate maintenance so that it can be used for many years and the washing performance does not diminish.
If the laundry is no longer getting properly clean or smells unpleasant, it could be due to a contaminated washing machine. Therefore, you should clean the washing machine with a special cleaner at the latest when you notice the bad smell. In addition, you should wipe the rubber seal after every wash cycle to remove detergent residues. The detergent compartment should also be cleaned regularly with hot water. Additionally, after finishing your laundry day, you can leave both the door and the detergent compartment open so that moisture can escape and mold and bacteria have no chance.
Tip 5: Sustainability
Even if it is not possible for larger families to save on wash cycles and thus water and electricity, you can certainly try to wash less. Often, clothes worn once end up in the laundry basket even though they are not even dirty. These items of clothing can alternatively be aired out in the fresh air or with an open window and worn again at a later time.
Furthermore, frequent washing can both damage the fibers of the clothing and harm nature by introducing chemicals. Therefore, you should only turn on the washing machine when enough laundry has accumulated and the wash cycle is worth it. In addition, purchasing drying racks is a good alternative to the dryer. Even if drying takes longer this way, it is far more sustainable.
Conclusion
Sustainable washing with the tips mentioned above and the right detergent not only has advantages for the environment – it protects the washing machine and ensures that it functions perfectly for longer and that you get a perfectly clean and pleasantly scented laundry result after every wash cycle.
