How do I make my washing smell scrumptious?

McKneff

Olliebeak wrote: »

Lavender is especially gorgeous on your bedding - great for helping to induce a good night's sleep.

this maybe a silly question and i apologise in advance if it is.
i know about lavender and its smell, but does it work on the nervous system,
would it still work if you had no sense of smell?

bumma_2

I wash (in Persil non-bio) colours at 40, whites at 60 and bedding at 90. I use a few tablespoons of borax in with the sheets to get them really fresh.
There are five of us, so there is always lots to do

As soon as a load is finished it goes into the tumble dryer for 15 mins to get rid of the wrinkles (means no ironing to do except for shirts) then gets hung up on the airer to dry in front of the de-humidifer in the hall, which takes about a day to get bone dry.

The only time I have laundry that doesn't smell nice and fresh is when someone forgets to shut the kitchen door when they're cooking and food smells get into the clothes :mad:

Marishka

anniehanlon wrote: »

this maybe a silly question and i apologise in advance if it is.
i know about lavender and its smell, but does it work on the nervous system,
would it still work if you had no sense of smell?

Not a silly question at all, sorry I've only just spotted it, hence the delay!
Lavender works in many ways but it is most commonly encountered used in aromatherapy these days so one thinks of it as working by smell. Actually, the molecules are absorbed through the membranes of the nose so one would still get a calming effect so long as those membranes are intact (no good for that girl that used to be on Eastenders then).
Lavender is also used topically by herbalists and others interested in natural medicine and is absorbed, to some extent, through any skin so there will be a small amount absorbed from fabric against bare skin.
In both cases, mind, the effects are really very small so whether one has a sense of smell or not, any therapeutic effect would be minor, one would need to back it up with aromatherapy diffusers, or massage depending on exactly what was required.

Lavender oil is one of the few essential oils that can be used neat on skin (despite the usual legal warnings on the bottle) but, obviously, one would avoid sensitive areas, babies or anyone with known sensitivities and I always suggest people try a little on somewhere not too delicate, as with so many substances. It's also worth remembering that skin treated with lavender oil should not be exposed to sunlight for some hours at least otherwise there will be an allergic reaction similar in effect, but not actually related, to sunburn.
This shouldn't ever be a problem with the amounts left on clothing after a few drops in the washing water but beware of dropped bottles, rubbing oily hands on faces and so on. I once scratched the corner of my eye with a finger that had had lavender oil on about 3 hours previously - what my grandmother used to call and unforgettable educational experience!

Finally, it goes without saying that whilst lavender is also one of the few oils that is sometimes taken internally, this is not for the amateur and should only be under the strict guidance of a medical herbalist!

cady

how can i make my washing smell nice??? i saw a huge thread on here but cant find it anywhere also its dried indoors as live in a flat and it never smells nice no matter what i do!!!!

Olliebeak

Do you use an airer? or a Tumble Drier? or one of those lines over the bath?

I sometimes resort to fabric conditioner - but not for towels as I like them a bit rough .

If you use an airer try to place it by an open window so that the fresh air gets to it.

Try to make sure that the damp laundry doesn't 'hang around' for too long before spreading on the bars of an airer and make sure that you put it neatly on the bars - if it's bunched up some bits take ages to dry and can hold a 'musty smell' after.

Can you hang some things on coat hangers?

I dry things indoors all the time in the winter and try my best not to use my TD - hate the thing!

Do you have somewhere where you can really 'open out' big towels/sheets/duvet covers? I use my bannister on the landing, but that idea's not much use if you live in a flat.

staffie1

always make sure you remove your washing immediately after the washing machine stops. If you leave stuff in there too long it smells awful!

SunnyGirl

Is this thread any use to you? I saw it the other day too and it had some good ideas in it

I have just found this one too it's probably the older thread that you've seen before. HTH

Pink.

Hi cady,

I've added your post to the original thread so you can read the posts there. This thread may help too:

Any suggestions for drying clothes indoors

Pink




SunnyGirl, I knew there'd be no stopping you!

funfairprincess

heatherbelle wrote: »

Unfortunately I live on the ground floor on a busy street in Glasgow City Centre - not sure the world wants to see my knickers! :eek:...

there are worse sights in Glasga than your knickers, no one will notice :rotfl:
I have the same problem in the winter (think the tennements and you have my flat) I have found putting less on the airer a help and getting the airer outside even just for 10 minutes helps. I don't know if that is an option for you.

cady

Ok i take the washing straight outof the machine and it smells funny i was on 30 or 40 depnding and use surf powder and no fabric softner any ideas ??? oh it wasnt sat for long in the machince ofter it finished