There is nothing quite so wonderful as the clean scent of clothing that has been dried outside in the sun and wind, and nothing so distasteful (at least to my nose) as the smell of fabric softeners in clothes – not to mention the effects on the environment and health. The odour of fabric softener whether in the form of dryer sheets or a liquid, is very difficult to remove even after multiple scent free washings, and for people with chemical sensitivities like me, they are just not an option.
Sometimes it feels like a lose-lose situation. New clothing can be a huge irritant when the clothing fibres are loaded with chemicals, not to mention the smell of dye. I am a fan of sustainable fashion: re-used, thrifted clothes, because the dyes, pesticides and other chemicals use to treat the fabric have gone, but there isn’t a huge gain when the garment has been repeatedly washed and dried with fabric softeners. It brings a new set of problems to deal with.
‘That smell’ can be removed though it takes some effort. Here are some things I have tried. Depending on how scent-saturated your garment is, you may have to try a few of the following suggestions:
I have read a suggestion to use peroxide based laundry detergent to oxidize fragrance residues in the fabric, however I have yet to try this out.
Next time I will discuss laundry alternatives to keep that item scent free!
(c) Deborah Redfern 2009. All rights reserved.
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