The pros weigh in.
Theres nothing like climbing into fresh sheets after a long day and being enveloped in that clean laundrysmell.
Its one of lifes simple pleasures.
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But sometimes thefresh fragranceis gone all too soonseemingly diminishing with each passing load.
It sets up the perfect environment for bacteria to thrive and eventually transfer to your laundry.
These monthly maintenance cleans can help remove soil build-ups that can be a safe-haven for odor-causing bacteria.
Both Gagliardi and LaLonde recommend cleaning the machine once a month, or every 30 cycles.
Refer to your washing machines manual for the best course of action for your unit.
see to it you keep your cleaning schedule fluid too.
Even if its a few days or weeks earlier than you anticipated.
Items like bleach-safe socks, napkins, towels, shirts, etc.
can all be thrown in the washer and aid in your laundry fragrance goals.
Forgetting to Change the Temperature
Prefer not to go the bleach route?
Switch up your water temperature instead.
Hot water kills the bacteria that can cause odors.
But there are times when already clean items just need an extra boost.
Fabric sanitizing sprays (Gagliardi recommends Clorox Fabric Sanitizer Aerosol) are ideal for a between-wash freshen up.
Butoverloading the machineis one way to sabotage your aim for freshness.
Overloading a washing machine may cause the laundry to smell bad, says LaLonde.
This is because it can prevent the load from getting a proper clean.
Not Pretreating Stains
Treat stains and odors when you notice them so they dont set in.
Let it sit for about 10 minutes before washing.
Lucky for you its probably the easiest of all: Leave your washer door open between uses.
Use the dryer to add fragrance.
Scented dryer balls will add a fresh scent to laundry.
Customize the fragrance by adding a few drops ofessential oilsto the dryer balls to keep laundry smelling cleaner longer.
