How to Use Scent Boosters to Get Fresh Smelling Laundry
Picture removing your sheets from the dryer after a laundry cycle and catching hints of a warm spring meadow, a tropical paradise, soothing lavender or crisp, clean purifying waters. How about that special feeling of draping yourself in fresh-smelling towels after a shower or bath, or getting your favorite jersey smelling nice and clean for game time?
Laundry scent boosters allow you to infuse items with additional fragrance to extend that “just washed” smell and freshness we’ve come to associate with a clean load of laundry. Read more about how to use scent boosters, what they’re made of and how they work.
What Are Laundry Scent Boosters?
Laundry scent boosters are dissolvable beads or crystals used in your washing machine to enhance and extend the fragrance of clothes, towels and bedding. Scent Boosters come in a variety of fragrances and help provide a long-lasting scent after washing.
With scent boosters, you can customize how your laundry smells and extend its freshness. Depending on how much you add to your washer, you can choose how intense you want your favorite scent to be, from a little to a lot!
How Do You Use Scent Boosters in a Washing Machine?
Follow these steps to add laundry freshener beads to your wash cycle:
- Remove the cap of your favorite laundry scent booster.
- Pour the recommended dosage of booster into the cap. For ARM & HAMMER Scent Boosters, you’ll want to either Fill to the line on the provided cap (Clean Scentsations formulas) or Fill the entire cap (Odor Blasters formulas). Add more for an even stronger boost of freshness and scent! More scent boosters means a stronger scent.
- Add scent boosters directly to the washer drum before adding your clothes or other items.
- Wash as usual using your preferred laundry detergent. We recommend ARM & HAMMER Plus OxiClean™ if you’re primarily concerned with stain removal, and ARM & HAMMER with Odor Blasters if you’re most concerned with removing tough odors.
- Rinse thoroughly using cold water until there are no remaining suds. Rinse your hands as well to remove any detergent on them .
- Move on to Step #2: drying
Do not add scent boosters to the detergent dispenser or to the wash mid-cycle.
Do You Put Scent Boosters in Washer or Dryer?
Scent boosters go in the washer drum before inserting your garments or linens. Do not put laundry scent boosters in the dryer as you risk starting a dryer fire. Scent boosters dissolve by liquid, not hot air.
How Do Laundry Scent Boosters Work?
Laundry scent boosters dissolve in water during wash cycles and the fragrances latch onto fabric fibers for a long-lasting scent in a wide variety of smells to suit your preferences. This may include sweet, fruity, citrusy or traditional scents, like ARM & HAMMER™ Light Crisp Clean!
Sure, most laundry detergents have fragrance as well. But the surfactants, chelators and enzymes in laundry detergents primarily work to locate, dissolve and break down stains and remove odors. Meanwhile, scent boosters enhance fragrance as their main objective. They also provide an opportunity to change up the scent of your laundry, or try a new fragrance that’s not available with your current detergent.
How Long Do Scent Boosters Last?
Laundry scent boosters provide longer-lasting fragrance to your garments and linens, with some brands extending freshness up to 12 weeks (from wash to wear). Check the label on your package before using your scent booster for more specific information.
What Are Scent Boosters for Laundry Made Of?
Laundry scent boosters are made up of crystals or beads that contain fragrance and other freshness ingredients, which dissolve in the wash water and penetrate your fabric’s fibers to leave a longer-lasting scent than using detergent alone. The primary ingredient in laundry scent boosters is fragrance, along with other ingredients that help the booster stay together in the package, disperse in your wash cycle, and bond to the fabric fibers.
More specifically, ARM & HAMMER™ scent boosters are made with salt-based crystals. The crystals help provide excellent dissolvability, and they do so in all wash temperatures!
Minimize direct contact with scent boosters. If you or your child accidentally touch it, make sure to wash your hands with soap and water!
Do You Use Laundry Scent Boosters with Detergent?
Yes, you should still use your favorite detergent when adding laundry scent boosters to the wash. Scent boosters add fragrance and target odors, but they do not wash clothes or remove stains. The two work together to freshen your items for a feeling that will make you say “aah!”
So before you hit the “start” button on your wash cycle, make sure you’ve added your detergent either directly to the drum or to the dispenser drawer, depending on your washer type. Remember: scent boosters go in the washer drum before you add your clothes.
Are Scent Boosters the Same as Fabric Softeners?
Laundry scent boosters and fabric softeners are not the same thing. Scent boosters give your clothes a stronger, longer-lasting scent after washing, whereas fabric softeners coat fibers to help soften clothes and reduce static cling on garments.
Scent boosters do not leave residue on clothes. Fabric softener, on the other hand, can leave residue, which might lead you to strip your laundry.
Can You Use Laundry Scent Boosters in Front Load Machines?
Laundry scent boosters are safe and effective for use in front load and high efficiency (HE) washing machines as well as top-load machines when used as directed. No matter your type of washing machine, add the scent booster to the drum before putting in detergent and adding garments or linens.
Can You Use Scent Boosters on Towels?
Yes, you can use laundry scent boosters on towels, in addition to garments and bedding. Since towels absorb body oils, sweat, dirt, and soap residue, and get wet after a workout or shower, they can sometimes smell musty and unpleasant. Scent boosters help towels smell fresher longer. For the best results, wash your towels separately from other sheets and clothes and use an odor-fighting scent booster like ARM & HAMMER™ Odor Blasters, which is made to eliminate tough odors like sweat, musty towel, and body odors.
Are Scent Boosters Safe for All Fabrics?
Laundry scent boosters are safe for use with all washable fabrics! From baby clothes to jeans and that lace outfit reserved for a date night out, scent boosters can help give your favorite clothes a more desirable scent for a longer period of time.
Scent boosters are also safe for any color—you can use them on lights and darks because they do not leave residue—and load size. For larger loads, you’ll want to add more scent booster.
If you are sensitive to strong fragrances, try new ARM & HAMMER Light Scent Boosters, which are made with just 4 essential ingredients and no harsh chemicals, for long-lasting freshness that’s not overpowering.
Are Laundry Scent Boosters Safe for Septic Systems?
Scent boosters are phosphate-free and safe for septic systems. Phosphates can kill good bacteria and enzymes that decompose waste in septic systems. Thus, scent boosters will not disrupt the bacteria and enzymes at work in your septic tank.
Do Laundry Scent Boosters Work for All Water Temperatures?
ARM & HAMMER™ laundry scent boosters are specifically designed to work in all water temperatures and wash cycles, in addition to being effective in regular and HE washing machines. As for other scent boosters, you’ll want to check the label before throwing them in the wash.
Are All Laundry Scent Boosters the Same?
No, not all laundry scent boosters are the same. Some merely have added fragrances, while others, such as ARM & HAMMER™ scent boosters also have odor-neutralizing ingredients like baking soda. Moreover, some scent boosters have fewer ingredients for sensitive skin.
ARM & HAMMER™ offers a full line of scent boosters to add freshness based on your needs, whether you need extra odor fighting power, or want a product with minimal ingredients and a light, gentle scent.
- ARM & HAMMER™ Odor Blasters In-Wash Scent Boosters power out tough odors to deliver a burst of freshness to your laundry. They are great for odors like sweat, musty towels, and body odor.
- ARM & HAMMER™ Clean Scentsations Scent Boosters deliver deodorization and lasting freshness to your laundry. while offering a pleasant scent experience that transports you to an exciting locale, like Purifying Waters, Maui Sunset or Clean Meadow.
- ARM & HAMMER™ Light Laundry In-Wash Scent Boosters are made with four essential ingredients and come in gentle scents like Crisp Clean and Lavender Escape to boost your laundry’s freshness without being overpowering.
Give Your Laundry Items Long-Lasting Fragrance with ARM & HAMMER™ Scent Boosters
If you’re tired of your clothes still smelling even after washing and desire long-lasting fresh fragrances, try ARM & HAMMER™ laundry scent boosters. They’re easy to use and work well in all water temperatures and washing machines, giving you an extra tool to do your laundry like a pro.
