We all have our different preferences as far as our laundry routines are concerned. One of the most personal aspects of doing laundry is choosing what we want our clothes to smell like when they come out. Many laundry detergents, dryer sheets, and the like are scented to smell fresh n’ clean, like warm cotton or soothing lavender. And then, there are some of us who want to avoid fragrances altogether, either because we’re allergic to them or because we’d rather what we smell like come from something like perfume or cologne. So, which is right for you: with fragrance, or without?
With Fragrance
Fragrance in laundry products is nothing new. Most people like to smell something clean and fresh when they remove their laundry from the dryer, and that’s what scented products can provide.
Pros:
- Leaves clothes smelling fresher and cleaner
- Masks hard-to-remove odors
- Helps us smell nicer when we wear our clothes
Cons
- Some people are highly allergic to a number of fragrances
- Some fragrance ingredients can be drying or irritating to the skin, even if the person doesn’t have allergies
- Some people don’t want laundry fragrances to conflict with fragrances they wear each day
Without Fragrance
There are plenty of unscented laundry products on the market – in fact more than ever before, as we discover just how many people have allergic reactions to certain fragrances. On top of that, most laundry products for babies are unscented, since babies can be far more sensitive to irritation caused by certain aroma products and ingredients.
Pros:
- Gentler for babies and toddlers
- Best for those who are allergic to many fragrances
Cons:
- Your clothes will be clean, but you won’t get that burst of fresh fragrance when you take your laundry out
It’s Not Just Whether You Want Fragrance, But the Type of Fragrance
There is something else that we haven’t covered, which is the fragrance itself. It’s easy to make a list of pros and cons when comparing fragrances with unscented products, but the bottom line is that there are countless ways in which a company can make their products scented, and some are better than others.
We are sure you’re fully aware that most synthetic fragrances are typically too harsh for daily use. A lot of commercial laundry products contain artificially derived aromas that can aggravate allergies, irritate the skin, and give us headaches due to how strong and harsh they can be. That’s why there is a middle-ground between unscented and scented products, which is products scented with natural, gentle fragrances, like real essential oils that are fresh but not overwhelming, and less likely to cause any kind of skin issues or trigger certain allergic reaction symptoms.
So, before writing off scents altogether, consider that maybe you don’t dislike fragrances, but just artificial fragrances. Or, you may still find that you prefer unscented laundry products for any of the reasons above.
