It’s tough for scent-sensitive folks when their washing machine becomes fragranced due to someone washing fragranced clothes or using fragranced detergent in their washing machine. The dryer can also become scented in the same way.
Most people are able to successfully remove the fragrance, which is good news.
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Main Strategies
Surprisingly, the main strategies to remove fragrance from the washing machine and dryer are fairly simple, though often need to be repeated many times.
- EnviroKlenze Washing Machine Deodorizer – The EnviroKlenz Washing Machine Deodorizer is a natural product made of minerals and many sensitive people report it does work quite well. Some people use this first followed by 2 cups of vinegar in hot water and then let it soak overnight. If this doesn’t get the fragrance out completely, move on to the next step.
- Vinegar – In the washer, pour straight vinegar into the washer itself and into the detergent/fabric softener spots. About 2 cups worth in total. Some people have had to do this up to 7 times before washing their clothes in the washing machine, it just depends on how sensitive to fragrance you are. You can also use vinegar in the wash for your clothes/laundry for a while after this procedure to help fragrances not stick to them. For the dryer, soak washcloths or rags with straight vinegar and run those through the dryer.
- Baking Soda – Some combine vinegar and baking soda by using vinegar in the pre-wash and baking soda in the wash. Repeat a number of times or until the fragrance is gone. You can also scrub down the machine with baking soda and vinegar, then run a wash cycle with the same (make sure the baking soda doesn’t come with fragrance cross-contamination).
- Milk – For oily fragrances (like sunscreen, lotion, or plug-in odor on clothes) milk helps to bind and break down this type of fragrance. Most people use powdered milk but whole milk can work too. One person uses a soak of baking soda and powdered milk together in the washer to remove scents. Another soaked towels in the washing machine with 2 cups of dry milk for a day. Then while the towels were still wet with the milk (no spin drying) she put those towels in a dryer and dried them to help the dryer as well. Then drained the washer of milk and ran a load through with regular laundry detergent. After that, run a load with two cups of vinegar and let it soak. Another option is to follow the milk with alternating loads of baking soda and vinegar.
Additional Strategies
If those don’t work or if you don’t have the above products, you can also try the following:
- Rubbing alcohol to wipe things down (though this is a fire risk in the dryer or in gas-powered machines)
- Borax
- Ammonia (a non-sensitive person should run the wash with ammonia in it)
- Citric acid
- Oxyclean or hydrogen peroxide (can bleach some clothing). You can also use this on the dryer by wiping it down with a solution of Oxyclean. In the comments, someone mentioned using a product that would be the equivalent of oxygen bleach + dish soap + baking soda or, hydrogen peroxide + dish soap + baking soda.
Corinne Segura is an InterNACHI-certified Healthy Homes Inspector with certifications in Building Biology, Healthier Materials and Sustainable Buildings, and more. She has 10 years of experience helping others create healthy homes. You can book a consult here.
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Mark Gordon
Hi,
Would there be any suggestions for deep cleaning of the entire interior of the washing machine, beyond the cleansing loads? I may be having an exceptionally stubborn case.
Krista
Hi there,
Before reading this article, I tried many of these approaches and they worked for getting a scentless residue out of both W and D, after I (foolishly!) bought and washed 2 new, bright orange shirts ( for a national event). Took about 7 passes until I could use both W and D again without residue that I reacted to transferring to clothing. More recently, I had to go to a laundromat for a relative to wash their quilt. It went much better than expected there, so I returned to wash my clothes – I did a scent check, and the drums of both W and D were scent free. But after washing,folding and bringing clothes back to where I’m staying, I started to react. Since then, the things I’ve touched after touching the laundromat washed clothes have retained some trace of whatever I’m reacting to, and spread further. There is no scent and I don’t know how to remove it. It’s been weeks and it’s transferred to so many things, including the things I touched after leaving the laundromat in my car, my phone, laptop, etc. Just trying to contain it for now (not too successful.) but I don’t know what it could have been – totally scentless – or how to get rid of it. Any pointers would be much appreciated. In living with MCS, I’ve never encountered something like this that spreads, is scentless. Thanks in advance.
Corinne Segura, Building Biologist
Might be HT (H-ll toxin). The only place I write about that is Substack.
Krista
Thanks. I’ll check that out.
Mark Gordon
Are the cleaning products listed added to an empty wash tub?
Corinne Segura, Building Biologist
i explain how to use them for almost all, if it doesnt say then yes to an empty wash tub
Mark Gordon
Thanks.
Beth
If I wash my clothes at a laundromat, will there always be remnants of fragrance in them, or will it wash out eventually?
I’m in the midst of mold decontamination and my holistic consultant has advised to wash clothes twice at a laundromat before bringing them to my new place to wash. As someone sensitive to any fragrance, I’m nervous!
Corinne Segura, Building Biologist
yes there will always be a little fragrance transfer, only the most sensitive will be affected or even notice. Most people would probably not be able to even pick up that amount of fragrance.
Ro
We use a fragrance free laundry soaker to clean fragrance residue from our washing machine. It contains: Sodium Bicarbonate, Sodium Carbonate Peroxide, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Sulphate, Tetraacetylethylenediamine (TAED), Sodium Coco Sulphate, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil.
I’m not sure what ingredient is actually doing the job but a scoop of this and a 90 degree celsius wash (we’re Aussies) seems to get it out, where washing soda, vinegar, bicarb etc. alone could not 🙂
Someone also recommended to me a hot water soak with polysorbate 20, as it seems to be a solvent for many common fragrance chemicals, but I haven’t tried it yet! I didn’t see it listed on your website so you may be interested in testing it for de-perfuming fabrics?
Corinne Segura
thank you
Mordecai Ettinger
Hi Ro! What is the name of the product you use? I would love to try to get in the US. I’m having a world of trouble with a new washer and dryer that came with packages of sample detergents in the drums. My house smells like a laundromat and I have severe chemical sensitivity. It’s pretty terrible. Thank you so much!
Diane Ibsen
Hi. can I ask if this worked!?
Ally
Hi there, was just reading this and I know what product based on ingredients (also an aussie) the brand is called ecostore laundry booster. I haven’t tried it yet but relate with extreme fragrance chemicals sensitivies and been bedridden for such a long time. Wishing you well on your healing journey ❤️ Cheers Ally 🙂
Ally
Sorry this is the proper product name: ECO STORE ULTRA SENSITIVE LAUNDRY SOAKER & STAIN REMOVER ❤️
Corinne Segura
You might get the same results from oxygen bleach + dish soap + baking soda or hydrogen peroxide + dish soap + baking soda