Easy Natural DIY Laundry Scent Booster

Ready to get your laundry cleaner and smelling great? Check out this easy to make homemade laundry scent booster using our DIY recipe. Using essential oils and natural ingredients get your laundry fresh and clean without all the harsh chemicals.

One of my favorite things is crawling into bed at night when I have fresh sheets. I love pulling the covers around me and smelling the wonderful smell of laundry detergent and clean.

I always swear I sleep so much better on the nights that I have freshly washed sheets. The problem is, it only takes a day or two for the scent to wear off. You can buy different things to add to the laundry to give them a great smell, but they are so expensive, full of synthetic fragrances, and other toxic chemicals.

I decided to try to make my own laundry scent booster that would help my laundry smell fresh longer and get my clothes cleaner and softer.

You can add a tablespoon or two to your loads to get out tough stains, soften towels and clothes, or just give them a nice scent that lasts for days.

You can add a tablespoon or two to your loads to get out tough stains, soften towels and clothes, or just give them a nice scent that lasts for days. The best part is it is easy to make and very inexpensive. 

I've also started making homemade laundry detergent to cut down on spending and for a more natural fragrance. Another little hack to reduce the use of dryer sheets is making wool dryer balls yourself. 

Why Use a Homemade Laundry Booster?

Freshness That Lasts

• Extended Fragrance: Scent boosters help your loads of laundry smell good for days or even weeks.
• Clean Scent: They can give your clothes a stronger, more pleasant smell than detergent alone.

Getting Rid of Odors

• Neutralizes Odors: They’re excellent at tackling stubborn smells like pet odors, smoke, or sweat that detergent might miss.
• Improved Freshness: Your clothes stay fresh even when they’ve been stored away in closets or drawers.

Personal Preference

• Customizable Scent:  When you make your own laundry detergents and products, you can pick a scent you love since scent boosters use essential fragrance oils.
• Consistency: They give your laundry a fresh scent every time, no matter what detergent you use.

Easy and Safe

• No Fabric Damage: Scent boosters are generally safe for all types of fabrics and won’t damage or fade them.
• Simple to Use: Just add them directly to your washing machine drum along with your laundry, plus it's made with simple ingredients so it's a healthier alternative to store-bought versions and makes for a more sustainable laundry routine.

What You'll Need

• Super Washing Soda (please note this is not baking soda)
• Salt
• Favorite Essential Oils
• Container to store it in - a glass jar works great.

If you don't have a good container to store it in you can also just mix up some in a large ziploc bag.

How to Make Natural Laundry Scent Booster

You will want to start with 2 cups of super washing soda. It helps get rid of stains and whiten your whites. You can find it in most stores on the laundry aisle or order on Amazon. I usually buy a big box from Menards for around $2.

Add 1/2 cup of kosher salt to the super washing soda and mix well. The salt really helps make your laundry soft. I use just regular table salt from Aldi. It was cheap and it works great.

Finally, add about 30 drops of essential oils to your laundry booster. You can use any scent that you like. I tend to like a floral smell so I like to add freesia essential oils.

Once you add your essential oils then mix the laundry booster one more time and store it in an airtight container in your laundry room. 

How to Use Homemade Scent Booster

Add a tablespoon of the booster to the washing machine, then continue with your load of laundry as normal.

Helpful Tips 

• Use different amounts of the essential oils if you think it's too strong or weak. 
• Some like to mix and match essential oils to create their own scent or you can use a single essential oil. 

Is washing soda the same as baking soda? 

Similar but no. Super washing soda (also known as sodium carbonate) is more alkaline than baking soda (aka sodium bicarbonate), which makes it a strong cleaning agent. 

Using our simple homemade recipe for your DIY scent booster is going to make your clean laundry have a long-lasting scent and get them cleaner, all without using harmful chemicals including artificial fragrances. 

More Cleaning Tips and Hacks 

• How to Unshrink Clothes in a Few Easy Steps
• The Best Way to Get the Sweat Smell Out of Workout Clothes
• Easy Tips for Laundry Stripping