Finding the perfect laundry scent booster can be a game-changer when it comes to achieving fresh, clean-smelling clothes.
These products are designed to enhance the scent of your garments, leaving them smelling great long after they’ve been washed. But with so many options to choose from, it can be tough to determine which ones are the best.
Hence why we’ve done the research for you! Discover the UK’s best laundry scent boosters below.
The Best Laundry Scent Boosters in the UK
1. Lenor Unstoppables In-Wash Laundry Scent Booster Beads
In fact, clothes washed in these easy-to-use, affordable laundry beads give off citrus and floral notes for several weeks in storage.
So, your wardrobe is bound to smell great! Just toss as many into the drum as you like. You should only need a quarter to half a cap for regular loads.
Most popular for bedding, Lenor Unstoppables will also infuse synthetic sportswear to help ward off odours during workouts.
Plus, they can be used to freshen up towels and rugs without flattening the fibres – like fabric softener does.
And, thanks to their mess-free design, you can even package up these booster beads to create scent sachets for drawers.
However, the downside to Lenor Unstoppables is that they aren’t very eco-friendly and they can be quite overpowering. Therefore, we’d suggest starting off with a small dose.
They may also be irritating to those with skin allergies, though running an extra rinse cycle can help.
2. Fairy In-Wash Scent Booster
If you suffer from sensitive skin and have had trouble with laundry scent boosters in the past, look no further.
Created by leading brand Fairy, these gentle in-wash granules dissolve easily and are endorsed by the Skin Health Alliance.
In addition, numerous reviewers have praised this product’s suitability for skin that is easily irritated, even in cases of eczema.
Better still, if you don’t like strong synthetic fragrances, you’ll appreciate the milder notes of almond milk and manuka honey.
This natural scent leaves a clean and subtle aroma on your clothes and is even suitable for baby clothes!
However, it doesn’t last quite as long as other scents. And you’ll need to use it with Fairy laundry pods and softener for best results.
You also need to be careful where you store the pack once open. Some users found that the lid of the cardboard pack is unsecure and therefore not safe to be left within reach of children.
3. Downy Fresh Protect with Febreze
Downy’s spring flower scented beads with built-in odour-neutralising Febreze is another of the UK’s best laundry scent boosters.
This additional feature is motion-activated, so the more you move, the more freshness will be released.
Essentially, the Febreze acts like a deodorant for your clothes to provide 24-hour odour protection on top of the already boosted freshness.
Thankfully, however, Downy Fresh Protect smells lighter than pure Febreze and reviewers praise the fragrance for being noticeable but not overwhelming.
This product also has the added benefit of being compatible with HE washing machines and all fabric types.
The only real disadvantage is the price—around double that of other brands we’ve listed. But with many reviewers giving these scent beads a perfect rating, they may still be worth a try!
4. Kifra Pure Life Concentrated Laundry Fragrance
If you’d rather not use dissolvable scent beads on your laundry, why not try this vegan-friendly liquid laundry fragrance instead?
Designed to be diluted in water and added to the softener compartment, one 200 ml bottle makes around 4 litres of freshener!
This not only equates to good value for money, but also makes it a more environmentally friendly option than beads.
As a liquid formula, Kifra Pure Life’s cotton and lotus flower notes penetrate deep into your clothing’s fibres during laundering. And you only need around half a teaspoon per wash!
In diluted form, you can also apply a dab to your wool dryer balls to enhance the scent further.
However, several product users reported that the dilution process is quite messy due to the lid design.
Some even felt the need to decant it into a different bottle to avoid spills. On top of that, others noted that the scent fades over time once open, so you need to use it regularly.
5. Lenor In-Wash Laundry Scent Booster Beads Spring Awakening
Lenor’s Spring Awakening scent boosting beads are another bestseller, and this mega pack will help your budget go even further.
Add them to your wash cycle along with complementary Spring Awakening fabric softener for up to three months of freshness (while stored).
That way, you can enjoy the sweet scent of roses, patchouli and cedar each time you open your wardrobe.
Other key advantages of this top laundry scent booster include its ability to disguise musty scents and refresh clothes with engrained sweat.
Despite this, the fragrance is more subtle than other Lenor products, which is ideal if you find Unstoppables a bit too overpowering.
However, this does mean that the scent doesn’t stick around as long. As such, it realistically needs to be used alongside fabric conditioner to be noticeable.
The downside to this is that using both increases the risk of skin irritation and lowers each cycle’s eco credentials.
6. Waft Sweet Orange Concentrated Laundry Perfume
Seeking a greener option that will reduce your household’s environmental impact? Then this biodegradable, vegan formula with citrus oils and plant-based emulsifiers could be perfect.
All you need to do is add 10-20 drops of the laundry perfume to your regular detergent for a scent boost.
With that in mind, a 50 ml bottle can last up to 100 washes, reducing plastic waste too!
This organic orange-blossom scented product is also free from parabens and synthetic fragrances, making it suitable for septic tanks.
Another major benefit is that it can be combined with white vinegar to replace fabric conditioner—perfect for softening towels.
Using it this way, in the final rinse cycle, is likely the best approach to take. The reason for this is that some users felt the scent wasn’t as noticeable as they’d hoped after washing.
With that said, this laundry perfume is a relatively new product with only a handful of reviews so far.
7. Fabulosa In-Wash Laundry Fragrance Boost
Created by up-and-coming family-run brand Fabulosa, this in-wash laundry scent booster is made with salt crystals. The beads are biodegradable and work at any temperature given their water soluble nature.
They will also help to soften your clothes, are safe to use on all fabrics and are very affordable.
If you don’t like strong chemical scents, you’ll love the authentic fruity fragrance, which is a blend of blackcurrant, raspberry and grape with a musky base.
However, despite being pleasant, reviewers note that the scent isn’t very potent. Because of this, some felt the need to add at least two caps of granules to each wash cycle.
This means using double the suggested dose (though three is the maximum), which lowers the product’s cost effectiveness. And even then, some still felt that the fragrance doesn’t last as long as desired.
FAQs on Laundry Scent Boosters
Are laundry scent boosters worth it?
The best laundry scent boosters deliver a long-lasting fragrance to keep your clothes and bedding fresh even when in storage. So, if you love the smell of clean sheets and want to prolong the experience, they may be worth looking into.
Scent boosters can also mask unpleasant odours left behind by sweat or mildew, that detergent alone may not be able to.
However, it’s important to bear in mind that scent boosters are an added expense. They need to be purchased alongside detergent and in many cases, fabric conditioner too.
Additionally, some people find scent boosters too overpowering or artificial-smelling. And scented beads, in particular, can have a negative impact on the environment, contributing to water pollution.
Is there a natural scent booster for laundry?
Concerned about the potential impact of laundering with scent boosters on the ecosystem? Then you’ll want to avoid strong synthetic fragrances and beads that contain microplastics.
If in doubt, Waft’s plant-based concentrated laundry perfume is the best option in this list. Made with natural citrus oil, this product infuses a fresh, clean scent without the need for additional perfumes.
Alternatively, Fabulosa’s salt-based laundry fragrance is also biodegradable.
Do scent boosters leave stains?
Generally speaking, scent boosters should not leave stains on your garments. However, you should always follow the manufacturer’s instructions to prevent accidents.
For example, some beads require a higher temperature to be fully dissolved. So, if you use them in a cold cycle, you may find semi-solid particles stuck to your clothes.
Likewise, the liquid formulas we listed must be diluted correctly to prevent the oils being too potent and potentially staining the fabric.
Conclusion
If we had to pick just one laundry scent booster to suggest, it would be Lenor Unstoppables In-Wash Beads. The reason for this is that, according to reviews, this product is the most potent and offers freshness that lasts. Which is the whole point of using boosters in your laundry regime!
On top of this, the beads are relatively inexpensive, easy to use, suitable for all fabrics and readily available online and in stores.
Plus, you can add as many or as few to the cycle as you like. And this makes it really easy to tailor the potency to your preference.
With that said, if you have sensitive skin or suffer from allergies, we’d strongly recommend trying Fairy’s In-Wash Scent Booster instead. While the fragrance may not last quite as long as Lenor, you’re less likely to experience irritation.
Or, if you’re after a scent booster with greener credentials, Waft’s Concentrated Laundry Perfume is undoubtedly your best bet.
A proud Yorkshire lass with a love for movies, music and cosy nights in! Once a self-confessed avoider of cleaning, she’s always on the lookout for new ways to make household chores as quick and simple as possible.
