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One in ten people in the UK suffers from atopic eczema. When you have eczema or other skin irritant issues, you must be cautious of what you put on your body. Traditional laundry soaps and conditioners have chemicals that can irritate sensitive skin.

If you love fresh-smelling laundry but cannot use traditional scented products, try essential oils! They are natural and non-toxic. They do not contain any harmful chemicals that may irritate your skin.

Read on to learn more about how you can use essential oils for laundry and which are best to keep your clothes fresh.

What are Essential Oils?

Essential oils are compounds taken out of plants by distillation or cold pressing. They are super-concentrated extracts of plants. They carry the scent and the essence of the plant they were extracted from.

Essential oils are often used in aromatherapy but have many other applications. You can also apply essential oils to your skin. You can even use essential oils to clean!

Why You Should Skip Traditional Laundry Products

Typical laundry products are chock full of chemicals and harmful ingredients. The ingredient fragrance can represent hundreds of different chemicals. Companies do not have to tell you what is in their fragrance because it is a trade secret of the brand.

Even unscented laundry soaps can be full of chemicals you may want to avoid. These chemicals can irritate sensitive skin. If you have sensitive skin or you want a more natural way to keep your clothes fresh, try natural laundry soap.

Fabric conditioners contain products that coat your clothing to make them feel soft. These ingredients in the fabric conditioner can irritate your skin. It is especially true for those with delicate skin, like babies and children.

Essential Oils for Laundry

Once you have switched to natural detergent, you may find that many are fragrance-free. You may miss the fresh scent of clean laundry. This is where essential oils for washing clothes come into play!

If you want to customise the scent of your laundry without all the harmful chemicals, try essential oils. They will give your laundry a light, pleasant scent.

How To Use Essential Oils in Laundry

You can mix essential oils into your unscented detergent. If you prefer to add oils to each load, you can add about 5-10 drops to your soap for that washing cycle. It is best to stick to light-coloured essential oils for laundry so you do not leave stains on your clothing!

Another way to add oils to your laundry is to make a fabric softener at home with added essential oils. You can do this by finding a fabric conditioner recipe and adding the oil scents you prefer most. It will help your clothes feel soft without all the chemicals in regular fabric conditioners.

Make sure you do not add essential oils directly to clothing or into the water of our washing machine. It may cause staining. Always mix your oils into your soap or fabric conditioner when adding to the wash cycle.

Drying Time

Now that your laundry is clean and fresh from the washer, you must dry everything. But skip the dryer sheets and opt for wool dryer balls. Wool dryer balls help keep your clothing separated in the dryer for a faster drying time.

They also protect your clothes from static while being safe for the environment. You can reuse dryer balls over and over. Add a few drops of essential oils to wool dryer balls for each load to leave your clothes with a light, fresh scent.

Add 2-3 drops to each ball and let dry for about an hour before use. You only need to re-apply the oils every 4-5 loads or as you notice the scent fading.

Other Uses for Essential Oils On Laundry Day

For those between wash times, you can create a natural linen spray using essential oils. It will allow you to keep your linens and clothes smelling fresh, even when you can't get to washing them.

You can also make your own stain remover. Lemon essential oil works well for stain removal when mixed with laundry detergent.

Best Essential Oils for Laundry

Choosing which oils you use in your laundry routine will depend on your preferred scents. Though, there are some that you will want to avoid. Any sticky or dark-coloured oils are best left for your diffuser, as they may discolour clothing and linens.

Citrus Oils

Citrus oils work well for cutting grease and getting smells out of clothing. You can use oils like lemon, grapefruit, and orange on stained or smelly clothes. Think sports uniforms and dirty work clothes.

Relaxing Scents

Save the calming scents like lavender and eucalyptus for bedding and towels. These would also be wonderful for baby clothes as the smell is light and relaxing. You can also add these to your diffuser on laundry day to create a calming atmosphere while you tackle the chores.

Oils for When Someone Is Sick

If you are dealing with germs in your home, you can go with oils that have antibacterial and antimicrobial properties. Oils like peppermint and cinnamon are great for the laundry of a sick family member. You can also use immune boosting oils like rosemary!

Tea tree oil fights germs, is antibacterial, and is antiviral. The smell is light and fresh, too. Other germ fighting oils include thyme, lavender, and eucalyptus.

Make the Switch to Natural

Make laundry day less of a chore with calming and relaxing scents you know are safe for your family. Essential oils for laundry are a smart alternative to traditional detergents and conditioners. They provide extra benefits for you and your family as well.

Essential oils can help your family fight germs and keep your laundry looking new and fresh. They will protect sensitive skin from irritation, too.

If you are looking for 100% pure essential oils, check out our selection. We carry a wide array of oils that will make laundry day a breeze!