Pros And Cons of Fragrance
Sure, it might smell great… but is it really great?
When you’re doing laundry you have a lot of choices to make. What cycle should you use? What clothing can be tossed in the washer versus being hand-washed only? When are you going to put away all those freshly folded clothes? Perhaps no question is tougher to sort out though than whether or not you should use detergent with a fragrance or whether you should opt for something fragrance-free. Before you purchase your next laundry product, let’s look at the pros and cons of each:
Fragrance-Free Laundry Detergent
Fragrance-free laundry detergent has its merits.
PROS: For one, it’s recognized as the best for those who might have allergies, sensitive skin, or a sensitivity to fragrances. Fragrance-free laundry detergent is also a blank slate you can choose to add scents that are their preferences by using laundry spray or adding a little fragrance oil to their detergent.
CONS: The biggest con of choosing fragrance-free laundry detergent is that you’ll miss out on the wonderfully fresh ‘clean laundry’ scent. Without this fresh scent, laundry can sometimes smell musty if left in the washer or dryer too long. Your clothes can technically be “clean” even if they don’t smell clean.
Fragrance-Added Laundry Detergent
Just because something smells clean doesn’t necessarily mean it is clean.
PROS: Some might argue that there is no better smell than that of freshly cleaned clothes. Most often, when people refer to the fresh scent of clean laundry, they’re actually referring to the scent of fragrance added to laundry detergent. If you’re on the hunt for something that will make your laundry smell fresh and clean, and you don’t mind the extra additives (with some being known irritants) in fragrance added laundry detergent, it’s probably the choice for you!
CONS: By far the biggest con of fragrance-added laundry detergent is new research indicates that it may release carcinogens into the environment. A recent and small study, published in Air Quality, Atmosphere and Health suggested that scented laundry items contain carcinogens that waft through vents, potentially raising cancer risks. Another con of fragrance-added laundry detergent is that some people find that the additives that give it such a fresh scent also irritate their skin.
Whether or not you chose to use fragrance-free or fragrance-added laundry detergent is up to your personal preference. Keep these facts in mind and know that just because an item smells clean, might not indicate that it’s actually clean. Whatever you do though, your laundry will smell its freshest if you move it from the washer to the dryer promptly and make sure that your washing machine is running clean.
