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I heard it Here: Along with his beloved Cleantok upholstery cleaner and Pink Stuff paste, designer cleaners are officially… He – She Gone are the days when doing laundry meant restricting yourself to the heavy chemical fragrances of common detergents (not everything has to smell like Febreze and flowers!). Unless you like the feeling of sticking your nose in a spring meadow, today’s detergents are more luxurious, smelling more like a spritz of perfume than a generic chemical.
Overview: Best Smelling Detergents
The best scented detergents won’t just clean your clothes (that’s their main purpose, anyway), they’ll also gently scent fabrics to leave a scent that’s not overpowering, but that actually lasts. Nothing beats the “fresh” smell of freshly washed clothes straight out of the washer, but these detergents go a step further, elevating your load by partnering with designer fragrance brands (like Capri Blue, or Maison Francis Kurkdjian, the creator of TikTok’s favorite scent).
Whether you want to start actively looking forward to laundry day (it’s the little things), or you just want to smell as luxurious as your clothes when you wear them, we’ve rounded up the best smelling detergents you can buy. Who knows? Someone might think you just lit a Le Labo Santal candle in their neighborhood.
In this article
What are the best smelling cleaners?
Buying Guide: How to Choose the Best Smelling Detergents
What are the best smelling cleaners?
We searched for the best smelling detergents online, evaluating brands based on ingredients, fragrance type and strength, overall quality, price, and user reviews. Here are our top picks.
1. Tyler Candle Co. Diva Glamorous Wash
The #divawash laundry detergent buzz is real on TikTok, and we can say that the rich, warm scent of Glamorous Wash’s Diva luxury laundry detergent has our approval. Upon first sniff, the scent’s main notes seem to clash (fruity, floral, amber?), but we love the fresh, floral base that combines with the warm, spicy finish. Smelling like you’ve stepped into an expensive hotel lobby, you can put away your perfumes and lotions when using this product—it packs a punch, and a little goes a long way here. However, it’s still gentle enough to use on delicate and specialty fabrics, and it cleans effectively.
2. Laundry Sauce – Laundry Detergent Pods
Laundry Sauce elevates laundry day by combining its powerful stain-removing formula with luxurious, perfume-inspired scents in a compact package. It’s like merging the fragrance section of your favorite department store with your neighborhood dry cleaner—all in one pod. There are four scents to choose from, but we love “Italian Bergamot,” which reminds us of breezy summer days on the Italian Riviera. We can’t wait to throw off our sheets and wrap ourselves in our clothes after putting them through a wash cycle. Unlike cheaper perfumes that are often overpowering and can literally make us cringe, Laundry Sauce offers a fresh scent that’s distinctive but understated. It’s an easy upgrade from generic drugstore detergents and a way to elevate your laundry to a more grown-up level.
3. Maison Francis Kurkdjian Aqua Universal Cleanser
Maison Francis Kurkdjian, known for its TikTok-popular Baccarat Rouge fragrance, has an advanced cleanser that pairs its popular summer scent with a base of warm bergamot and Calabrian notes with subtle hints of jasmine, lemon, and Moroccan musk. It’s a fresh, classic scent that’s reminiscent of line-dried laundry, with a musky scent that will linger long after you pull it out of the dryer. While the cleanser carries a hefty price tag of $55, the formula is especially concentrated (you can also get a linen care set that targets light and dark colors), which the brand says can refresh even the most delicate fabrics like silk and linen. Like a luxury candle, this bottle is worth adding to your “self-care” budget.
4. How to use liquid laundry detergent
If you get closer…well, you won't quite hear the ocean waves, but this herbal cleanser from Method Liquid He is It smells like a fresh morning stroll along a foggy beach. The sage scent elevates the classic masculine “water” scent to a truly upscale level, but it won’t wash away your savings with the tide. In addition to having some refreshing fragrances, Method detergents also do a great job of reviving whites and faded colors, and their hypoallergenic formula is also suitable for sensitive skin (unlike some other scented detergents). For a bottle that promises 66 washes, the value of this detergent can’t be beat.
5. Dropps Stain and Odor Remover Cleaner Pods
If the Tide pod debacle of the 2000s taught us anything, it’s that there’s something so fun about fresh laundry pods—but this option is also better for the environment. Dropps’ eco-friendly laundry option uses 100% plastic-free packaging, plus the pods themselves are free of excess water, dyes, and artificial colors that don’t clean your clothes. Like a little “drop” of luxury, its lavender- and eucalyptus-scented pods leave a fresh, relaxing scent that’s like a spa portal just opened in your laundry room.
6. L'avant Collective High Performance Laundry Soap
When you’re looking for a more advanced way to tackle your toughest laundry loads, we recommend trying L’avant Collective. Since it’s so concentrated, you’ll need less than you think to achieve amazing results, but along with the deep clean and powerful odor defense, we were impressed by its luxurious scent. It leaves behind the signature “fresh linen” scent you might be used to, but it’s elevated with natural notes of geranium, ylang ylang, and bamboo. The scent will last for days after it comes out of the dryer thanks to the enzyme-powered formula (which will also help protect colors from fading).
7. Bath & Body Works Moisturizing Fabric Cleanser for cleaning wet fabrics
We were pleasantly surprised when our favorite mall candle store Bath & Body Works got into the laundry game in late 2023, where customers were able to vote on their favorite scents to be added to their detergents. We’re just lucky that Sundrenched Linen managed to hit that level, which will leave your clothes smelling like you’ve air-dried them in the sun. While we’ve been nose-dead (prelude to losing our nose) before when it comes to “powdery linen” scents, this detergent is surprisingly sophisticated, with strong, crisp apple notes and a soft musk base. If that sounds like a lot, you wouldn’t be wrong—but the scent sings like a symphony, and the concentrated formula, which will give you over 60 washes, makes it the complete cleaning package.
8. Laundry Detergent No. 723
Enjoy the wonderful feeling of buying a bouquet of roses every day with everyone’s favorite No. 723 laundry detergent from The Laundress. Everything from your pajama sets to your bedding will feel like a treat thanks to the concentrated detergent formula that targets stubborn stains, dirt, and grease. Unlike other detergent scents that seem like an afterthought, this detergent was created by world-class perfumers and features a seductive Damask rose scent, along with musky notes of geranium and amber. We also reach for their sensitive wash (in the “Lady” scent, which is still floral, but with more citrus and musk) whenever we need a gentler, more concentrated clean, but No. 723 will transform your laundry basket into a fragrant, blooming rose garden.
9. Molly's Suds Liquid Laundry Detergent
Like driving through a citrus grove, we can't get enough of the light, refreshing scent of Molly's Suds cleanser (which is essential oil-based!). While will If you want to smell this fragrance, the real star here is its clean, powerful formula (free of synthetic dyes and harmful chemicals) and stain-removing ability. The highly concentrated formula will give you a thorough, botanical clean, while helping you save some water, too. It’s bright, fruity, and sustainable—what more do you need?
10. Sniffing old money and washing everything
If you want to give your clothes the energy of Kendall Roy without spending a fortune, Snif's Old Money Laundry Detergent is a “quiet luxury” staple – without the Roy price tag. Everything Wash removes dirt and odors, while the Old Money fragrance leaves your clothes smelling like a million dollars with a luxurious blend of cardamom, tonka bean, vanilla, sandalwood and musk. With a warm and inviting scent. rich Like this product, your laundry will automatically be upgraded to VIP level. This is not just a great detergent, it delivers quality in a non-toxic, non-irritating, vegan, cruelty-free, and synthetic dye-free formula.
11. DedCool 01 Taunt Laundry Detergent
This best-selling and highly sought-after fragrance from DedCool has been transformed into a cleanser we can’t get enough of. The brand describes the vegan, cruelty-free formula as a “coming-of-age story” that “smells like daydreaming about your first perfume.” This vibe is perfectly embodied in a sweet yet mature blend of bergamot, fresh dew, blackcurrant, vanilla, and amber. We also love that this warm, sensual-smelling cleanser is formulated with plant-based and biodegradable ingredients, making it a solid pick for those with sensitive skin, too.
12. Dirty Labs Signature Laundry Detergent
Not only is this detergent organic, it smells great too. Dirty Labs' sustainable laundry liquid combines the fresh scent of magnolia, bergamot and cedar for a clean, forest-like feel. And with advanced enzyme cleaning technology, you'll also get targeted stain and odor-fighting power to leave clothes looking and smelling as fresh as possible.
13. Capri Blue Volcano Laundry Detergent
Capri Blue (aka the in-store “Anthropologie Scent”) has brought the Capri Blue Volcano candle-scented shopping experience to its luxurious detergent. Like “the excitement and energy of a summer night out,” you’ll be lured in by the scents of tropical fruits, sweet citrus, and exotic mountain vegetables. It’s noticeably softer and sweeter than your typical citrus scent, adding a gentle touch to your laundry without being too pungent. It’s also formulated with essential oils (great for sensitive skin), but concentrated enough to remove the toughest stains.
Buying Guide: How to Choose the Best Smelling Detergents
We carefully select the products we present to our readers. While we review descriptions to showcase fresh, relevant picks, we also rely on promising customer reviews or firsthand experience with our products and brands. We considered detergents with strong enough scents to linger after a wash without being overpowering, powerful enzyme/stain-fighting formulas, price, and features like eco-friendly or non-toxic ingredients. The result is a carefully thought-out shopping list with you in mind.