I Tried This Delicious-Smelling Laundry Detergent and I'll Never Go Back to Drugstore Brands
"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links."
As a New Yorker and, therefore, a small-space dweller, I am lucky to have an in-unit washer and dryer because I have always been a little laundry-obsessed. Although I try to approach my laundry habits with the environment (and my water bill) in mind, I typically do two loads per week: one for clothes and the other for linens. So you can imagine my delight when I received a package from L’AVANT Collective, a plant-based, all-natural cleaning brand that just launched a set of laundry essentials.
I used all three products—high-performing detergent, wool dryer balls, and laundry oil—last night, and I have some thoughts. First and foremost, the laundry detergent smells so good that I’d wear it as a scent. It’s called “fresh linen,” which, upon giving it a sniff, is an appropriate name. It features notes of ylang-ylang, bamboo, lavender, geranium, basil, and lemon. I mostly smelled the first two with a hint of lavender.
Even though the detergent smells incredible—like walking by a laundry room on a warm day—I was worried that it would leave my clothes too perfumed. But a few hours after taking my laundry out of the dryer, I noticed that the fragrance wafting off my clothes was surprisingly light—just faint enough that it won’t give you a headache, but not so subtle that you can’t smell it.
For those who prefer cleaning products without fragrance, there’s also an unscented version of the detergent. As for the performance, I didn’t notice that it behaved any differently than other detergents I’ve used—natural or otherwise. Overall, I appreciate that the detergent, which successfully removed a fresh olive oil spill from a beige skirt, is free of bleach, dyes, phthalates, phosphates, and parabens.
I’ve only used the detergent once so far, but according to the website, “The 5x concentrated formula allows you to use less, which means you save energy and resources with every load washed at cool or warm temperatures.” In addition to being eco-conscious, using less detergent is also smart because the bottle is only 32 fluid ounces. (For reference, standard detergents are 64 fluid ounces.)
Next, the New Zealand wool dryer balls were designed to replace chemical fabric softeners and single-use dryer sheets. I was a bit skeptical about these since I am an avid and loyal dryer sheet user, but these actually work! I put them to the test in a load of laundry containing three pairs of typically stiff jeans. After the dryer cycle was finished, my jeans felt remarkably soft—as did the rest of my load. I was hardly expecting anything noteworthy from the dryer balls, and I can’t imagine doing a load without them now.
Lastly, I was curious about and excited to try the laundry oil. Featuring the same delicious scent as the detergent, the oil is used to enhance the way your freshly clean laundry smells. So if you don’t like scents, you may want to skip this step. Here is how it works: When your clothes are nearly dry, pause the cycle, remove the wool balls, lightly sprinkle each one with a few drops of the oil, and resume the cycle. When it’s done, your laundry will smell noticeably better.
All in all, L’AVANT’s long-awaited laundry essentials lived up to the hype, and the fact that the bundle is plant-based is just a guilt-free bonus.
Follow House Beautiful on Instagram.
You Might Also Like
