Beyond the Washing Machine: 9 Alternative Uses for Laundry Freshener Beads

At Sheets Laundry Club, we take laundry to the next level with innovative, clean, effective solutions that smell amazing. There’s no limit to the freshness of your home or clothes, so check out these creative ideas to give your life a little scent boost.

1. Freshen Smelly Shoes

Your sneakers may be stylish, but boy, do they stink! We’ve all been there. For an easy solution, try this smelly shoe remedy: after you’ve worn your shoes, sprinkle scent booster into them. Wait at least one day before dumping out the excess scent booster. Bad smells, begone!

Keep in mind that you should always let your shoes rest at least a day in between wears to allow them to fully dry and air out before wearing them again. This will help keep bacteria and moisture at bay, which is the main cause of that stinky shoe smell. It will also help your shoes last longer!

2. Turn the Kitchen Sink into a Scent Sensation

There are a number of reasons why you might get a whiff of something bad when you are near the kitchen sink. For example, there could be food caught in the drain or an issue with your U-bend. Either way, it’s best to solve the problem before it gets worse.

One of the easiest methods of unclogging a drain is with hot water. But, we’ll do you one better: Start by pouring one tablespoon of laundry freshener beads down the drain. Then, pour a gallon of boiling water on top. Turn on the disposal and wait five minutes before using the tap again. Your drain should be both unclogged and smelling great!

3. Clean Your Carpet

With kids, pets, and general foot traffic, keeping carpets clean can feel like a full-time job. However, it’s not enough just to vacuum regularly – bad odors can still get trapped beneath the thick layers. To keep the smells from building up, give your carpet a quick scent boost once a month with this easy homemade carpet freshener recipe:

• Sprinkle baking soda over the carpet to help pull odors out of the rug.
• Add some of your favorite scent booster on top of the baking soda.
• Let this mixture sit for about an hour, so it has time to work its magic.
• Vacuum up the whole mixture.

Voila! A clean and fresh-smelling carpet.

4. DIY Home Air Freshener

We love a good DIY project, don’t you? In addition to being the best washing machine air freshener, your scent booster can also be used as an air freshener for the home. Follow these steps:

• Pour some scent booster into a small bowl or decorative container.
• Add a small amount of warm water.
• Set the bowl out in a central place in the room.

Pro tip: Placing the bowl in a sunny spot will intensify the scent and make it last longer!

5. Keep Closets & Drawers Fresh

While your drawers and closets are filled with clean clothes, that doesn’t mean they always smell good. Enclosed spaces without fresh air can cause a stale smell, even if you have already used the best scent booster for laundry during your weekly wash.

To counteract this, fill small cloth bags with scent booster, and tuck them in drawers or hang them in your closet. You can also use this laundry basket air freshener hack for your dirty clothes bin, keeping the smells at bay until laundry day.

6. Banish Kitty Litter Smells

Cats are great, but everyone can agree that dealing with the litter box is not. If you have to hold your nose every time you walk by, try this cat litter box freshener recipe:

• Add some baking soda and scent booster to the litter.
• Wait an hour to give it time to soak up any lingering odors.
• Scoop the scent booster pellets out of the litter box.
  
  

7. Refresh Your Toilet Brush

Nobody loves cleaning toilets. But, the process can be made exponentially worse when you use a stinky toilet brush. If it feels like you are making your toilet more dirty by trying to clean it, then it’s time to take some defensive measures.

To refresh your toilet brush, sprinkle scent booster into the base of your toilet brush holder and add a small amount of water. This will not only make your toilet brush smell better, but will boost the smell of the entire bathroom.

8. Make Your Car Smell Sweet

Everyone loves a ‘new car smell,’ but once it has worn off, your car’s smell can take on a life of its own – and it’s not always good. If your car is smelling stale (or worse), here’s an easy DIY air freshener recipe:

• Fill a small bag with your favorite laundry freshener beads.
• Bring it out to your car and hang it from the rear-view mirror or tuck it into a pocket somewhere in the car.

Now your car will always smell like your favorite fresh laundry scent!

9. De-Stinkify a Trash Can

There’s no getting around it—trash stinks. And after a while, it will inevitably make your trashcan stink. Luckily, it’s easy to make a trash can smell better.

To help fight the smells coming from your trashcan, put a satchel filled with scent booster in the bottom of the trash can, underneath the trash bag. This will fill the trash can with a fresh scent that will help mask the smell of garbage.