14 Fragrances That Smell Like Clean Laundry

There are few things more calming than the gentle scent of fresh laundry. It's such a special smell, in fact, that many brands have attempted to bottle it, offering perfumes and fragrances that call to mind crisp linen, clean water, and the tranquility of a fresh pile of warm clothes. As far as perfumes go, these strike a balance between clean and sexy—offering that can't-quite-put-your-finger-on-it scent that's so hard to attain. Below, find 14 of our favorite fragrances that smell like clean laundry.

What Is the Fresh Laundry Smell?

"For a clean laundry scent, I recommend green and watery notes like cotton, bergamot, lavender, lily of the valley, and hyacinth," says fragrance developer and Arquiste Founder. Carlos Huber. He calls these notes crisp and fresh—just like the scent of clean laundry.

Byredo Toile Textile Perfume

Byredo Toile Textile Perfume $70.00

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Imagine burying your face into warm sheets fresh out of the dryer—that's what this Byredo fragrance smells like. Toile is the Swedish brand's first-ever textile perfume, formulated to enhance the scent of your just-washed clothes and linens. And the understated blend of bergamot, lily of the valley, violet silk, amber, and cotton musk is intoxicating, like every fragrance from the collection.

D.S. & Durga Steamed Rainbow $210.00

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"The scent of laundry is really soft musks with aldehydes - especially aldehyde c-12 MNA," says David Moltz, Co-Founder of D.S. & Durga. "Steamed Rainbow employs both of these and is my favorite scent that smells like a rainbow in soft humid air." The notes of mandarin, green cedar, and vapors mimic the fresh, clean smell that always follows after a rainstorm.

Clean Skin

Clean Skin $110.00

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If you're familiar with clean perfumes, you probably know that fresh, minimalistic scents are basically the brand's MO. But while there are a few that explicitly recall textiles, we're particularly keen on this warm fragrance, which plays off of musks, honey, and fresh air to evoke bare skin. It's sensual in a low-key kind of way.

Demeter Linen

Demeter Linen $24.00

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We can always depend on Demeter for the most literal interpretations of scents—even when it's something we would honestly never think to ask for, like Earthworm or Tarnish—and this one is no exception. It's both crisp and delicate, like your freshest batch of laundry.

Replica Lazy Sunday Morning

Replica Lazy Sunday Morning $165.00

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Like every fragrance in the Replica collection, this scent has a nostalgic feel to it. Aldehydes, pear, lily of the valley, iris, rose, orange, musk, and a touch of patchouli and amber suggest the sweet, crisp, and slightly earthy combination of sheets and skin. It's easy, relaxing, and so lovely.

Philosophy Pure Grace

Philosophy Pure Grace Fragrance $26.00

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Florals can be heavy, but Philosophy's Pure Grace, with its blend of bergamot, water lily, lavender, jasmine, musk, and greenery, is light as air. It's the perfect complement to a lazy Sunday morning spent in bed.

Vacation After Sun Eau de Toilette

Vacation After Sun Eau de Toilette $60.00

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Picture this: you just left the pool after a long day out in the sun, and you're off to take a cool shower and slip into a clean summer dress. That's this perfume personified. It smells like aloe vera gel, cucumber water and fresh poolside towels. It's clean, fresh, relaxing, and vacation-like.

Frederic Malle Dans Tes Bras

Frederic Malle Dans Tes Bras $355.00

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Translated to "in your arms," this warm, romantic scent really has the air of a sweet embrace. Warm, rich notes like musk, cashmere, sandalwood, incense, and patchouli give it depth, complemented by softer notes of heliotrope and violet. Like a few of the other fragrances in our lineup, it aims to capture the intimate scent of skin—and does it beautifully.

By Rosie Jane Rosie

By Rosie Jane Rosie $75.00

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Fresh laundry meets the comforting skin scent of the person you love—that's Rosie. According to the brand, Rosie smells like, "sleeping in your birthday suit." The notes of musk and rose smell clean and sensual, sorta like your-skin-but-better, and it's addictive.

Maison Francis Kurkdjian Aqua Universalis Cologne forte Eau de Parfum

Maison Francis Kurkdjian Aqua Universalis Cologne forte Eau de Parfum $150.00

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This is one of the lightest scents from Maison Francis Kurkdjian, blending bergamot of Calabria and white musk with sweet pea and seringa for a fresh aroma.

Arquiste Infanta en Flor Eau de Parfum

Arquiste Infanta en Flor Eau de Parfum $205.00

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"Infanta En Flor is a clean shower fragrance with notes of clean cotton towels that evokes the memories of baby cologne," says Huber. It has a clean, musky opening with notes of orange flower water, Spanish leather, cistus resin, and immortelle.

DedCool Milk

DedCool Milk $90.00

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This intoxicating scent features hints of bergamot, white musk, and amber to create a fresh, clean scent that mixes with your own unique body chemistry. It gives clean, comforting skin when worn on its own, or layers well with other fragrances to give a familiar skin-like quality.

The Harmonist Sacred Water Perfume

The Harmonist Sacred Water Perfume $285.00

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The Harmonist's Sacred Water fragrance offers notes of citrus fruits, spices, and minerality—all of which blend, the brand says, to "both invigorate and soothe the wearer, like the unfolding expanse of a tranquil sea."

Skylar Salt Air Eau de Parfum

Skylar Salt Air Eau de Parfum $90.00

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This fresh, aquatic fragrance contains notes of sea salt, driftwood, seaweed, and water lily to evoke the feeling of clean, beachy skin.