Post-Holiday Sales for Workwear
This post may contain affiliate links and Corporette® may earn commissions for purchases made through links in this post. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

We took a swing through some of everyone's favorite stores — here are the post-holiday sales worth noting!
Workwear sales of note for 12.26.22: (Our favorites are in bold!)
- Nordstrom – The Half-Yearly Sale has started! See our picks here.
- Ann Taylor – Semi-Annual sale, extra 40% off all sale styles!
- Anthropologie – Extra 40% off sale styles
- Banana Republic Factory – Winter sale, up to 70% off original prices.
- Boden – Sale is here! Up to 60% off.
- Brooks Brothers – Take 40% off sitewide (excludes clearance).
- Elie Tahari – End of Season Sale: Up to 60% off
- Eloquii – Up to 60% off everything; extra 50% off 2+ sale items; extra 40% off 1 sale item
- Everlane – Up to 60% off!
- Express – One day only, up to 60% off clearance!
- Hugo Boss – Final Reductions, up to 50% off!
- J.Crew – Extra 60% off sale styles; cashmere from $69.50
- J.Crew Factory – Extra 70% off clearance (2 days only!), up to 60% off everything else!
- J.McLaughlin – Up to 40% off
- Lands' End – The Great Winter Sale: Up to 80% off sale & clearance styles with code — reader favorite wool dresses and pants come down to under $60 (plus sizes too!); ponte dresses start at under $30.
- Loft – Semi-annual sale, extra 50% off sale styles!
- Madewell – End of Season Sale: Up to 70% off
- M.M. LaFleur – Daily flash sales, up to 30% off!
- Neiman Marcus – Christmas Sale: Up to 60% off — more styles just added!
- Reiss – Up to 50% off!
- Talbots – Semi-annual Red Door sale! Extra 40% off markdowns (excludes January Collection)
- Theory – End of season sale, up to 60% off!
- Uniqlo – End of season sale!
- Victoria's Secret – Up to 60% off 3500+ items!
Day 2 of Christmas and half of my family came down with covid. Hope you’re staying safe & sane!
Take care. Assume it won’t be long before the other half gets it – thinking that’s you, maybe the first half will be well enough by then to help you!
https://www.cnn.com/specials/series-eat-better
In the past some commenters have expressed interest in the Mediterrean diet. CNN is running a series on eating the Mediterrean way. You can sign up at the link above. It’s an 8 part series that’s delivered to your in box.
Thanks! Just signed up.
Thank you!
Thanks!
I butt-dialed my boss. On Christmas break. From a bar. Lord save us all.
Anyone else have a good holiday tale to share?
A lot of bosses would probably find this hilarious. Hopefully yours did!
Ah don’t worry about it. Am sure he’s done it to his boss too.
As long as it wasn’t after midnight!
Butt-dialing OP here with more details: so glad I butt-texted unbeknownst to me rather than actually calling him, but he did panic call me back later asking if I was having a medical emergency. I had shot off quite a string of random garbage messages that he was trying to parse out with zero help from my end, and he sweetly wanted to make sure I was okay. Laughed once he realized I was okay and how mortified I was, told me to enjoy the holidays. Glad it gave him a laugh!
That’s hilarious, and also sweet that he thought to check on you.
Oh this is so funny! I love it.
One year, I took a few days off mid-December. On Friday night, I got a dressed up and drove to pick my friend up on the way to the boss’s house for his big annual Christmas party. Except the party was on Saturday. Thank you Baby Jesus that I went to my friends house first and didn’t show up at his door 24 hours early! We did tell him and ten years later, he still finds it hilarious.
word needs- thoughts on word of the year? for those doing 2023 choices instead of or in addition to resolutions, what are your aspirational words?
economist just posted lots of word and language articles….
*word nerds
Connect
Balance
Heal
Focus
Sustainable
Strength
Romance :)
Bloom
Quietus. I’d like this year to be the year of finding peace through release
How about a star word (Epiphany tradition in my circle)? A random generator can help you find a word to live up to or that you already can reflect upon: https://www.wordoftheyear.me/
It gave me Fertility.
I turn 49 in a week.
Purpose
Recommendations for a fun breach read? Heading to the beach this week and want something light (maybe funny or romantic or mystery). No real preferences just not something that will have me bawling on the beach. I like Elin Hildebrand, Julia Quinn and Jennifer Weiner for reference. Nothing super new since I plan on downloading from my library. Thanks!
Check out Emily Henry or Christina Lauren, both write great beach reads!
Rock the Boat by Beck Dorey-Stein, Counterfeit by Kristin Chen, the Finlay Donovan series, books by Emma Straub and Taylor Jenkins Reid.
– Counterfeit by Kirstin Chen.
– The Friend Zone by Abby Jiminez.
– Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn.
I love Angela Roquet!
Another vote for Emily Henry. Also, Rebecca Serle, Lucy Foley, Taylor Jenkins Reid, Lauren Weisberger or Chanel Cleeton.
Just finished a Chanel Cleeton and started another–great books! I would also add Fiona Davis to the list.
Maid, By Nita Prose. This is a mystery narrated in the first person with a unique narrative voice. It’s a great page turner!
just finished Carrie Soto is back and really enjoyed. and I’m not even a tennis fan.
Same! I thought it was great.
I just finished it too and as a tennis fan it drove me crazy that many of the descriptions of points made no sense 😂
I thought it was ok overall, tho I wouldn’t call it a beach read
Really? I was so bored by the tennis, but I showed it to my tennis fan husband and he said it seemed accurate. I think TJR has talked about being a big tennis fan. I thought it was good but not great. I don’t read romance so my definition of “beach read” may be broader than other people’s, but I would classify it as a beach read.
any recommendations for color match/reproducing tile? I have some missing tiles in old house I’d like to match.
thank you!
I got vintage tiles that are almost indistinguishable from my 1950s blue bathroom tile on ebay.
How old is your home? Retro renovation dot com is great for mid century modern resources and ideas
People will say that your likelihood at matching tiles (new or old) is essentially zero because you are looking for a needle in a haystack, etc etc.
However, I’ve done it (found the exact tile starting with no info, albeit still modernish, not vintage), and I firmly believe you can do it too with patience.
I would begin by finding a tile to sacrifice and pulling it off the wall (stiff putty knife works great). There is a non-trivial chance the tile is marked with a brand, which will be immensely valuable. Even if not, you’ve not got a tile that you can take with you when comparing to samples.
Whether or not you get a brand, start googling the tile size and approximate colour. Look up tile manufacturers that are historic to your region. Pull up catalogues/ads for those makers if you find them. Ideally you will find the colour way and brand and then you just wait and wait until
you can buy one (or there is a reproduction company that hat produces a match.)
Other options include trying to find extra tiles in your own house that you are willing to scavenge. Without knowing what you are tiling, it is hard to guess. Vanities can be installed over floor tiles and in front of wall tiles that you could steal. Kitchen cabinets may be installed over wall tiles, etc etc. Obviously this wont get you lots of tiles but if you need just a few it is viable.
Any cold-weather runners care to share favorite pants for winter running? I’m good for weather down into the 40s, but once it hits 20s and 30s my legs just get so, so cold. Local stores don’t have anything in stock so I’ll have to order online. Thanks!
How frequently do you run in super cold? My spouse and I probably only run about 2-3x week outdoors when it’s super cold and keep total time outdoors under an hour. Like you, I’m okay in fleecey leggings until about freezing. Then I can go to about 10 or 15 degrees in a pair of regular leggings underneath a pair of sweatpant type joggers from target. I know there are more technical fabrics that would be better, but honestly I am cheap and lazy about running gear. And don’t be deceived—I run super cold! I wear a wool hat and gloves until about 25, after which I switch to skiing mittens for hand warmth. On top I do sports bra, thermal layer, fleece, and down puffer coat, wool socks as long as I can find pulled up my legs. I know some folks like skiing socks for this. Anyway, no real helpful reccs for you, just a monologue about how I survive!
Check out Athleta- I use their Altitude leggings for skiing when it’s 5-10 degrees in the morning, and Rainier when it’s more like 20.
Try wearing your normal kit under a windproof layer (even cheap wind/rain pants will work). It’ll be baggier than you’re used to, but that tends to do the trick for me. Check out cycling gear if you want something a bit sleeker. Several brands make tights that don’t have a chamois & are windproof in the front, but not the back, which is nice.
I have fleece-lined Sugoi Midzero tights I like, which work well alone for temps in the 30s When it gets to be under 25, I usually add a pair of long underwear bottoms (sport/wicking ones), usually on top of the sugoi tights as they are easier to get on that way. If that isn’t warm enough, try looser fleece pants with a pair of long underwear or regular running tights under them – the looser layer will be warmer as they trap some air. I have an old pair of Athleta polartec powerstretch fleece pants that are my warmest option. I would like to get some tights with wind blocking panels but I think those can be tricky to fit since the panels aren’t as stretchy, and i have massive thighs apparently.
PS – I use this guide for figuring out what to wear. My number one favorite running item is a windproof vest.
https://tinamuir.com/winter-running-what-to-wear-at-every-temperature/
Fun stationary/pens/office supplies? I’m back in the office 4 days a week and need to cheer up my space. Thanks for your recommendations!
I’m a cute office supply junkie. Poppin, always has fun colorful stuff. Target doesn’t seem to have much in the stores these days but they still have nice stuff on line and they ship quickly. I also find some cute things in Office Depot when I go in person and have time to browse.
I’m reading about the airline delays, particularly Southwest, and hoping none of you have to travel right now. Stay safe!!
It’s really just Southwest that it’s in meltdown mode. They’ve cancelled 70% of their flights the last couple of days. Delta is under 10% and American and United are under 5%. Winter travel is always a little bit stressful, but unless you’re flying Southwest you should be ok.
My young adult kids were supposed to fly SW on Thursday of this week, and their flights were canceled last night. They’ve rebooked on a different airline, and have refunds from SW pending. Our news has been running film from the concourse and baggage claim at BWI for SW and it looks BAD.
BWI flyer on SWA for years and was most reliable easy to fly great customer service. Years ago they were the only on time airline at BWI Monday morning following major blizzard. Got planes out as soon as runways cleared. This is a wake up call they need to heed to make investments to return to that level of service.
We are booked on Southwest in a week and I am worried about that flight! Hopefully, it will be settled by then.
My husband saw a thing on social media last night where someone was already checked in with a boarding group number of like A20, then the app said they had to print their boarding pass, and as soon as they clicked print, it changed to “standby” and they weren’t allowed on their flight, which was one of the ones that actually took off!
I’ve always been a bit of a SW fan but this situation is making me rethink my loyalty. It sounds like their systems are hopelessly antiquated.
We were stuck in LA for 3 days due to Alaska cancellations in PNW. Once we saw the first cancellation we hightailed it to LAX to talk with an agent. She was an absolute angel and was able to book us out yesterday (3 people, 3 different flights). It was originally looking line Wednesday so we were so thankful for her assistance. It was also great to have Hyatt points for those 3 extra nights. Everyone across the service industry we encountered was so cheerful and kind. The last one of us made it home after 8 last night and then we opened gifts. A Christmas to remember for certain!
I’ve run into this dynamic in a few relationships: dude says he wants to do some handyman type Thing around the house. Insists that he must be the one to do Thing. Gets upset when I say I’m just going to hire someone to do Thing. But he continues to not do Thing because some other thing is always higher priority to him. When I try to have a Talk about Thing really needing to be done now and please just be honest with me if you don’t want to do it and I will happily hire someone, he reassures me that he’s totally going to do Thing! He just hadn’t gotten around to it yet! Don’t waste our money on Thing! This continues until I get so frustrated I force the issue and he sulkily does Thing.
I’m still mad because I’ve had to keep Thing on my mental checklist for months and had to repeatedly nag him which I hate. He’s mad because I don’t trust him to do Thing/I don’t trust his judgment/I don’t agree that the other thing is higher priority/I dont understand or give him credit for the fact that he wants to do Thing and totally will do it when he has time/and probably a myriad of things he doesn’t express to me. How do you break this cycle? It’s exhausting!
I think you appreciate the valuable input about this guy in a big picture partner sense, while dialing the paid repair person.
You say “hey, seems like we aren’t prioritizing Thing the same way. It keeps bothering me that it’s not fixed.
If you can’t get to it by Feb. 1, I’ll hire someone” – or is that how you’re already forcing the issue?
Yeah that’s how I’m forcing the issue. I set a deadline, he’ll do Thing on the deadline. Setting the deadline is already frustrating. It’s especially frustrating that they seem to hear a date as the day they should do Thing, even though I’ve been saying Thing is now urgent and needs to be done ASAP like today not in a(nother) week.
If you set the deadline, then you really have to call the person to do The Thing. Let your BF feel his own feelings. If that doesn’t work, you have to decide if you are willing to live with it. I am glad that my husband tries once to fix the thing and if it doesn’t work, he will call himself.
Hi Mom!
My parents have operated like this for many many years. I think my mom would give a timeframe, and then hire someone.
The bad news is that it probably lasted until my dad was nearly 70. The good news is that they are still happily together – celebrated 58 years of marriage this fall.
Haha I thought the same thing! This is literally my dad! Except sometimes the task is not done for years.
Don’t be like my mom, just call the repair person and get it done.
I once had to have my car towed to a brake shop because I needed new brakes, and my husband insisted he could do it. He was half right. He could get the brakes off, he just couldn’t get the new ones back on.
The guys at the brake shop said to be nice to him, but they were laughing. Oh, also, he bought the wrong replacement brake parts and they couldn’t be used, so we had to pay the brake guys again.
We’ve been married for 23 years. He’s a great husband in 95% of ways, a great 50/50 parent and household tax partner, so the occasional frustration like this is something I personally consider the price of admission. It’s a funny story now years later.
* household TASK partner haha
I stopped telling mine Thing existed until I either took care of it myself or the day before the repair service is scheduled. He sometimes gets mildly miffed that I didn’t ask him to do Thing but it is far easier to manage with “I know you’re so busy that you didn’t need one more thing to deal with; thanks for monitoring repair service call tomorrow!”
That does not work so well when you have joint accounts paying for repairs since spouse might understandably be upset at a unilateral decision about spending large sums of money.
My parents have this dynamic, worsened by the fact that my dad is actually really good at these types of tasks and knows the difference between what he can do vs. what he cannot. He has saved them tens of thousands of dollars. Emergencies (leaks; critical appliance won’t start; etc.) get fixed immediately, usually by him. Non-emergencies that actually need to be done, she asks once, asks again and then sets a deadline. Once she starts researching contractors and gives him a cost estimate, it is amazing how fast it gets done. For everything else (things she would like done, like new baseboards, but that are not critical) she considers the delay and the nagging the price of admission to her 49 year marriage. What she definitely does not do is treat her 75 year old husband like an overgrown toddler who has to be tricked and managed or make unilateral decisions about their joint finances.
My spouse is hopeless and knows it so we do not have this problem, for better or worse. Fortunately Dad is retired and happy to come fix things – even if I have to remind him several times.
It works for us because even though everything is joint, he has no interest in and does not handle the finances at all.
I actually have far more DIY acumen than my spouse, so I typically just do the thing myself. If I know I will need his help, I don’t ask him ahead of time to do it but start in myself then yell for him to give me a hand. This goes over FAR better for me than hoping inspiration will strike and he will someday do it off his own accord. He never gets the chance to drop the ball, he feels like he’s saving the day by coming running to do whatever requires his help in the moment, and I get the thing done.
And even worse when he then does the Thing, incorrectly.
My DH is similar, and I have two strategies. One, invite people over so there’s an external deadline to do the Thing. Two, ask DH what he thinks is a reasonable date to do Thing by, leave him alone until that date, and call someone.
I always specify the Thing needs to be done by date X, after which, it is outsourced to a professional. I give reasonable timeline. The guy either gets ego hurt after first outsourcing that he makes sure to do the next Thing asap or learns that outsourcing it isn’t the worst thing.
My DH tore up the tile in the downstairs bathroom then didn’t get around to it installing new tile. We sold the house 5 years later with the bathroom torn apart.
I feel you on this.
I just… don’t “nag.” It might be easier said than done once the habit/cycle has set in. But if there’s something that needs fixing or improving or anything at the house, my partner and I talk about it. Sometimes he wants to fix it, and so we’ll agree on a reasonable “deadline” with the understanding that he can do it on the last day, but if it’s not done the next day, I’m calling someone. I don’t feel like I have to have this on my mental to-do list because he’s taken it over until whenever the deadline is. If he gets in his feelings about me calling on our mutually agreed deadline, I figure that’s his problem. It’s not my job to fix his emotions when I was just carrying out our plan.
We also have different domains in the house (he has the kitchen and I have the floors and bathrooms– other stuff is split) regarding cleaning and normal upkeep. Neither of us reminds the other to do tasks in our respective areas, so no one ever feels like they’re nagging or being nagged at. To be honest, someone who I get along with in this way was a threshold expectation for me when dating, so it’s never been a problem in our relationship.
I wouldn’t get into a relationship with that guy. That behavior would drive me crazy and would be a dealbreaker. Life is hard enough without making little things challenging. If you’re already married to him, I have no ideas other than just getting it fixed and telling him later.
Super annoying. If you try to take it “seriously” would he respond well? Seriously being:
Can we talk about something important? This dynamic keeps happening (explain dynamic as neutrally as possible.) When this happens, I tell myself you don’t really care about what is important to me/ don’t have time for the things that are important to me. I can tell you have feelings about it, what does it make you feel? [Like you don’t trust me, don’t trust me to do the thing, are always rushing me, feel like you’ll leave me if I’m not valuable at doing stuff, feel like my role in the household is not needed.] Do you see a way out of this? The way I see it, the choices I have are nag you and you feel bad, be annoyed daily about the broken thing, or just solve the problem and then walk on eggshells that you feel bad.
My proposed solution is on Day 1: Schedule the repair out 2 or 3 or 6 weeks, whatever. Tell him: I’ve scheduled X to be fixed on Date. If you fix it by Date minus 3/5/7 days, I’ll cancel. I know you are super busy and I really value all you do, so I don’t want you to have to worry about it if you don’t have time.
In that scenario it is STILL on your list in some ways, but you can just reminder it to the deadline, and either cancel or know it will be done without having to evaluate and reschedule.
How do you respond when people comment that you must have lost weight when you definitely have not? I’ve seen a bunch of people over the holidays that I havent seen for a while. I’ve gotten a LOT of comments that omg have you lost weight! I am at least 15 lbs heavier and a dress size or two larger than when they last saw me. It’s not muscle mass. (I last saw some of them at my wedding and related events and I’ve resumed eating like a normal person – ahem, and then some – since then.) I’m not all that happy about the extent of the weight gain and it’s very uncomfortable for people to comment about my body. I was so shocked by these comments that I sort of awkwardly mumbled something. I think maybe the best response is thank you followed by a subject change. Any advice on how to cope?
I don’t know. I hate being asked about my weight whether I’m thinner or heavier than I was last time. When will people figure out that it’s rude to talk about someone’s weight, whether you think it’s a compliment or not???
your skin is glowing, your hair looks great, that outfit is so pretty – all fine, all acceptable
you’ve lost weight! – not acceptable
People, stop doing this!!!
When people make comments like that I just say “Okay” and walk away.
This seems pretty harsh given the intent wasn’t likely to be mean in any way. OP handled it much better.
Agree it’s rude, but assuming you want to stay friends with these people, I’d either do what you’re already doing, or maybe say something like ‘ha not true, but guess i should buy this outfit in every color!’ And then change the subject.
This has happened to me 5 times this week. I weigh precisely the same as I did pre COVID, I was also wearing old clothes that people have seen me wear before. It’s really awkward that everyone insists I must have lost weight. I even double checked my weight since I was concerned maybe I had lost weight and not realized, nope same weight. Anyways I buggered up all these social interactions.
Give them your best do-you-kiss-your-mother-with-that-mouth look and change the subject. If you want to say something before you change the subject say some variation of “what an odd thing to ask…”
Has sequin technology become cheaper/better, or are all these affordable sequin dresses I’m seeing actually cheap and bad in person? Because I am tempted…
yes they are pretty cheap, you have to be careful with them or they snag and fall off. but considering I’ve never worn a sequined dress twice, that’s fine? (I too hate one-time use clothes, but just telling it like it is). Nova Lee Boutique has tons of cute/affordable sequined stuff
Idk but lol at “sequin technology”!
In my recent experience with not super expensive but also not inexpensive sequined attire, they are still scratchy under the arms and shed throughout the night.
Not to be a total killjoy, but sequins are AWFUL for the environment! So I’d proceed with caution.
Sorry to hear it! Maybe we actually do need an advance in alternative sequin technology. Well that will help me say no.
Cheap and bad in person unless it’s very well lined and therefore more expensive. Source, went after-Xmas sale shopping in search of NYE outfit and decided to make do with sprucing up a fitted sweater Pnina-style with my own jewelry instead.
Ok can we talk scents? Not perfumes, but home scents. I get a headache in the detergent aisle and from anything labeled “fresh” scented. I think it’s ambroxan but I’m not sure. I also had to ban Febreze for the same reason.
As such I avoid scented laundry detergent and I don’t use air fresheners.
I buy some clothing on resale sites and when it comes out of the mailing envelope smelling like scented laundry detergent, I have to seal it up again and wash it asap.
My daughter came home from college and says our laundry stinks. She says her room stinks. She went out and bought a glade air freshener (she “forgot,” she says) and this morning I have an unbelievable headache. I made her get rid of it but the scent lingers.
Anyway, I don’t hate scent. I use limited fragrances, usually really high end stuff in florals and greens and they don’t bother me. It’s specifically anything labeled “fresh.” I hope my laundry doesn’t really stink – we use All Free and Clear, vinegar in the rinse, and wool dryer balls.
What would you do in my situation? I really don’t want to go around stinking.
(PS not a body odor situation. She says it’s specifically the laundry)
You’re going to need some more information. Is she smelling some kind of funk, or is she smelling a scent but different from what she’s used to? I personally love the smell of my local natural foods store, but if she’s used to the detergent aisle at Target, it’s going to be very unfamiliar.
If your wash is a lot of synthetic fabrics and you’re using All Free & Clear, then it probably is funk. It’s kind of notorious for it, especially for workout clothes.
She says it smells like unscented laundry! That’s about all I get. We don’t have a ton of synthetics, and she recently said it about 100% cotton sheets and towels!
When I was a kid, I said that about clothes that were dried on the line. They do smell different (I love it now). Maybe try a squirt of Dr. Bronner’s lavender soap in the laundry? It has a very short ingredient list and I think smells very, very nice.
Have you considered mildew? I think people can get desensitized to that smell on their own clothes. So if either your washer or dryer has a slight mildew smell, that is very much something a visitor would notice.
I don’t think so. I feel like I’ve been so lucky having a front loader that is 20 years old and never has developed a mildew problem. I’ve run into it at rental houses and I definitely smelled it immediately.
Any suggestions for lightly scented but I guess more natural and less “fresh” products would also be great.
I wouldn’t go for scented, but maybe give a different non-scented a go? I’m in Scandi, so my brands are probably not available, but I sometimes switch away from my favorite for a while, like with shampoo. But I would never buy scented.
Agree and echo this with hard water, and a dirty washing machine. My friend had absolutely no idea she smelled a little bit “dry” and then “rusty” as time went on. My parents clothing often smells vaguely off, and it’s their unscented powder detergent.
I’d suggest cleaning your washing machine and dryer (or better yet, have your daughter do it), or throw 2 capfuls of white vinegar in with your towels in the washing machine. If you want to utilize more scent then I’d suggest a non-fresh scented dryer sheet, like lavender or one of the citrus scents.
Are you using one of the detergents that has enzyme cleansers? Or otherwise adding an enzymatic cleaner to the wash?
Normal scented laundry detergents give me an instantaneous migraine, and my skin reacts to anything natural or botanical, so I really need my laundry to smell neutral!
Do you mean like Oxy clean? We add that to certain loads but not all.
It seems like you’re getting some pretty honest feedback from one of the only people in the world who can give it to you and you’re rejecting it out of hand.
Do you want to hear that for people used to scented household products unscented laundry smells bad? I don’t think that’s true. I hate that my scent free laundry never smells clean like scented laundry does but it smells like nothing, not bad.
I’d take your daughters complaints pretty seriously and I’d ask her, not the internet, about how you can remedy this.
How am I rejecting it? I’m here asking for advice.
What a weird comment to someone asking for suggestions.
If you want a scented product, Tide Pur might be a good one to try
Is it your drying method that’s different – clothes that are tumble dried sometimes smell burnt to me. Otherwise, I’d bet that your machine is a bit mouldy, have you checked all the folds of the rubber seal? I think that’s the sort of smell you become desensitised to very quickly.
I’m sensitive to scents as well. And like my laundry to smell like unscented laundry. Both of my grown children use “fresh” scent detergent and have told me that they can’t believe that they grew up without their clothes smelling like anything. If she’s saying it smells like unscented laundry then you are doing it right!
See if your washing machine needs cleaned!
I use unscented everything too, the artificial smells really bother me. Sometimes laundry gets a little funky because washing machines just don’t really clean that well (and I say that as the owner of a speed queen!) The solution is laundry stripping, wash everything with dawn and washing soda (NOT baking soda) on hot with a pre soak of at least an hour. Note the colour of the water will horrify you. You can get detailed instructions by googling laundry stripping.
Yikes! Maybe I will try with towels. Brand of washing soda recommendation?
EC30 is a brand by Proctor and Gamble that is solid, no liquid, and more natural fragrances. I say this knowing that there is no US federal definition for the word “natural” but I work in environmental sector and what you should be looking for is less-toxic, less-allergenic ingredients. Under the California laws, all products sold in California have to list their allergenic ingredients on their product websites. including fragrances, which often have a lot of allergenic and carcinogenic ingredients.
try using half of whatever amount is recommended– that will probably give enough scent for your daughter and little enough not to aggravate you
for pure smell (for your daughter’s room, maybe) try enviroscent air freshener. one stick can make a difference
I use the eco pioneer brand since that’s whats sold at my local Canadian co op, but theoretically all washing soda should be the same chemical compound and work the same.
I have a sibling who uses scented everything and I am the exact opposite. They think my laundry, and my home, ‘smells funny’. The thing is, it doesn’t smell like anything because clean doesn’t have a scent, my sibling is just conditioned to expect a chemical scent when something is clean.
I would be getting more information about what exactly your daughter means by ‘stinks’. It could be that she is now used to chemical scents, or that there is an underlying issue somewhere that needs dealing with.