My work schedule prevents me from contributing to as many of the home tasks that I used to oversee and one in particular has been laundry.  Mr. P has jumped in to complete that particular task since he gets home at least two hours before me.  Had I been attending to the laundry during the week I might have returned the new bottle of softener after the first use. Instead I held my comments about a new odor on sheets, towels and clothing. 

Our new bottle of Gain Original Scent Softener has possibly the most cloying, chemical-smelling scent I’ve ever encountered. It stays with you; it’s overpowering on sheets and rubs off from contact, especially with towels. The smell was on Mr. P and I finally had to ask about what he had been doing to pick up this annoying scent. (Ahem, no woman would wear a perfume such as this so that wasn’t my worry.)  After a brief discussion he realized it was our softener –we quickly confirmed his theory.  Handling the bottle has left the scent on my hands and it won’t rinse off!

Several years ago a number of people raved about the scent of Gain Original – perhaps Proctor and Gamble changed the formula but there’s nothing pleasant about this.

As a fabric softener this performs as well as any of the top brands. The softener is HE (high efficiency washer) compatible and safe for all washing machines. The cap indicates the volume required for various load levels. It’s easy to read; the light green color of the softener improves the contrast and ability to measure the correct volume.  This works fine in our hard water.  Sheets, towels, and jeans and all other potentially stiff fabrics are appropriately soft and comfortable thanks to Gain’s Original Scent Softener.  While my skin often reacts to perfumes found in laundry detergents, softeners rarely cause me to break out in rashes and that includes Gain’s softener.

The pouring spout is well designed and all of the excess flows back into the bottle. A very narrow side “window” that runs from the base up and along the edge of the handle provides a quick glimpse into the bottle – it’s easy to determine how much remains. A label on the front tells how many medium-sized loads can be anticipated.  I have no complaint with the performance of the softener or the design of the bottle and would continue to buy this were it not for the “perfume” of the original scent. It’s not just me.

I’ve asked friends if they could figure out the source of the odd smell and their reaction has been to pull away and make a face. (This was before I connected the scent to the softener.)  Mr. P also thinks it stinks and it doesn’t by any stretch of the imagination have “overtones of orange, lemon and blossoms with a modern fruity, green twist.” Nor does it have undertones of “white floral jasmine with a hint of woody amber.” These colorful descriptions are found on Gain’s website.  (When Mr. P slips out of town on his next business trip the remaining softener just might slip down the drain.) In re-reading comments and reviews on this product people rave about the scent.  Perhaps our bottle is a “lemon” or perhaps the formula has recently changed. Since the quality of the softener is comparable to others and Gain has other fragrances, I will consider another softener in the Gain’s product line but not until after unscrewing the cap and conducting a sniff test.

Recommended: No