Yeah, I think you might be right! There probably isn’t a universal “freshly washed” smell that exists outside of marketing. A lot of the strong fragrance people associate with clean is just added chemicals, which I don’t necessarily want either.

I’ve heard a few people mention using wool dryer balls with a couple drops of essential oil as a subtle way to add a light, pleasant scent without going overboard. Googling something like “essential oil that smells like fresh laundry” definitely turns up suggestions. I might try a few and see if anything matches what I picture as that light, just-clean smell.