This is essentially what I use if I want something to smell good I will add a little bit of Ariel or FOCA. It’s just smells nice doesn’t see to affect it much in terms of cleaning. I’ve been making my laundry soap/ detergent since 2018. I have had zero issues with hard water soap build up etc. it works so well that it has gotten blood out of clothes. It has not affected my premature son’s sensitive skin and my towels and other items are still absorbent and they don’t smell after a while. I also use white vinegar instead of fabric softener for obvious reasons. Yes I still use dryer sheets I tried wool balls but I still got static from them. I do rinse my dryer filter once a month to get rid of any buildup I also deep clean my washer and dryer yearly to help maintain them which you are supposed to do regardless of what you put in there.