I Tried Dry Shampoo for Clothes—Is It the Latest Luxury Laundry Product?
Fresher clothes or bust.
by Laura Gurfein Oct 21, 2026
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When I throw on a shirt, the only acceptable smell it can have is my laundry detergent. Really, though, I want it to smell like nothing at all.
But here’s the problem: On a typical day, I might cycle through a few shirts. Worn ones get hung on the closet doorknob to air out. When I go to put them away, if a shirt has a smell to it—not even a bad smell, but any smell that indicates a human has worn it, even if that human is me—I’ll throw it in the hamper and grab a fresh one. Needless to say, I wash a lot of laundry—one of my least favorite chores. The machines I use are in my apartment building’s crusty old basement, and they only take coins—and I can’t even buy them back! I’m forced to hit the bank every month to snag rolls of quarters, and that in itself feels like a chore.
So when I received an email with the subject line, “Dry Shampoo for Clothes,” I had to learn more. A brand representative from WashWise reached out about their just-released Reset Spray, which promises to freshen “clothes that are too clean to wash, but too worn to re-wear.” Dry shampoo for hair has saved me countless hours of washing and styling—how much time could the Reset Spray save me on laundry?
What is WashWise Reset Spray?
WashWise founder Maria Cabral Menezes invented the idea after tiring of her “‘chairdrobe’—the pile of clothes that aren’t dirty enough to wash, but aren’t fresh enough to put back in the closet,” she tells Intrigue. “Reset Spray is designed for that huge space between wearing something and actually needing to wash it.”
The Reset Spray is designed to neutralize odors instead of mask them—this isn’t “Febreze for Clothes,” after all. It also pledges to release wrinkles from fabrics. “We use a vegan, mushroom-derived chitosan that helps with fiber relaxation and also provides antimicrobial functionality,” Cabral Menezes says. “We combined that with odor-neutralizing technologies and a very light cleansing system, so that Reset could address the different reasons clothing stops feeling fresh.”
Courtesy of the brand, I received a full-size bottle of the Cotton Grove scent and a travel-size bottle of their second scent, Verde Rise. To use, lightly spray it over an item of clothing, gently tug to rid it of wrinkles, and wait for the fabric to dry. It purports to be friendly on both your skin and fabrics, even those you dry clean. (Keep in mind that this shouldn’t be sprayed on suede, leather, and other fabrics that can be ruined when wet.)
How I Tested WashWise Reset Spray
I was a little nervous to use it on my own clothes at first, even though it’s been tested extensively so that it would not alter fabrics, according to Cabral Menezes. Instead, I grabbed the Uniqlo tee off the back of my partner, who is way less concerned about the smell of his clothes that he’s worn and reworn. We hung the shirt on a hanger, gave it a few spritzes and tugs, and left it to dry in the empty closet of the Airbnb we were vacationing in that weekend. When we reviewed it the next day, I was surprised to find that it smelled like neither my boyfriend nor Cotton Grove, the Reset Spray scent with notes of white cotton, blonde cedar, and green tea. It actually smelled like nothing at all.
Once I was reassured that it didn’t damage clothing (let alone work), I continued testing it on my own attire, including shirts I had slept in, ones that had gotten a little sweaty from hauling my laundry to and from the basement, and pairs of polyester pants and spandex shorts where the crotch smelled a little too…crotch-y.
Here’s what I learned about using WashWise Reset spray after several weeks:
Use it like you would a hair product…
“The biggest thing is distance and distribution” when it comes to using Reset Spray properly, Cabral Menezes says, comparing it to hair product sprays. “Hold Reset about 10 to 12 inches away and move the bottle across the garment so you’re covering the item with a light, even mist…The goal is simply to lightly cover the garment without saturating it.” It takes a little practice to get this right. To start, place your clothing on a hanger or lay it on a drying rack—when I held a piece of clothing in one hand and sprayed it with the other, I could never cover it evenly. Plus, you need full coverage and both hands to tug out wrinkles.
…but add a little extra where you need it most.
Once an item was fully misted, I discovered I needed to spray an extra spritz or two on spots that were smellier, like pits and crotches, or areas that needed a little extra dewrinkling, like collars and cuffs. That extra boost made a big difference in making my clothes smell truly fresh. “Personally, I’ll go a little heavier over areas where I know I’ve sweated more or where I want additional wrinkle assistance,” Cabral Menezes shares.
Give your clothes breathing room.
The first time I used Verde Rise (with notes of fresh grass, sweet bergamot, and cucumber), I used it in my somewhat claustrophobic apartment. Turns out, using Reset Spray in a small space really concentrates the smell! When I returned to the bathroom a few minutes later, the scent of Verde Rise was overpowering. My clothes were dry and ready to wear, but smelled too strongly of WashWise for my liking. After that, I sprayed clothes in my living room or bedroom before hanging them over the shower curtain rod.
The scent you choose matters.
While perfecting my technique, I kept alternating between Verde Rise and Cotton Grove, but the former could never give me that absence of “human” scent that initially captivated me. After a few weeks, I realized that Verde Rise is just too strong for my liking, no matter how finely it’s distributed. Going forward, I’m sticking with Cotton Grove—it consistently smells pleasant upon application and dissipates into pure, blissful nothingness.
It’s a helping hand, not a miracle worker.
Occasionally, I’d give a garment a second spritz of spray if there were lingering smells or rumpling. But it turns out there are some odors and wrinkles Reset Spray could not totally eliminate. Spandex shorts worn just for Pilates class could be reset, but if I wore the same pair during a more intense workout, that sweaty smell could not be neutralized. The same goes for shirts where my deodorant was just too embedded in the fabric; when the same amount of spray on a decently worn t-shirt didn’t work, it was frustrating to think that I wasted sprays on clothing that needed to be thrown into the wash anyway.
Should You Buy WashWise Reset Spray?
Once I finish my samples, I’m planning on purchasing a two-pack of travel-size bottles—in Cotton Grove, of course. Reset Spray has been a helpful addition to my clothing care routine, keeping me from washing and wearing clothes faster than necessary.
I’d recommend buying Reset Spray if you:
Are as obsessed with freshness as I am
Have a “chairdrobe” like Reset Spray founder Cabral Menezes
Live in a rental and pay to do your laundry every single time
Travel frequently or take long trips without access to washing machines
