The scent is pleasant and is not overwhelming. Stains or very heavily soiled items do require pre-treating and this product does not get out the synthetic funk of athletic clothing, but that is pretty comparable with other detergents. Whites come out nice and white and colors stay bright. Pre-treated a couple stains with good results. I usually use 3 pumps for a medium load. However, the plastic bottle that this product is made to refill is tall and slender and tends to be a little wonky. We have gone through several that end up falling off the shelf in the laundry room into the floor and breaking. That is frustrating. Tips : if you have sports/synthetics that stink and you can clean. don't blame the detergent as most synthetics have this problem with any detergent. so try adding a 1/2 to 1 full cup of white vinegar to the wash.