Line/Air Dyring - HELP!

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-12-2010
Line/Air Dyring - HELP!
13
Mon, 02-08-2010 - 3:54pm

While living in Ky, I line dried A LOT outside.
However, I am no longer in Ky, I am way up here in in the Great White North. Not sure if it's my water that's making the difference or what?
I do hang dry our delicates (nice shirts, underwear, jerseys etc).

But I just took down a bunch of stuff I dried overnight and it's .... like...crusty, for lack of a better word. Stiff. Gross.
My dish towels, cloths, kids pj pants, t-shirts...like all the cotton stuff. I did a whole bunch of socks last week & they def weren't as soft as dryer drying but they weren't crusty either. Dish cloths will be fine, as they get wet anyway - but the dish towels & clothes...uggg..

Thoughts? Anyone experienced this? Any solution?
(And yes, I'm using fabric softner)

Melissa
~ Mom to 5 ~
~ Melissa ~ ‎"We need to find the courage to say NO to the things and people that are not serving us, if we want to rediscover ourselves and live our lives with authenticity." - Barbara de Angelis

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iVillage Member
Registered: 08-29-2006
Mon, 02-08-2010 - 4:01pm

I grew up on well water and due to the hard water, lots of iron and sulfur, our clothes were crunchy and tarnished.

I don't know if I helped you any, my folks never did anything about it and I have moved away.

Sorry. I hope you can find a solution, I know what a bummer this is.

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-02-1998
Mon, 02-08-2010 - 6:10pm

I have found if I line dry outside where it can blown by the wind the clothes are not as stiff. If I dry towels and blankets inside they tend to be stiffer. I just figured it was because outside they are moving around so do dry as solid, (that is hard to explain but hope you know what I mean) I have dried clothes about 1/2 way in the dryer and then finished them by line drying.

I found this website for an inexpensive softener.
http://www.thefrugalshopper.com/articles/softener.shtml



iVillage Member
Registered: 01-12-2010
Mon, 02-08-2010 - 7:14pm

Yep I know exactly what you mean by "solid".
Seeing as how it is currently -8 degrees celcius, and that's the warmest day this week, I doubt I will be able to do any outside line drying ...I imagine they will freeze even more solid LOL!

Thanks for the links. Also in Ky I was able to use straight vinegar as fabric softener but not here, maybe one of theose recipes will work here.

gal_audrey it was help to know it's not just me & probably the water.

Oh well, I guess it's time to rearrange my closet again. I had it so I had one big rack to hang dry things on, but maybe I need to move things around so I can dry over top of my heat vent, that may help. Unfortunately, my closet is the ONLY place with a heat vent.

Sigh....DH is an electrician so he said he may be able to get the cable we need to wire in the electric dryer @ work "cheap" (aka free) so hopefully that comes through. The adventures in laundry-land continue...lol

Melissa
~ Mom to 5 ~
~ Melissa ~ ‎"We need to find the courage to say NO to the things and people that are not serving us, if we want to rediscover ourselves and live our lives with authenticity." - Barbara de Angelis
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-16-1999
Mon, 02-08-2010 - 7:43pm

Try using baking soda or generic oxi-clean with your laundry detergent.

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-26-1999
Mon, 02-08-2010 - 8:53pm

When your dryer is working, you can take your crunchy clothes and throw them in the dryer for five minutes just to soften them. You can make a face cloth wet, wring the water out, and throw that in with the clothes for five-ten minutes and the water from the face cloth will provide just enough moisture to soften the clothes up.

I live where there is very soft water and my clothes tend to line dry crunchy too. I just give them a shake.

I use very small amounts of laundry soap, and I do *not* use fabric softener. I sometimes use washing soda in the laundry too.

Hope that helps. Did you look into getting a drying rack?

iVillage Member
Registered: 12-10-2009
Mon, 02-08-2010 - 8:54pm

I make my own laundrey detergent and just made some today. I haven't figure out how much it is saving but it also suppose to be better for the enviroment. It is one cup borax, one cup washing soap and one grated bar of soap. mix and viola. I use about 1/8 cup per load and things come out clean. I wash cloth dipers and

Liz

student loan paid off 2010

Bathroom remodel loan paid off 2013

Pending Car loan to be paid by the end of 2014!!!!!

 

iVillage Member
Registered: 12-29-2008
Mon, 02-08-2010 - 9:36pm

Hi Melissa,


Yes...line/air drying will result in stiff clothing.

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-24-2007
Tue, 02-09-2010 - 7:33am

Liz, thanks for posting the "recipe" for laundry soap.

Kate


empty purse

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-12-2010
Tue, 02-09-2010 - 9:28am
I've never seen Borax here either Kate. I do recall looking for it before in an effort to cut laundry costs, but that was a few years ago.
Thanks for the input everyone. I cannot wait to have a dryer again, whenever that may be!
Melissa
~ Mom to 5 ~
~ Melissa ~ ‎"We need to find the courage to say NO to the things and people that are not serving us, if we want to rediscover ourselves and live our lives with authenticity." - Barbara de Angelis
iVillage Member
Registered: 07-26-1999
Tue, 02-09-2010 - 11:01am

I'm sure I have seen borax. I will see if I can find retailers and post for you.

I don't know what washing soda is exactly, other than to tell you it's a white powder sold as "washing soda" that you add a bit of to your wash and it helps remove more odour and dirt than laundry soap alone.

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