Thread Number: 39788
How to make clothesline clothes softer |
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Post# 589139 , Reply# 1   4/13/2012 at 21:00 (4,367 days old) by gansky1 (Omaha, The Home of the TV Dinner!)   |   | |
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Put them in the dryer, exactly what Tumble Fluff cycle was made for. I have a couple of quilts-coverlet blankets that are too stiff right in from the line so I give them 10 or so minutes tumbling with no heat to soften them up. They're softer and lose the harshness without losing the wonderful scents of the season. The climate here has it's drawbacks as they all do, but we have nice, fresh air scrubbed clean by the Rockies. I just love opening the linen closet door and greeted by the fresh scent. I tumble quite a lot of loads, even for a few minutes helps a lot - the best of both worlds. |
Post# 589148 , Reply# 3   4/13/2012 at 21:54 (4,367 days old) by washerlover (The Big Island, Hawai’i)   |   | |
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I learned after living in Phoenix Arizona for three years that the degree of "crustiness" seemed be from the degree of heat outside. In Phoenix, temps climb to well over 100 degrees from May thru October, and the intense heat seemed to dry the clothes too fast, resulting in crusty clothes. Shady, warm, breezy conditions seem to have a much better effect on clothes on the line. Now I live in beautiful northwestern California that has annual temps in the 50-70 degree range with a gentle breeze which makes for optimum clothesline conditions!
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Post# 589157 , Reply# 4   4/13/2012 at 22:33 (4,367 days old) by Yogitunes (New Jersey)   |   | |
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Now I do the opposite to you guys.....still no softener
before hanging on the line, the clothes go in the dryer first to heat up, about 10/15 minutes, and then hung to dry.......but not in the shade, that will cause them to stiffen, they have to go in direct sunlight for perfect results everytime..... some argue that the sun can fade, or even bleach the whites, never seen either one... I learned from an Aunt not to just pull them out of the dryer into the basket, but to seperate, and line up or fold in half, ready out of the basket to hang....also socks matched up.....and never worry of dropping clothes on the ground... |
Post# 589162 , Reply# 6   4/13/2012 at 22:56 (4,367 days old) by wayupnorth (On a lake between Bangor and Bar Harbor, Maine)   |   | |
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I still use a little Downy in the dispenser of the Maytag year round. Finally it is somewhat warm enough to hang outside and not use electricity to dry. I usually put the towel I am showering with in the dryer and turn it on (heat in colder weather) while showering. Washer and Dryer are right there in my bathroom. That little bit of tumbling does seem to soften them up. My well water is extremely hard so fabric softner is a must.
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Post# 589515 , Reply# 7   4/15/2012 at 02:14 (4,366 days old) by mikeKlondon (London)   |   | |
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I use a spin dryer when they come out of the washer, then line dry when i can the spin takes out the last of the hard water and any soap that makes the fabric stiffen. Never use FS on bed linen or towels |
Post# 589747 , Reply# 9   4/15/2012 at 19:29 (4,365 days old) by bosch2460 (Harrisonburg, VA)   |   | |
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I am with everyone else that tumbles clothes 10-15 mins in a cold dryer BEFORE hanging them outside. I rarely use softener, but occasionally a half dose on towels. Tumbling softens everything up, and lessens the wrinkles. It sounds weird, but it works better than tumbling them after they dry. I line dry year round, and it always works. Windy days will produce softer clothes, too. Good luck.
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Post# 589776 , Reply# 10   4/15/2012 at 20:37 (4,365 days old) by wayupnorth (On a lake between Bangor and Bar Harbor, Maine)   |   | |
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Post# 589784 , Reply# 11   4/15/2012 at 21:04 (4,365 days old) by wetguymd (Maryland)   |   | |
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My Mom hung clothes out side all the time and never put them in the dryer first. For many years she used a wringer and would put the clothes right on the line from the rinse tub and thru the wringer. All year... as long as it didn't rain (wash day was based on the weather) and it was so neat to see the sheets freeze rock hard on the lines in the winter and I can remember the tracks in the snow under the clothes lines in the winter! She always got them out early in the winter so they had most of the day to dry before bringing them in to put them over the old radiators to finish drying. I remember my Grandmother saying that hanging white clothes out and letting them freeze made them whiter. In the later days Mom would not put the towels out on the line and dried them in the dryer. I always put them in the dryer for a few minutes to soften them and then put them out on the line.. however... I don't do the winter scene.. I only hang some things out in the warmer weather when there is a nice breeze and its not too hot. One thing I learned was to never hang non color fast clothes on the line in the direct sun.. yes they will fade!
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Post# 589794 , Reply# 12   4/15/2012 at 21:30 (4,365 days old) by wayupnorth (On a lake between Bangor and Bar Harbor, Maine)   |   | |
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My mother would do the same in the winter, only used the clothesline when it was somewhat above freezing temps. She used her old Bendix gas dryer sparingly, probably because she shut the pilot off to save gas and it was a pain to relight it and was afraid it would cost too much to run. I do like a scratchy, off the clothesline, nice smelling towel after a shower. Brings back good memories. Eventually, the Bendix finally gave up the ghost and she bought a new Kenmore. She refused to use the Automatic cycle no matter how much I tried to convince her.
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Post# 589814 , Reply# 13   4/15/2012 at 22:38 (4,365 days old) by mickeyd (Hamburg NY)   |   | |
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The other day, I hung out a load of white T-shirts and shaving towels to dry, but a dry calm day turned moist and windy, and I was very much annoyed to find them really soft--in fact, too soft, as if they had been dried in the dryer WITH fabric softener,
I like the T-shirts crisp and shaving towels rough for exfoliation purposes, and a little dermabrasion, too.
So what I'm saying here is that what goes on the line depends on the wind, air & sun conditions: bath towels and robes go out on a windy day, dark color on overcast days, sheets on sunny days because they say sun is the greatest disinfectant, whites on sunny days as well, and so on.
In Winter, getting whacked by a frozen sheet is fun. So is the magic of watching flannels unfreeze and soften. Like many of you, I hang out all year. Not everything and not always, of course.
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Post# 589825 , Reply# 14   4/15/2012 at 22:53 (4,365 days old) by stan (Napa CA)   |   | |
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Post# 589850 , Reply# 16   4/16/2012 at 02:06 (4,365 days old) by stan (Napa CA)   |   | |
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Post# 589855 , Reply# 17   4/16/2012 at 03:03 (4,365 days old) by Launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage)   |   | |
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Gives far better results than other way round.
Even commercial laundries/dry cleaners will put items into a tumble dryer first (closely watched of course) to remove a good part of the moisture, then finsh by hanging to dry. Think about it; simply beating a dry terry cloth towel may break up the hardness but does not equal the wrinkle removal and softness that comes from a tumble dryer. Of course the other way round is also true, hang things to dry until damp, then finish off in the dryer. Either way it's the moisture being released along with tumble action that causes the softness. The other old housewive's trick is to put a wet hand towel or wash cloth into a the dryer along with the laundry. The moisture released from the thing will also act as above. |
Post# 589891 , Reply# 18   4/16/2012 at 08:28 (4,365 days old) by franksdad (Greenville, South Carolina)   |   | |
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Personally, nothing feels better on your fresh showered skin than a good scratching with a stiff crusty line dried towel. I NEVER use fabric softner on my towels (whether line or machine dried). Fabric softner reduces a towel's absorbtion rate. I hate when all a towel does is roll the water on your skin or dishes into little balls. |
Post# 589929 , Reply# 19   4/16/2012 at 11:17 (4,364 days old) by mickeyd (Hamburg NY)   |   | |
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Mark, If you want to dry now, just get a couple of those 3 inch hand-screw-in hooks, and you'll have very heavy support in a few minutes. After 17 years of this, the experience is vast, and trust me on this, if you have wind and humidity, you really and truly do not need the dryer. And if you want the stiff scratchy towels Frank is talking about, hang out on a calm, dry day.
WINTER, (such as it was--hardly) This post was last edited 04/16/2012 at 11:37 |
Post# 589930 , Reply# 20   4/16/2012 at 11:24 (4,364 days old) by mickeyd (Hamburg NY)   |   | |
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Post# 589934 , Reply# 21   4/16/2012 at 11:35 (4,364 days old) by mickeyd (Hamburg NY)   |   | |
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Post# 589938 , Reply# 22   4/16/2012 at 11:48 (4,364 days old) by mickeyd (Hamburg NY)   |   | |
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Post# 589980 , Reply# 24   4/16/2012 at 16:08 (4,364 days old) by mickeyd (Hamburg NY)   |   | |
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Post# 589995 , Reply# 25   4/16/2012 at 17:16 (4,364 days old) by Yogitunes (New Jersey)   |   | |
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Mickeys words...."like many of you, I hang out all year!".....you could get arrested for that.....lol....
Dryer first has always been the norm for me.....especially shirts.....in the dryer for a few minutes to release the wrinkles, and then hang, it could be inside or out..... I think the idea came from my mother, her washer would only rinse in warm water, so the clothes always came out warm, ready to hang, and seemed to be soft at that temp, and evaporate faster, and if you had a good wind, most things were wrinkle free and dried fast.... when we got the Whirlpool, and the rinses were all cold, she hated the way the clothes would be stiff comming out of the machine, and the wrinkles would stay in if line dried.....so from then on everything went into the dryer, even if only for a few minutes to warm them up....... |
Post# 589997 , Reply# 27   4/16/2012 at 17:22 (4,364 days old) by cphifer5115 (Jackson, TN)   |   | |
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well my mom always hung clothes out to dry and still does to today. she very rarely uses the dryer, she scared it will run up the light bill too high. she even would run an indoor line in the back hall way of the house during the winter months. but i don't hang clothes out. everything i wash goes right into the dryer. and i use liquid fabric softner int he rinse cycle. lately i've been using the gay dryer bar but i'm not too impressed with it. the package says it lasts 3 months but i barely get two months out of it.
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Post# 590000 , Reply# 28   4/16/2012 at 17:38 (4,364 days old) by westingman123 ()   |   | |
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Um, "gay dryer bar"? Elaborate please. **LOL** |
Post# 590003 , Reply# 29   4/16/2012 at 17:48 (4,364 days old) by mickeyd (Hamburg NY)   |   | |
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I remembered reading that over-your -head exercise is one of the best forms for over-all health and longevity. Indeed, it's really a work-out, hanging towels and flannel sheers, heavy terry robes, blankets, and the like, especially if spun in a WP/KM. So maybe if I keep doing this like your Mom does, I'll be slinging the loads at 90. Thanks. But if not, come on up. In 30 years, travel from St, Louis to Buffalo will probably take minutes, if you can't stay.
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Post# 590012 , Reply# 30   4/16/2012 at 18:19 (4,364 days old) by cphifer5115 (Jackson, TN)   |   | |
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Post# 590147 , Reply# 31   4/17/2012 at 05:04 (4,364 days old) by aldspinboy (Philadelphia, Pa)   |   | |
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Laundress is right moisture is the key for towels and jeans.
Or anything that you dont want that might be stiff. 10 mins on medium heat or damp dry then hang. Mike your line is the ultimate what a veiw. And your looking good my friend ... that burst of air through those shirts I'm sure was dry in no time. The air just about Irons them. If your in a hurry and the towels where not soften with liqued softner and you put them out... then I take them off the line and use a fabiric sheet for 10 mins of heat .. which I dont like to use dryer sheets there bad for your machine. Just very rare if I do. But it works. Keith I got a new one for yaa. A wounderful morning at Mike's ( Dishwashercrazy ) home .. He washed for his laundry service that morning and had the dark clothes at the end. No sun at that end. And sport T shirts in the middle with hangers. Partial sun. I did a load of whites T shirts washed at 130f in a Asko washer. And had them at the end where the most sun was. That morning was Zen for me. Look at the sun burst through the trees. Mike has such strong beautiful trees. You really dont mind hanging here. |
Post# 590149 , Reply# 32   4/17/2012 at 05:14 (4,364 days old) by aldspinboy (Philadelphia, Pa)   |   | |
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Post# 590151 , Reply# 33   4/17/2012 at 05:21 (4,364 days old) by aldspinboy (Philadelphia, Pa)   |   | |
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Post# 590176 , Reply# 34   4/17/2012 at 07:41 (4,364 days old) by westingman123 ()   |   | |
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I should say, Zen! What a peaceful scene. K |
Post# 590431 , Reply# 36   4/17/2012 at 22:09 (4,363 days old) by mickeyd (Hamburg NY)   |   | |
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Post# 590469 , Reply# 39   4/18/2012 at 03:44 (4,363 days old) by waterwitch (Pomona, Calif.)   |   | |
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Growing up, we always would Line-Dry our clothes. I used to like to watch the Green Beatles land on the sweet smelling laundry and rest before having to continue their journey in the hot summer day. And for the record, I have to admit I like that stiff rough feeling that towels get when hung out on the line to dry. Seems that when towels are soft, their ability to dry one off after a shower are minuscule at best.
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Post# 590472 , Reply# 40   4/18/2012 at 04:47 (4,363 days old) by Launderess (Quiet Please, There´s a Lady on Stage)   |   | |
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Is when a housewive or whomever was going to be doing the wash, woke to find a sunny but breezy mild day. Crisp weather with a good (but not gale force mind) wind did wonders for not only drying laundry quickly, but kept much of everything from becoming stiff as a board.
Trick was to learn which way the wind was going to blow, then hand one's wash not only in that direction but in such a way that the wind would catch and "flow through" items. To this there was a science on how to properly hang laundry towards this aim. Sheets, shirts, blouses, drawers, etc... all had to be hung a certain way not only to catch the wind, but also in some cases to prevent strong breezes from damaging finer items. |