Friday, July 31, 2009

Laundry Lines

I love hanging clothes out to dry -- sheets & linens smell especially nice this way. And it's a nice way to save money & energy, skipping use of the dryer. But people (who shall remain nameless; but they know who they are!) complain when I line dry jeans & towels, complaining that they are too stiff & scratchy when dried this way.


I have two ways I cheat and (unless they read this!) the complainers are none the wiser.

First, line dry the items (while they are away & can't see) and then I either:

* put them on "air" in the dryer for just two minutes, to add the "fluff" magic

or

* hand "fluff" by rubbing each item, relaxing the fibers (just crumple and rub the jeans or towel on itself) and then fold them.

It may add time to your day, but it saves you money -- and the arguments *wink*

Image credits: Laundry Hanging Out to Dry, photographic print by Nina Leen.

3 comments:

Cynthia said...

Add vinegar instead of fabric sofetener...it helps!

Deanna Dahlsad said...

I've heard of adding vinegar to remove the film fabric softeners leave (which can render towels to 'slick' to absorb), but vinegar itself softens?

Shannon Nava said...

I am an avid line dryer. I have found that if you use less detergent and/or add an extra spin cycle you will cut down on the stiffness. Due to the stiffness being caused by the detergent. Not the air drying. Also, when you take them down off the line, give them a good snap or two. Knocks the stiffness right out of them. I do that to my towels as well. They turn out softer than if they had been placed in the dryer. Hope this helps.

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