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Cleaning Up:  Clothes Line Issues! Please Help!  |
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natesgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
1735 Posts
angela
martinsville
indiana
USA
1735 Posts |
 Posted - Apr 28 2010 : 11:24:45 AM
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I am new to hanging my clothes on a clothes line. As a child my mother did for years, but she seemed to have different results than I am getting. My clothes are coming off the line hard. At first they were litterally crunchy! I called our water softener company and they said I was supposed to be using half the detergent suggested on the bottle. Years of wasted detergent! Ugh! I cut down the detergent and that helped a good bit. They are still stiff though. Am I using too much softener? Too little? Is it still too much detergent? The clothes look clean and smell nice, but they are not that great to wear. Am I just being a dryer diva?
Farmgirl Sister #1438
God - Gardening - Family - Is anything else important? |
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Sara317
Farmgirl in Training
22 Posts
Sara
Munroe Falls
Ohio
22 Posts |
Posted - Apr 28 2010 : 3:22:13 PM
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| I had that problem too for awhile. I started using the downy ball for a softener and that really helped! Another goof was I was using a great smelling detergent in the downy ball instead of softener. What a dupe!!! |
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nubidane
True Blue Farmgirl
2931 Posts
Lisa
Georgetown
OH
2931 Posts |
Posted - Apr 28 2010 : 4:01:39 PM
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| Use vinegar in the downy ball, homemade detergetn, & if they are still crunchy. Just shake them. My clothes are soft off of the line. I give the towels a good snap or 2 & they are fine. |
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windypines
True Blue Farmgirl
4378 Posts
Michele
Bruce
Wisconsin
USA
4378 Posts |
Posted - Apr 28 2010 : 4:45:52 PM
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Having some wind to dry in makes them alot softer too.
Michele |
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1badmamawolf
True Blue Farmgirl
2199 Posts
Teresa
"Bent Fence Farms"
Ca
USA
2199 Posts |
Posted - Apr 28 2010 : 6:46:08 PM
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and when those towels are stiff and ruff, its a great exfoliant, lol. I use vinegar in the rinse, shake them out real good before hanging, and shake them out again when dry.
"Treat the earth well, it was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children" |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
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marmieto12
True Blue Farmgirl
213 Posts
laura
utah
USA
213 Posts |
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natesgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
1735 Posts
angela
martinsville
indiana
USA
1735 Posts |
Posted - Apr 28 2010 : 9:50:38 PM
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I have cut back more on my detergent and the softener. I am at a little less than half the suggested amount and I cut out the oxyclean. The clothes still look clean and smell nice. They are now coming off the line softer. The vinegar thing... Is it added at the same time as the softener or in place of it?
Farmgirl Sister #1438
God - Gardening - Family - Is anything else important? |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
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LBP
True Blue Farmgirl
81 Posts
Linda
Goodview
VA
USA
81 Posts |
Posted - Apr 29 2010 : 05:13:42 AM
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They aren't going to be as soft as the dryer, unfortunately. However, snapping them when you take them down helps. I love the towels to be a little crunchy and the sweet, fresh smell makes the crunchy worth it!
Come visit me at:
http://lbpsews.blogspot.com |
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MotherLodeBeth
True Blue Farmgirl
110 Posts
Beth
Calaveras County
California
USA
110 Posts |
Posted - May 07 2010 : 9:52:46 PM
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Not sure this will help, but I add one cup plain vinegar to the rinse water which removes any soap/detergent residue, and then I run the last spin cycle twice which removes extra water. Then when I go to hang the item on the line I snap or shake it hard which relaxes the fabric so that it wont dry stiff. Call it physics (giggles). Actually there is some truth to this. If left as is the fibers will dry even tighter, whereas the shaking does indeed relax the item.
~Beth~
~I am the best of France and California~ |
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natesgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
1735 Posts
angela
martinsville
indiana
USA
1735 Posts |
Posted - May 08 2010 : 10:58:32 AM
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I have totally stopped the softener and it helped a ton. We have made the snapping of them a game. Whoever can make them pop the best gets braggin rights. Both puttin up and takin down is part of the game. Now the whole family wants to help with the laundry! YEA! I am ordering the soap nuts talked about on another thread on tuesday with my sister and my mother. We'll save on shipping that way. They are supposed to make the clothes even softer and smell better and they are cheaper that detergent! Plus all natural of course! Thank you all for the help. I'll update once we try the soap nuts.
Farmgirl Sister #1438
God - Gardening - Family - Is anything else important? |
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msdoolittle
True Blue Farmgirl
1145 Posts
Amanda
East Texas
USA
1145 Posts |
Posted - May 16 2010 : 09:00:28 AM
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I personally hate the feel of a crunchy towel! Lol. I do not use softener at all, though occasionally I do use some vinegar in the wash. I take the towels out and lay them over my deck rails until they are about 90% dry (still damp on the edges). It helps to overlap them slightly, so that you are sure to have some dampness left.
Then I do put them in the dryer on medium for about 15 minutes. I don't think that's being too wasteful :0) I just hate sandpaper towels! For my clothes, I use that homemade laundry soap, and there is no crunch factor there. They could be classified as very lightly starched, I guess you could say! They are still pretty darn soft, cause I can't 'do' scratchy fabrics. When I used to use commercial detergent, I remember my clothes came out like cardboard. Anyway, I made the detergent using Zote soap, washing soda, and borax. I am very pleased with this.
Also, as a tip, I hang my shirts and jeans upside down, and this seems to prevent those wrinkly legged jeans and the dreaded clothespin marks on the shoulders of your shirts. For large/extra large shirts I use 3 pins to evenly distribute the weight of the cloth. :0D
FarmGirl #1390
www.mylittlecountry.wordpress.com |
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MotherLodeBeth
True Blue Farmgirl
110 Posts
Beth
Calaveras County
California
USA
110 Posts |
Posted - May 16 2010 : 12:23:21 PM
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With this sunny weather I am also reminded to turn any dark clothes inside out to dry on the line as this prevents fading.
~Beth~
~I am the best of France and California~ |
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natesgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
1735 Posts
angela
martinsville
indiana
USA
1735 Posts |
Posted - May 16 2010 : 1:05:14 PM
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I have gotten much better at the laundry. I am using very little detergent, just enough to clean the clothes. I add 1/2 cup of bleach for sanitization. Then I add 1/2 cup of cider vinegar to a downey ball and toss it in. Things are much better. I can't wait for the soap nuts I ordered to get here so I can try them!
Farmgirl Sister #1438
God - Gardening - Family - Is anything else important? |
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msdoolittle
True Blue Farmgirl
1145 Posts
Amanda
East Texas
USA
1145 Posts |
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katalind
True Blue Farmgirl
177 Posts
Kathy
Chapin
SC
USA
177 Posts |
Posted - May 18 2010 : 2:19:46 PM
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| I don't think there's anyway to get them as soft as when they come out of the dryer. It's the friction of your clothes rubbing together in the dryer that keeps them from getting stiff feeling. I've just learned to live with it. It doesn't take long for whatever I'm wearing to soften up once I put it on. I will say using less detergent, and no commercial softener (which is loaded with toxic chemicals) has helped. I also sometimes use vinegar in the final rinse to get out any residue left over from the detergent. |
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Cleaning Up: Clothes Line Issues! Please Help! |
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Clothes Line Issues! Please Help!
