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Across the Fence:  line drying  |
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SheilaC
True Blue Farmgirl
1948 Posts
Sheila
Vermont
USA
1948 Posts |
 Posted - Jul 27 2010 : 05:20:58 AM
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| Our new house has a dryer that doesn't dry, so my husband has built a nice clothesline for us. The clothes look so nice out there in the wind, and they smell great too, but. . .they feel SO stiff when they're dry!! And all the little fuzzes and dog/cat hairs, etc. that spread onto the clothes in the wash cycle just dry onto the clothes when they're line-dried, and then are hard to get off. Any suggestions would be appreciated!! Thanks! |
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FieldsofThyme
Farmgirl Guide & Schoolmarm / Chapter Leader
4928 Posts
USA
4928 Posts |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
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woolgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
901 Posts
Elizabeth
Great Lakes
IL
USA
901 Posts |
Posted - Jul 27 2010 : 09:06:31 AM
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| They are tearing down all the houses around us, and they all have clothes lines. I always want to sneak over and use them! |
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SheilaC
True Blue Farmgirl
1948 Posts
Sheila
Vermont
USA
1948 Posts |
Posted - Jul 27 2010 : 09:09:27 AM
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| We've got lots of wind :) but it's not doing its full job apparently :) I usually put the wash in before bed or before we go outside or something, so we're often not watching the machine to see when it's on rinse cycle. I'll have to make an effort to try it. |
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1badmamawolf
True Blue Farmgirl
2199 Posts
Teresa
"Bent Fence Farms"
Ca
USA
2199 Posts |
Posted - Jul 27 2010 : 09:28:45 AM
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if your dryer does not heat, but still tumbles, put your clothes in the dryer when they are 90% dry from the line, it will remove lint and hairs and take the stiffness out.
Other wise you will get used to the stiffness, and shakeing items out before hanging will help...
"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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harmonyfarm
True Blue Farmgirl
785 Posts
Debbie
Southeastern
Ohio
USA
785 Posts |
Posted - Jul 27 2010 : 09:51:15 AM
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A good breeze, the "snap" before you hang them and a few minutes in a cool dryer work for me too! I put vinegar in the place where fabric softener goes and it helps remove soap residue that also contributes to stiff clothes.
Debbie
"If you can't find the time to do it right...how will you find the time to do it over" |
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Leilaht
True Blue Farmgirl
155 Posts
Elizabeth
Highland
MI
USA
155 Posts |
Posted - Jul 27 2010 : 4:54:44 PM
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The vinegar will also keep rust spots off your clothes if you have hard water. I used it for years. If you put it in the rinse cycle you don't need fabric softener, even with a dryer.
Liz
Strength and honor are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come.
Proverbs 31:25 |
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natesgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
1735 Posts
angela
martinsville
indiana
USA
1735 Posts |
Posted - Jul 27 2010 : 6:39:22 PM
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I found out that the recommended amount of detergent was way to much. I use half the amount, less than half a cup of bleach, usually a fourth. I also discontinued oxyclean and all the extras. I use vinegar in a downy ball instead of softener. My clothes are barely stiff. We got a lint brush to use before we go out, but for workin we don't care about the lint. Also, put a little less in each load, it lets it rinse better. I have heard that soap nuts will completely eliminate the stiffness, I'm gonna be orderin some. They are available from Lehmans General Store. I give mine a good snap or three before hangin and before foldin. That helps a lot too.
Farmgirl Sister #1438
God - Gardening - Family - Is anything else important? |
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prairie_princess
True Blue Farmgirl
613 Posts
Elizabeth
Carpenter
WY
USA
613 Posts |
Posted - Jul 31 2010 : 06:55:04 AM
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Good advice... I also started using vinegar and trying to use less detergent. I'm hoping to start making homemade detergent, but I'm having a hard time finding castile soap at a good price (that will be another forum topic). I don't really mind the stiffness, it goes away pretty quickly after using/wearing laundry.
"Only two things that money can't buy, that's true love and homegrown tomatoes."
- Guy Clark
"The man who has planted a garden feels he has done something for the good of the world."
- Charles Dudley Warner |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
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prairie_princess
True Blue Farmgirl
613 Posts
Elizabeth
Carpenter
WY
USA
613 Posts |
Posted - Jul 31 2010 : 8:32:25 PM
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ooh, that sounds nice... do you grate it into the laundry?
"Only two things that money can't buy, that's true love and homegrown tomatoes."
- Guy Clark
"The man who has planted a garden feels he has done something for the good of the world."
- Charles Dudley Warner |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
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prairie_princess
True Blue Farmgirl
613 Posts
Elizabeth
Carpenter
WY
USA
613 Posts |
Posted - Aug 01 2010 : 08:14:08 AM
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I would be interested in you sending me some, Alee, or even just sending a recipe for it... Let me know how you'd like to make the transaction. Do you have any good recommendations on where to buy Castile soap at a good price? I just can't seem to find it here at a decent price, it's cheaper to buy detergent at the store (but all the other ingredients, washing soda, baking soda, and borax are cheap... go figure).
"Only two things that money can't buy, that's true love and homegrown tomatoes."
- Guy Clark
"The man who has planted a garden feels he has done something for the good of the world."
- Charles Dudley Warner |
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magnoliakathy
True Blue Farmgirl
453 Posts
Kathryn
Magnolia
Texas
USA
453 Posts |
Posted - Aug 01 2010 : 08:30:52 AM
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Put your vinegar 1/4 -1/2 cup in a Downey softener ball (downey.com, if you cannot find them in the stores, they usually run around $2.oo each)drop it in at the beginning of the wash cycle and it will dispense during the rinse cycle. Snap those clothes hard as you hand them up, it helps to straighten them, and remove any lint. Also, if you don't enough clothes line, hang some of your shirts, nghtgowns and dresses on clothes hangers and use tree branches.
When you free your mind your heart can fly. Farmgirl # 714, |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
Posted - Aug 01 2010 : 09:57:26 AM
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Elixabeth- Send me an email through the forum and we can chat about getting you some soap. I try to keep my laundry bar soap price down so it is competitive with Fels and Zote- I know one of the reasons we all like making the homemade soap is to economical! :D I need to make a batch and I can send it to you as soon as it is done with the initial cure. But it does get better the longer you let it set and cure. Let me know. It comes as an ivory/white color unless you want me to add coloring for effect for your laundry? I have recently played around with the idea of adding blueing to my soap so that my whites would come out that much whiter... but I haven't done a test batch yet.
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.awarmheart.com
www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com
www.allergyjourneys.blogspot.com
Put your pin on the farmgirl map! www.farmgirlmap.blogspot.com |
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Violets November
True Blue Farmgirl
342 Posts
Violet
Exeter
California
USA
342 Posts |
Posted - Aug 02 2010 : 05:30:13 AM
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I just wanted to add that back when I had a clothes line, I used to think of it as yard art sometimes.
When we had company, I would purposefully hang out sheets and or table clothes because they looked so purdy!
~Violet~
Farmgirl Sister #1669
My blog, http://hiddenacre.blogspot.com/
Our Organic Jewelry, http://www.etsy.com/shop/GaelicForge |
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sue5901
True Blue Farmgirl
122 Posts
Sue
Wellingborough
United Kingdom
122 Posts |
Posted - Aug 02 2010 : 07:05:52 AM
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Hi
I have never owned a dryer so have always dried my clothes on a line and despite having numerous animals have never had this problem either so I can't be much help - but I never use any form of softener so maybe that's it.
I have heard - but I've no idea how true it is that most of the lint collected in a dryer is caused by the friction of the motion of your clothes whilst in the dryer - so if it is true then may be the longer you go without using a dryer the less you will see this problem.
Doesn't explain the cat/dog hairs though!!
Sue
Dance like nobody's watching! |
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harmonyfarm
True Blue Farmgirl
785 Posts
Debbie
Southeastern
Ohio
USA
785 Posts |
Posted - Aug 02 2010 : 07:47:39 AM
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Oddly enough, I save the lint from my dryer to use when I make paper. I especially love the lint I get from denim and bathtowels. It helps strengthen the paper and gives it a nice soft color.
Debbie
"If you can't find the time to do it right...how will you find the time to do it over" |
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soleil
True Blue Farmgirl
68 Posts
Linda
Butternut
WI
USA
68 Posts |
Posted - Aug 02 2010 : 3:42:10 PM
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All the above suggestions are great! The only thing that I do differently is putting the washed clothes into the dryer for a few minutes BEFORE hanging them outside. It takes off most the lint, hair, etc. and still gives you that wonderful fresh outside smell. I try to wait to do laundry on a windy day as that takes some of the stiffness out. Some of the stiffness comes from soap residue which the vinegar in the rinse or a second rinse can help with.
It doesn't gt much better than climbing into bed and putting ones head down on a freshly ironed sunny lined dried pillow case!!!!!!
Blessed be,*´¨)
¸.·´¸.·*´¨) ¸.·*¨)
(¸.·´ (¸.·´ * soleil
Even as we dream, we begin to succeed...even as we succeed, we begin to dream again. |
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momdrinkstea
True Blue Farmgirl
180 Posts
Elizabeth
Ozark
AL
USA
180 Posts |
Posted - Aug 02 2010 : 5:07:22 PM
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I tumble my loads for 3 minutes in the dryer, then hang them out.
Gets rid of all the lint/fur and wrinkles! Anybody have tips for
keeping birds from hanging on the line and pooing on the clean clothes?
I've even found a chicken on my line a few times! LOL
"Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better." -Albert Einstein |
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Leilaht
True Blue Farmgirl
155 Posts
Elizabeth
Highland
MI
USA
155 Posts |
Posted - Aug 07 2010 : 1:23:31 PM
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I don't know about birds. I've never had that problem, even when I was a kid the birds just didn't come near the clothes line. Might it be the fact that we always hang the clothes line around trees and not poles? Maybe they just don't need the line when it is under trees. Try a fake owl.
Liz
Strength and honor are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come.
Proverbs 31:25 |
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Across the Fence: line drying |
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line drying
