Serious question for mamas who don't use fabric softener

[SharonAnne]

How do you battle static cling? I just had three fleece shirts run through the dryer with some sock and tshirts and such, and I had to peel them apart, and now they're sucking up every piece of lint I walk past!

So, static cling prevention or combat tactics, anyone?

[oldcrunchymom]

I've heard that vinegar in the rinse cycle works as a fabric softener. You can put it in one of those downy balls.

I don't use anything, though, and don't end up with much static cling most of the time.

[anthasam]

I have reusable dryer sheets.
http://www.gaiam.com/retail/product....t%5Fid=06-0531

They don't completely rid the load of static, but it is much less than without them. What helps me is running the dryer for less time

[Alkenny]

Vinegar in the rinse cycle does help. I don't have a hug problem with it in the house, only every once in awhile with a sweater and I just give it a good shake and run my hands over it and it takes it away.

[celrae]

The static must be a winter thing because, I don't use any softener and rarely run into this problem except winter now I am thinking about it. I hope you find your answer.

Question- Do you use reg detergent and vinegar or is the vinegar part of a home made soap recipe?

[umami_mommy]

1 cup white vinegar in rinse cycle and a ball of aluminum foil in the drier get rid of my static, which is a horrible problem here in the winter. it's because it's so dry.

[SharonAnne]

thanks mamas! Will stock up on vinegar and aluminum foil!

[srain]

I hang all our fleece to dry- it dries super-fast, even indoors.

[Subhuti]

When you say vinegar in the rinse cycle -- where do you put it ? In the well in the central column (where you normally put fabric softener?) Or do you add it in in the middle of the wash??
Liz

[HeatherSanders]

May I suggest abstinence from synthetic fibers as a preventative measure?

Just as a note - most fleece is synthetic (poly-fleece). Synthetic fibers are known for static cling. If you select cotton garments, you will not have static cling, not have to be concerned about a possibility of spark, etc...

Cotton has 'moisture' or can drawn enough from the wearer to prevent static build-up. Synthetic fibers cannot do that.

[Elowyn]

I don't dry my clothes fully - saves electricity, and prevents static. I take them out when damp (that is, if I used the electric dryer at all) and hang dry the rest of the way.

[Sherra]

When you say vinegar in the rinse cycle -- where do you put it ? In the well in the central column (where you normally put fabric softener?) Or do you add it in in the middle of the wash??

A few convenient ways you can do this.

1) Use a downy ball and fill it half way full of vinegar

2) If your washer comes equipped with a center holder to pour softner in, use vinegar in there instead


A note about the aluminum balls. It depends I guess on what you want and where your dryer is. My dryer is right in the kitchen which is right near our tv in the living room. The aluminum balls got REAL old after 3 months. The noise drove me bananas and everyone else. Then having to find them all when pulling out clothes was a pain and making sure my infant didn't try to put them in her mouth while I was trying to find them because they hide sometimes in the clothes hehe. They just didn't work longterm for me. I ended up getting these to help and it has worked for over a month like a charm:

http://www.staticeliminator.ca/page/page/363949.htm (don't buy the single box from here, it's a few dollars more..but the double pack and the wholesale pack are decent priced)

http://www.mileskimball.com/jump.jsp...ProductID=7114

http://www.allergysolution.com/prodinfo.asp?number=3044

Other places have the product but they charge like 20 bucks which is too much.


I'm wondering if I can just make something like this myself now since it's just a fabric.

[anthasam]

Originally Posted by Sherra

...
Other places have the product but they charge like 20 bucks which is too much.
...

Yep, I see I paid too much :

[SharonAnne]

I'd love to go all cotton. Unfortunately, there are clothes I already have that I'm not going to get rid of, because I'd be nekkid I just odn't have the money to replace all my synthetic fibers, and this is stuff I've only been interested in recently.

Thanks for those links! Very interesting!

[Bekka]

I hang up most synthetics and fleece clothes to dry, b/c they have a LOT less static, and guess what? Synthetics and fleeces dry really fast (usu. 1/2 a day). I don't know what I'd do in the West. When I was a teenager in NV, I INSISTED on dryer sheets, b/c I hated the static that was always there (less than 10 percent humidity). I didn't know about vinegar back then.

ETA that wool and silk are both very staticky in the dryer as well--I've prewashed unbleached merino wool interlock fabric and it sticks to itself in the dryer so bad I just let it sit overnight. And my kids' playsilks get in their laundry all the time, and static everything. They are all natural stuff ...

[EricaLeigh]

another vote for vinegar, but if you hang clothes to dry you'll never get static

[LeeshaLynn]

I'd rather have static than perfumey clothes from a dryer sheet any day. Thankfully we have no problem with static here so I don't have to face that choice. We have high humidity here though.

[No2Circ]

Use less detergent, if you can. Also perhaps put your clothes through an extra rinse. Wash your synthetic fabrics separately from your natural fabrics.

[*daciaperfect*]

im another one in favor of vinegar, and hang drying most things.

[Wabi Sabi]

Originally Posted by LeeshaLynn

I'd rather have static than perfumey clothes from a dryer sheet any day.

You can buy fragrance-free dryer sheets...: