un-crunching w/o a dryer??

[eirual]

So I've read the previous threads about getting out the line dried crunchyness....but here's the thing- We pay for our dryer use....so it's a full load or nothin'....no fluffing for 5 mins!

It would be nice to have a wind to soften them up while on the line, but unfortunately I don't have control over that...and I've noticed that giving them a good whip/crack before putting them up helps a BIT, but anyother secrets of the trade out there?? I've just started putting a downy ball full of vinegar in the wash with the clothes....maybe all the build up from regular laundering is yuckin' them up??

I've considered just saving up a few dry and crunchy loads, running the dryer, then just changing them out so each load's in there for 10 mins or so- but this just seems to be crazy time consuming and unconvenient.

[eirual]

Nevermind...after just 3 loads, the crunchiness is growing on me! And I've realised, I just bought some new clothes yesterday- the new one's are super soft, and all our old ones are crunchy, which makes me think crunchyness is a build-up issue...

[Rhiannon Feimorgan]

I have found that shaking and kind of tugging on my clothes when I take them down helps get some of the crunchies out. Also, like someone said in another thread, doubbling up when you hang so they dry slower helps to. The faster the load drys, the crunchier it will be.

[UlrikeDG]

I always found that shaking things out really hard (so they snap) before hanging them worked very well.

[Alkenny]

I don't think anything you do will get them "dryer soft", but snapping them before and after hanging them up and/or double hanging seems to help too. When they dry too quickly, they dry stiffer. (But the stiff feeling does grow on you. )

[BabyBumblebee]

I *loooove* crunchy clothes! Seriously, the feel of crispy sheets in the summer is just sooo good

I did find that if I ran things through a couple of times without any detergents that they didn't have so much of a 'thick' crunchy feeling to them - I think that because our water is so hard that there was a lot of buildup of minerals and soap on the fabric. After a couple of rinses, and a really good snap before they went on the line they were a lot more comfortable...not artificially soft, but not as stiff! Now I've cut down on the amount of detergent I use, and that seems to really help too - if I could just find a way pf deterring the birds from pooping on my clothes I would be really happy

[Boobs]

I've heard that you should put them out in the morning so that they dry slower, rather than in the heat of the day. I don't know if it works or who has time to hang laundry in the morning, but it's worth a try.

[Alkenny]

Originally Posted by Boobs

I've heard that you should put them out in the morning so that they dry slower, rather than in the heat of the day. I don't know if it works or who has time to hang laundry in the morning, but it's worth a try.

9:30am and I already have 3 loads out.

[Ruthla]

Hey, not only are you a crunchy mama, but even your clothes are crunchy!!!

[Celtain]

Originally Posted by Boobs

I've heard that you should put them out in the morning so that they dry slower, rather than in the heat of the day. I don't know if it works or who has time to hang laundry in the morning, but it's worth a try.

I live in central florida, 8 am in the summer, right about 90 degrees

[UlrikeDG]

Originally Posted by Celtain

I live in central florida, 8 am in the summer, right about 90 degrees

Maybe you should hang yours at sundown? (Sounds like the wild west!)

[Throkmorton]

Let your DC "help" with the laundry, so long as their feet are clean. DS jumps on the pile of clean laundry and hands me things to fold, somehow fluffing them up in the process.

And I do all of my laundry in 1 day, so by the time I sit down to fold it, i have 5 or 6 loads built up, so it's a good laundry mountain.

[moonrunner]

I love hanging on the line. Try using a vinegar rinse AND using way less detergent. I recently switched to Charlies Soap, available on line, and the clothes are way softer, there's NO residure. HTH!

[Petersmamma]

I wanted to bump this, b/c I have a new kink to add....

I think some of my clothes are stretching out from NOT being in the dryer and the weight of hanging the wet clothes is STRETCHING them out! Does anyone else have this problem? What do you do about it?

Thanks and sorry to poach the post!!

[eirual]

I think some of my clothes are stretching out from NOT being in the dryer and the weight of hanging the wet clothes is STRETCHING them out! Does anyone else have this problem? What do you do about it?

Thanks and sorry to poach the post!!

OOOoooo that's a good one! :

[Alkenny]

The only thing I've really had problems with stretching are my shirts. I hang them upside down and the middle would sag with the ends stretched out, unless I overlap the line by about an inch or two. I know alot of people hang their shirts on hangers and then clip the hangers to the line instead.

[Boobs]

You might put them through a second spin cycle to get more water out before you hang them. Another option is to separate heavier clothes and use a drying rack for them. They'll take longer to dry, but they won't lose their shape.

[fanniefarkle]

I've also noticed that new clothes don't get crunchy or stiff, but things like dish rags and cleaning clothes come off my line in weird shapes.