Skip to Content

Line Drying Clothes -- Can Anything be Done to Avoid "Stiffness"

Submitted by cunningham on Tue, May. 06, 2008

I am wanting to not use my dryer and instead just air dry the clothes. Is there any "green" product that can be used to help your clothes not come off the line completely stiff?

‹ green living How to kill little ants instantly? ›

Post new comment

  • Web page addresses and e-mail addresses turn into links automatically.
  • Allowed HTML tags: <a> <em> <strong> <cite> <code> <ul> <ol> <li> <dl> <dt> <dd>
  • Lines and paragraphs break automatically.

Comments (12)

jenkit
Mon, Jul. 16, 2012

Line drying clothes

I love hanging clothes outside, and I have severe allergies to pollen. I do what most have said-I bring the clothes in slightly damp and use my lowest setting on the dryer with low heat. I don't need to "bake" them with high heat for the short amount of time they are in the dryer, and doing that also takes the pollen off (at least it seems like it, I am not having an asthma attack or hives after I do this). I go back and forth between liquid fabric softener and vinegar depending on what I am washing. I have been known to mix them together once in a while, as sometimes, I get the dispensers "set up" for the fiance to do laundry...lol! (He is afraid of oversudsing our HE washer, so it's easier to do that).

tarhorse
Fri, Mar. 16, 2012

line drying clothes

Line drying clothing is great!! Except for those of us that are allergic to trees and grasses! Then they can be almost deadly to us as while the clothes are getting dry and smelling like the great outdoors, they are also collecting pollen on them.

pegordon
Fri, Mar. 09, 2012

Line Drying Clothes

Switching to bamboo or cotton-bamboo blend fabrics took care of my towel problems. Now my towels feel soft even right off the line, and - more importantly - they dry quickly after use and don't acquire that sour mildewy smell.

amischille
Fri, Mar. 09, 2012

Indoor Clothes Line

We have been line drying our clothes for years but when winter hit we had to start using the dryer. Not anymore. We hung cup hooks on opposite sides of our kitchen just under the ceiling fan. We then made loop knots at each end of clothes line cord and stretched the cord from cup hook to cup hook. This has worked great for us and our clothes seem to last much longer. If we have company coming, all we have to do is slip the clothes lines off of the cup hooks and store them in the cabinet. We have saved a lot of money with this method.

pleuthard
Thu, Mar. 08, 2012

Using a clothes line

I've been drying clothes on the line for over 20 years, and when I started most people looked at me like I was crazy. I live in Minnesota, so I only do so in the summer, and the scent it brings to my sheets makes me happy to go to bed at night. Like others have said, bring your towels in when slightly damp and finish drying them for approximately 10 minutes and they'll be almost as fluffy as using only the dryer. I used to also have a problem with socks, but now when I hang them I pull the two sides of the fabric apart and they stay soft also. Breezy days also help a lot. Keep on using the clothesline, it's worth it!

begerow
Sat, Aug. 30, 2008

Line Drying Clothes

If there is a breeze blowing, the clothes won't be stiff. Try hanging the clothes either early in the morning or later in the afternoon when there is a breeze.

esmepaul
Sun, Aug. 03, 2008

Fabric Softener

It's funny, I agree with nearly everyone. Just try what works best for you. Liquid fabric softener is going to be your best bet. If you have sensitive skin and the fabric softener irritates it, then fluffing the clothes, sheets, etc. afterward helps a great deal. Try to do your laundry on breezy days, when the winds will help dry them and keep them from feeling so stiff. If you're not terribly against using the dryer momentarily (assuming you have one) the a couple of moments on air dry with a fabric softener sheet should do the trick just fine.

Jeanette Kononan
Thu, Jul. 31, 2008

Line drying clothes

You might want to try cutting back how much detergent you are using and add liquid fabric softener to the rinse water.

amandamay83
Fri, Jul. 04, 2008

I've also heard to dry them

I've also heard to dry them in the drier for 10 minutes before you put them on the line.

packerfamily
Sun, Jun. 22, 2008

Fluff for 10 minutes

I have been line drying clothes for several months now. I find that if I fluff for 10 minutes after I get them off the line, they feel just as they did as if I dried them in the drier. The only thing I have noticed a change in is towels, and frankly you only use those for a couple of minutes. Small price to pay. Plus they smell so much better dried outside.

lframe29
Sun, May. 18, 2008

It Depends!

I use white vinegar in the wash water, which helps with the stiffness. If it's towels, take them off of the line when they are slightly damp, toss in the dryer for about 10 minutes and then fold. The dampness is key. I iron my husbands work shorts when damp and they press beautifully with no starch needed.

Whoever has the most toys when he dies wins? Funny, I have never seen a hearse with a luggage rack on top.

misnhub
Wed, May. 07, 2008

Line Drying Clothes

Try Seventh Generation Fabric Softener. I have also heard that using the dryer just to tumble the clothes for a short while and then air drying is a good option. I've been researching this and am hoping to get my husband to hang a clothes line for me this summer! Good luck.