To save on utilities and clothes softener, I line dry many clothes in the house then put them in the dryer on air fluff. It's amazing how soft they become.
By Maria Elena from Gwynedd Valley, PA
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Unfortunately, many of us line dry because we don't have a clothes dryer. The reason line dried clothes feel stiff is because they remain in the same position as they dry. It's like using a hair dryer on your wet hair. Your hair will hold the shape it was dried in. The simplest way to prevent this stiffness is to have a fan blowing softly on the clothes as they dry. Just enough to keep them moving. As a bonus, a fan will also dry your clothes faster.
A machine dryer also softens clothes by rubbing the fibers against each others as the clothing is tossed around. This "fuzzies" up the fabric, making it feel soft. You can simulate this on your line dried clothes by brushing the fabric softly with a hair brush. Don't brush too hard or you'll damage the fabric.
It would be rather difficult to have a fan blowing on the clothes while they are on the line outside!
I do that opposite, but for a different reason, I run my loads through the dryer on air-fluff for about 5-10 minutes before I hang them, so as to 'pound' the wrinkles out of them. I don't so much mind the crunch of a line-dried towel.
Doesn't that undermine the savings of using the line? I just THWAP mine as I fold off the line and they soften right up.
I don't mind the 'crispness' of the line-dried clothes; I put mine in the dryer for 5 minutes or so (on heat) to zap any bugs that might have gotten into the clothes while they hung outside on the line.
I think bryguy might have meant if the clothes are dried inside? There are several things I like to hang dry instead of putting in the dryer but my HOA won't allow clothes lines so I have a drying rack inside that I use.
I love line dried clothes the smell and the feel; why use a dryer to get rid of that.
While the dryer, even five minutes, is fluffing, go look at how fast your meter is running...
@dragonswing
It would be rather difficult to have a fan blowing on the clothes while they are on the line outside! We NYC apartment dwellers often dry clothes by hanging them above the bath tub. If you're drying clothes outside, there's often already enough of a breeze to prevent major stiffness so a fan isn't needed.
But if there isn't enough of a breeze, it's actually not hard to have a fan blowing outside. Something like the Vornado 510 (it's known as an "air circulator," not a fan) is perfect. On high, the tight air beam can be felt as far as 70' away (in ideal conditions) so you can place the fan on a window or doorway aimed at your clothesline. In the bathroom, I use low from about 6'-7' away. The Vornado is known to be energy efficient.
Correction:
I meant the Vornado 630, not the 510. It's compact (12 x 14 x 9 inches) and very energy efficient, and the air can be felt up to 70' away on high in ideal conditions. Perfect for circulating air around the room. I got mine for $29.
www.amazon.com/
@dwutz
I think bryguy might have meant if the clothes are dried inside?
Yep! The original writer, Maria Elena, wrote "I line dry many clothes in the house." Since she wrote "in the house," I was referring to indoor drying. I live in SoHo, Manhattan, NYC and outside drying lines are a no-no.
I use the highly-rated very energy-efficient and compact Haier HLP21N (17" x 17.5" x 30") to wash and spin dry. After spinning, it's so dry that most clothes will dry within hours hanging on a line. The use of my Vornado fan on low speeds drying even more.
www.amazon.com/
Add vinegar to the laundry for softness
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