How do I make my washing smell scrumptious?

claralou

culpepper wrote: »

if your windowsills are suitable, you could have a caravan airer that hangs out of the window, when I lived in flats lots of the neighbours used them.

I also live in a flat but would love to wash clothes outside. I've been looking for one of these airers that hangs out of the window for ages but can't find one anywhere. Our friends live in Barcelona and all the apartments there have clothes dryings out of the windows - when you walk down the streets it sometimes smells delicious!!

Does anyone know where I could find one of these out-of-the-window airers?
Thanks x

Rowan9

Ok - am going to have a try with adding essential oil to my vinegar rinse. I have lavender and also patchouli which I love but it's a bit of a thick oil and might gunk on some clothes.
w

Thistle-down

Does anyone know where I could find one of these out-of-the-window airers?
Thanks x

Here's some:

http://www.choiceful.com/choiceful-id-75657-MIR-Home-Garden-Caravan-Clothes-Airer-5-53Mtr.html

http://www.worldoftents.co.uk/hook-on-caravan-airer-p-847.html?currency=GBP

harryharp

Re. putting essential oils in the machine, I get mine from this company: http://www.summernaturals.co.uk/- they are much cheaper as they're specifically intended just for laundry.

Incidentally this is a brilliant website as you can get other bulk basics such as borax and white vinegar (as mentioned in the above post for making your own fabric conditioner).

Off topic, but they also sell soapnuts which I use instead of washing powder- they are SO MSE you would not believe, and have saved me a lot of money. There's a thread on here somewhere about them...If you want to try soapnuts though, I would recommend getting them from http://www.inasoapnutshell.com/ as they are slightly cheaper than Summer Naturals.

Curiosity_Kitten

Hello my fellow Mrs. (& Mr.) Tiggywinkles.

The main thing that I find makes washing smell musty is when it's left in the machine for any length of time before being taken out and hung up.

I get round this by making sure I only wash clothes if I (or a kind housemate) can be around to hang them up as soon as the load's finished. I don't use any fabric conditioner and don't get any problems with mustiness if I hang stuff up straightaway. Though obviously you might be doing this already so apologies if this sounds a bit Playschool.

I live in a top floor flat and we dry our clothes with the window slightly open, on an airer with arms that looks a bit like a pylon. They're really good.

Happy laundrifying!

CK

guineapig

I also use a de-humidifier which I find drys them in about 12 hours depending on outside/inside temps (this was in my conservatory in the cool weather)
To answer you question re cost, I have just plugged mine in and set it running so I could check the cost on the wireless electricity monitor and it appears to cost 3 pence an hour ( give or take a fraction) and I know when I checked the tumble dryer it was 48 pence an hour!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have also got a washing line in the small bedroom up high ( high enough to reach to peg things up, but higher than my neck so as not to garrot myself!) heat rises and I found that using the ( indoor)washing line and the dehumidifier at the same time cuts down the drying time by about one third.

villanova

Does anyone have problems putting essential oils into their machine? I would be very worried about ingredients in the oils attacking the plastic components.
Instead, I make my own 'ironing spray' by using a little oil in an old trigger spray bottle of water, solubilised with a tiny bit of shampoo, to make sure it doesn't separate out & stain clothes (better to use thinner, paler coloured oils for this!). Tha tway, I can either use it like Febreze to refresh clothes, or to get wrinkles out when ironing.

heatherbelle_3

wow - my mild curiousity post is now in the weekly email! *blush* now everyone knows my washing smells!

I have already started with some of the tips on here - have bought another stand to dry from and also been adding soda crystals to my wash and stopped with the fabric conditioner and have been putting in an essential oil instead. So far so good actually!

Though the dehumidifier sounds like something to look into! And also making my own fabric softner and using soap nuts!

m0neymagnet

Apologies if this sounds silly but what is a wireless electricity monitor?! Where do you get one and cost?
I also use an old dehumidifier but worried about elec cost and under pressure from other half to buy a tumble dryer.
We've just had a baby and trying to dry washable nappies indoors takes days without any help...

Magentasue

m0neymagnet wrote: »

Apologies if this sounds silly but what is a wireless electricity monitor?! Where do you get one and cost?
I also use an old dehumidifier but worried about elec cost and under pressure from other half to buy a tumble dryer.
We've just had a baby and trying to dry washable nappies indoors takes days without any help...

You don't need a wireless one. This one is dead cheap and will do what you want. People will shoot me down for this, but I with your OH here. Even if you just use a tumble drier for a quick blast to dry nappies, towels, jeans etc after drying indoors, it'll make life much easier in the winter and save you from the problems caused by condensation.