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Drying Clothes Outside Query

2

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  • clippy_girl
    clippy_girl Posts: 2,283 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker Debt-free and Proud!
    i find my towels are soft if i dry on the washing line outside, esp if its windy. but yes they are really scratchy i dried inside.

    i tumble dry towels only when i can't dry outside.

    if you find towels still scratchy if dry on the line then pop just the towels in dryer for 10 mins. it will save save you a lot of money than tumbling everything!
    :j:j:j:j:j:j:j:j:j:j:j:j:j:j:j:j:j:j:j:j
  • pollypenny
    pollypenny Posts: 29,439 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    I had the ten minutes in dryer tip from someone who runs a B & B. It's important not to use conditioner, though.
    Member #14 of SKI-ers club

    Words, words, they're all we have to go by!.

    (Pity they are mangled by this autocorrect!)
  • Your not meant to use softner, like micro fiver cloths, they loose their absorbency and go rough. Just wash with detergent no softner.
    Ds2 born 3/4/12 8lbs 8.5:j
    Ds1 born 28/4/07 9lb 8 :j
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  • I did hear ironing them helps but not tried it? I don't own a dryer just a rotary outside.
    Also heard putting them in the airing cupboard where theirs a tank that's hot helps or putting towels next to the radiator?
    Ds2 born 3/4/12 8lbs 8.5:j
    Ds1 born 28/4/07 9lb 8 :j
    Frugal, thrifty, tight mum & wife and proud of it lol
    :rotfl::j
    Make money for Xmas challenge 2014 £0/£270
  • mmy
    mmy Posts: 70 Forumite
    I had the same problem, then did a bit of research. Advice was:
    1. Use half the detergent you normally would
    2. Wash on a hotter wash than you normally would
    3. Put [I think] 150 ml white vinegar in the drum and same in the conditioner drawer
    4. Don't use conditioner.

    I've done this with my towels and it's worked a treat, they used to be really hard but now they aren't. I don't own a tumble dryer and dry outside where possible.
    Now sure if i can post the link to a useful site, it#s this; http://www.athriftymrs.com/2013/11/how-to-make-your-towels-fluffy-again.html
  • spirit
    spirit Posts: 2,886 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture Combo Breaker Mortgage-free Glee!
    You can dry them til rough on the washing line and then pop them in the tumbler for 5 minutes on COLD setting. that will fluff them up again.

    started doing that 30+ years ago to fluff up terry nappies
    Mortgage free as of 10/02/2015. Every brick and blade of grass belongs to meeeee. :j
  • Does this work? I suggested it to a friend recently.

    You suggested something without knowing if it works!? Some friend you are! ;)
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  • missbiggles1
    missbiggles1 Posts: 17,481 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    This is what I do. I run the full wash without putting fabric conditioner in the drawer, I then put the m/c on again with some fabric conditioner in the main draw and let it run a while, I then put it to drain and spin, take out clothes put on line. When nearly dry I put in dryer for about 2 mins to fully air out/dry, Result soft fluffy clothes with only a bit of electric used. If it isn't a fine day I dry them on clothes airer until almost dry and then 2 mins in dryer.
    I have done this for years, another side result of this is that you hardly ever need to use an iron, I takes clothes out of dryer and hang them up.
    Don't let your machine tell you where to put the fabric conditioner, you control the m/c.

    You seem to have forgotten that you own an automatic washing machine!
  • rockm87
    rockm87 Posts: 847 Forumite
    Wedding Day Wonder
    Vampgirl wrote: »
    I always thought that fabric conditioner shouldn't be used with towels: it may make them soft but it stops them absorbing water properly - which kind of defeats the object ;-)

    We try to line dry as much as possible but for towels we do use the tumble dryer - it does seems a waste of electricity but its the only way to get them soft and fluffy.

    use white vinegar rather than fabric softener. i use it and it works wonders....and they dont smell of vinegar either!
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  • I dry mine on the doors inside and they don't seem to get too rough (or I might just be used to it now!!) but yeah the only way to get them soft is to stick them in the tumble for a bit after.
    Read my diaryHere :)
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