About gDonna
The photo is my son and myself. Now days you can get a photo made to look old like this one. This photo was taken when this was the new look.

Harry S Truman was president when I was born and world war II had ended. I grew up in a time when lunch was put in a brown paper bag and a sandwich was wrapped with wax paper. There was no such thing as pantyhose, we wore stockings that attached to the rubbery clippy things that attached to the girdle. Convenience stores were not common and when we took a trip we packed a picnic basket because many places did not have fast food. Highways had places to pull over and stop, some with picnic tables. Read more ....
 

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The Laundry

G
269 posts (admin)
Sat Jan 07, 23 1:32 PM CST

This room is for conversations about anything to do with Laundry, clotheslines, homemade laundry soap, reducing laundry tips.  You can share photos, ask questions, talk to others about this subject.

G
269 posts (admin)
Sat Jan 07, 23 2:12 PM CST

This first week of the study, I have learned that I must make sure to hand wash small items and hang them to dry overnight so I am not washing several small loads. I am adjusting most everything I do down to sparingly use soap. Charles is wearing the same pants and shirts for at least two to three days and we are hanging them to air overnight, pressing if needed but have not had to do that. 

Have you made any changes with your laundry?

K
65 posts
Sat Jan 07, 23 4:14 PM CST

This was interesting . A manufacturer of jeans said you should not wash them but turn them inside out and put them in the freezer overnight. 

I'm sure that if you wear them for work they would need washing.

S
14 posts
Sun Jan 08, 23 11:37 AM CST

I don't have a washing machine (my cabin is too small and it was either a washing machine or bookshelves-priorities!), so do my laundry by hand anyway.  Up until recently I had no problem getting the washing dry outside but the weather been so wet and miserable, I've struggled.  I even had to do a service wash of my bedding at the local laundrette just to get it dry!  I do have an old fashioned spin drier though,  which is invaluable.  I've found that by washing little and often, and using a drying rack,  washing by hand isn't too onerous.  It certainly helps my clothes and underwear last longer!  I make my own washing powder so it's a frugal chore too.  I've taken to brushing and sponging my (rather muddy) trousers and coats (a la 1930's),  and have been impressed by how well  they look afterwards.  I do wonder how much of what we do is simply because it's habitual?

K
65 posts
Sun Jan 08, 23 1:44 PM CST

I make my own laundry detergent using 4 cups baking soda and 3/4 bar Sunlight Soap (NZ). I grate the soap then put it in the food processor with the baking soda and blitz it to a fine powder.  1-2 Tablespoons depending on how dirty clothes are. I have a front loader washer.

Clothes hung outside or in garage. In Winter on the side of a crib that's on a pulley up to the ceiling in the room with the fireplace. 

Edited Sun Jan 08, 23 1:45 PM by Karen S
G
269 posts (admin)
Sun Jan 08, 23 2:02 PM CST

Grandma Donna wrote, Sheryl C , thank you for your comment how you are doing laundry. Your last sentence was important, I feel we really do not know why we are doing things like we are with many things in our life other than this how it has always been or this is how someone else does it. Some of these things we do or have are costing us a lot of money. Thank you.

Karen S, thank you for sharing how you make your laundry soap and hang your laundry, very helpful to share so others can see other ways of doing things.

S
14 posts
Sun Jan 08, 23 5:05 PM CST

I have a similar laundry powder recipe Karen S  but I add an equal amount of artificial Borax to my mix before blitzing it all in a rather aged Thermomix. (When were they invented? Must look it up...).

I realise that I've only written about doing the laundry as a chore.  Handwashing can be a meditative process and I love the  feeling of putting away soft (I use brown vinegar in the final rinse and even towels dry soft and fluffy), and clean smelling washing.  Having said that, there's only me- I can't imagine having to do a family's wash this way!

G
16 posts
Tue Jan 10, 23 3:57 PM CST

Like Grandpa Charles, I've asked my family members to start wearing their clothes for longer.  I usually wear my outer clothes for a week, though I change underwear daily.  We have a twelve year old and a two year old, and I had been doing a load of laundry every day.  Now it's every other day, or twice in three days.  

I don't wash by hand though have done so by necessity;  the washing machine broke down during lockdown and I had to handwash diapers for almost a week before the new one could be fitted.  That was an experience!  We used flat fold muslin diapers so they were comparatively easy to wash in the bathtub: I'd throw them in to soak after my bath.

We haven't had a tumble dryer in years;  normally during winter I position drying racks around the radiators at home, but we aren't turning on the heating this winter so this has been a little difficult.  We are running our wood stove in the living room as our only heating source and have been creative about drying everything in front of it.  I look forward to spring when I can start drying outside again.

G
269 posts (admin)
Tue Jan 10, 23 7:01 PM CST

Grandma Donna wrote, Galadriel F, I understand about the drying part, yesterday I did the wash and the laundry did not dry that was on the clothesline. By evening it was hanging all over the inside of the house drying overnight.  I got up this morning and some of the laundry still was not dry and the reason is because we have used little heat this winter. Today was not as damp and I had one more load to do which was flannel sheets, but the sun came out and dried the sheets and I was so thankful. 

S
92 posts
Wed Jan 11, 23 4:01 PM CST

I've been fortunate to have good weather for my fledgling attempt at winter air-drying. I've got a couple of things on the line right now that look like they'll be dry when I take them off in an hour. If not, it will be my first time drying in the house! Ironing tomorrow. In spring, I'm sure the weather will be more cooperative about letting me wash on Mondays. :)

S
13 posts
Wed Jan 11, 23 7:47 PM CST
Karen S wrote:

I make my own laundry detergent using 4 cups baking soda and 3/4 bar Sunlight Soap (NZ). I grate the soap then put it in the food processor with the baking soda and blitz it to a fine powder.  1-2 Tablespoons depending on how dirty clothes are. I have a front loader washer.

Clothes hung outside or in garage. In Winter on the side of a crib that's on a pulley up to the ceiling in the room with the fireplace. 

Thanks for the recipe for washing detergent - a simple one as we also have the Sunlight bars here in South Australia.

I do still use the washing machine but always cold water, lower spin and very little detergent. Any heavily stained or grimey clothes are soaked beforehand. I would try the hand washing but the arthritis in my hands stops me.

I have not used a clothes dryer for many years. Here in rural SA I have a homemade very long clothes line with stainless steel lines, and we use stainless steel pegs so they can be left on the line and won’t break or rust. It is high Summer here so by the time next load is ready, the first load is dry!

Edited Wed Jan 11, 23 7:55 PM by Sharon H
17 posts
Fri Jan 13, 23 1:20 PM CST

I hand wash my "smalls" every day, along with anything I'd ordinarily put into the "delicate" wash cycle.  I wear my clothes until they really need washing, airing them out each evening. I don't do any work that gets me really dirty or sweaty, so my clothes don't need washing that often. I wear an apron the instant I step into the kitchen, so my aprons do get a battering!  I am a messy cook!  We are not allowed to have clotheslines in my housing development, but I defiantly put out a clothes rack in the back yard to dry things, which dry pretty quickly in this Arizona sun.  The only time I use my dryer is if the weather is too inclement to dry sheets; the clothes rack only fits one (draped over it) so I have to drape the other sheet over a wicker chair I have outside.  

For detergent, I use one that Grandma Donna recommended for her 1943 project last year -- Charlie's Soap Laundry Powder -- or alternately, Nellie's Laundry Soda -- which have few ingredients and are probably similar to what was available in these times.  It requires just a tablespoon so it lasts for awhile, and doesn't make a lot of suds, so it rinses well.  Both come in containers with minimal packaging and you can buy refills.

I wash twice a week:  Wednesdays are for sheets and towels and other warm water wash, and Fridays are for clothes.  One week is dark wash and the next week is light colors wash.  It's been fun to see how long I can go without needing to launder something.   I usually iron things the same day I wash them, so I can consider the laundry "complete" in one day.

R
10 posts
Fri Jan 13, 23 3:43 PM CST

Sharon H: I use a similar washing liquid and I always wash in cold water too.  Washing clothes has been made into such a difficult task by the makers of laundry products but if you follow the old methods it's pretty simple.

Lynne J: It's good you don't have to wash your clothes frequently. I wear an apron everyday but I have to wash my clothes after I wear them twice.  It's summer here and very humid so even a short burst of work brings on the perspiration. I like your laundry routine with set days for large items, darks and coloureds. While I would like to complete my laundry in one day, it seems I have to look at the ironing for a week before it gets done.   Your routine is better.  : - )


Edited Fri Jan 13, 23 3:43 PM by Rhonda H
17 posts
Fri Jan 13, 23 4:00 PM CST

Rhonda H,  I am only washing my own clothes, so that makes it easier.  (My husband does not participate in these projects, as he does not like to be inconvenienced in any way!)  Although now in the winter our weather here in Arizona is mild, warm, and sunny, it gets miserably hot in the summer so my washing habits will change, along with the ironing because I'll be wearing more cotton items then.  And things will dry outside in, literally, minutes!  Also, I don't seem to sweat that much now that I am older!  One of the few blessings of aging!

K
67 posts
Fri Jan 13, 23 4:15 PM CST

I find that I don't have to wash myself or my clothes as often in the cold weather, but as Rhonda H wrote, it is different in the hot months.

For me, in winter if it is cold I do best to wash only one load of laundry per day.  I have a Hills Hoist umbrella style clothesline that can hold several loads, but find that putting less on it and spacing the clothing out helps it to dry faster when the days are short.  My husband and I make one load of clothes laundry per week, and then there is a load of cleaning towels, and a load of bathroom towels.  I use the dryer to sanitize my small things, and I also use it for our bedding on the advice of the allergist, as the heat of the dryer kills dust mite eggs that might make it through the wash.

@Lynne J, drying in summer is so nice!  My husband always jokes that by the time we hang the last garment in the basket, we can start taking down the first piece we hung!  The only downside is how brutally hot it can get out there hanging the clothes -- I try to get all the loads washed and hung  before 11 a.m.

K
48 posts
Sat Jan 14, 23 7:41 PM CST

I have a big problem with laundry or more to the point drying laundry. I’m in England where the weather is quite honestly horrible. I can’t easily get outside if it starts raining ( I walk using a walker ) to bring washing in. Up till now I’ve been using a dryer but I’m keen to use it less because of how expensive it is. I’m not using the heating much in the house so I can’t use the radiators and I don’t have a drying rack. I also have a very damp house so I worry drying clothes inside will make that worse. I have a huge pile of clothes to wash and just can’t get them dried in time for the next load. ( I also hate my washing machine and wish I had an old fashioned twin tub as they use less water and also they soon the clothes much drier) . My dryer isn’t working very well either and need to be put on for several hours to actually dry the clothes which doesn’t help. 

I wear my clothes for several days ( except underwear) but the kids often get muddy/ dirty. And then there are towels and sheets etc  I just can’t keep up. I have taken things to the laundrette in the past just to get it all done but I don’t currently have a working car. 

Does anyone have any good suggestions on how to dry clothes and towels? 

R
10 posts
Sat Jan 14, 23 7:51 PM CST

Hello Kasia. Oh dear, not much is going right for you. I live in Australia so I have no tips for drying clothes. If I hang them outside, they're dry in 30 minutes.  But I do hope the other ladies in wet and cold climates will be able to give you a few tips.  xx

K
48 posts
Sat Jan 14, 23 8:05 PM CST
Rhonda H wrote:

Hello Kasia. Oh dear, not much is going right for you. I live in Australia so I have no tips for drying clothes. If I hang them outside, they're dry in 30 minutes.  But I do hope the other ladies in wet and cold climates will be able to give you a few tips.  xx

It does seem that way at the moment. I’ve always hated the climate here and always used a dryer but now that electricity is 4 times more expensive than it was last year I can’t keep doing that. 
30 minutes to dry clothes? Sounds like a dream. 

S
92 posts
Sat Jan 14, 23 8:23 PM CST

Kasia A My dryer did that too -- took forever to dry, and then finally wouldn't dry at all. It was the heating element, and it only cost $35 here in the US to replace. Got the part from Amazon. My son looked up the dryer manual online after getting the model number from the back of the dryer. Then he found the schematic online that showed how to take the dryer apart. My husband and son took it apart and replaced the part and it worked great after that! If you have someone who could do that for you, it probably wouldn't cost very much to fix. That was the first appliance we ever repaired. (Our stove is the second.)

K
48 posts
Sat Jan 14, 23 9:15 PM CST
Stephanie G wrote:

Kasia A My dryer did that too -- took forever to dry, and then finally wouldn't dry at all. It was the heating element, and it only cost $35 here in the US to replace. Got the part from Amazon. My son looked up the dryer manual online after getting the model number from the back of the dryer. Then he found the schematic online that showed how to take the dryer apart. My husband and son took it apart and replaced the part and it worked great after that! If you have someone who could do that for you, it probably wouldn't cost very much to fix. That was the first appliance we ever repaired. (Our stove is the second.)

Unfortunately I’m a single mum and my 2 younger kids are 14 and 12. The others are older ( but don’t live here) but none are confident enough to try and fix a dryer. I don’t think it’s something I could do myself either as I’m not mobile enough and also know nothing about fixing dryers. You have reminded me however that there is a place in my town that fixes things like this so I’ll call them and ask about it  


G
269 posts (admin)
Mon Jan 16, 23 11:33 AM CST

Grandma Donna wrote, Thank you Stephanie G for the reminder to always see if we can do our own repair.  Kasia, I hope you can get your dryer working, also check and make sure your filter and the vent line is cleared. 

K
48 posts
Mon Jan 16, 23 11:39 AM CST
Grandma Donna wrote:

Grandma Donna wrote, Thank you Stephanie G for the reminder to always see if we can do our own repair.  Kasia, I hope you can get your dryer working, also check and make sure your filter and the vent line is cleared. 

I have checked the filter. I don’t know what a vent line is. It’s a freestanding dryer that collects the air water in a container that has to be emptied each time it’s used. 

By the way is there a way to make new replies show up first, or a marker to go to where we last read I’m afraid there’s going to be a lot of scrolling involved if not. 

S
92 posts
Mon Jan 16, 23 9:58 PM CST

I don't have a lot of laundry. We have just enough clothes, and we wear outer clothes about three days before changing. When I changed over from terry towels to linen ones, the volume of the laundry dropped significantly because the linen towels are so much thinner than the terry towels and we use them more times before washing. I usually do a load or two of laundry each week, but this week everything needed washing and there was a comforter and tablecloth too. The weather has been cooperating and I have been line drying loads the last two days, and will do some more tomorrow, and maybe one last load on Friday, when it's sunny. 

I love getting out in the less than perfect weather and hanging the wash. Today was windy and things were blowing (almost) all of their wrinkles out, which made ironing easy. Though I did get slapped in the face by a couple of impertinent towels! As I took the dry laundry down and hung the wet, I watched the clouds change and move across the sky. I spied the daffodil shoots peeking up through the ground too. 

Rather than dreading all the washing this week, it's fun! I never thought laundry was fun when it all went into the dryer. I look forward to going out and hanging more laundry. :)

For now, while I am in 1930, I am pretending that I send the laundry out and get it back wet, to hang. I am using my washing machine for now. I will start doing some handwashing in time. My poor "washable" wool socks did not look like they enjoyed the washing experience today, and I will wash those by hand from now on.

C
8 posts
Tue Jan 17, 23 12:46 AM CST

Well I'm probably going to be scowled at BUT my laundry time/money saving trick is to put everything in together unless it is very good like town/sunday best type clothes. That mean I don't sort colours or linen , towels, sheets etc. Yep they all go in together. I only use cold water as I find it works just as well and sometimes using hot water can set a stain in the fabric. If something is really grubby or stained I will rub a soap paste on before putting it in with everything else.

R
10 posts
Tue Jan 17, 23 1:18 AM CST

No one will scowl at you Cindy. I think it’s very interesting reading about how we all do our household chores. I wash in cold water too and I like to soak before washing most things.  

S
92 posts
Tue Jan 17, 23 9:26 AM CST

Cindy When I had even less laundry than I have now, I always put everything together to make a full load. Never had a problem and couldn't understand what all the insistence on separating was about. With the study, I'm thinking about handwash vs machine wash. I'll be doing that kind of separating. :)

G
269 posts (admin)
Tue Jan 17, 23 12:20 PM CST

Grandma Donna wrote, one difference in the past that affected the way we wash verses today is the fabric that items were made from.  Today people wear a lot clothing with synthetic blend fabric which is normally washed and tossed in the dryer.  In the past, laundry needed to be handled differently and also it often faded in the wash and if everything was washed together it would be like the wash was set in Easter egg dye.  I still remember the time I washed colors and whites together and everything turned pink.

There are other reasons to separate laundry by colors. Charles wears black dress pants to work, men's dress pants are expensive anywhere I buy them and if I washed them with other fabrics, lint will be on those black pants when they come out of the wash because I have done it once and there will not be a twice because could not get the lint of and had to rewash the pants and still work on those pants. So darks get washed separately here in our house and his pants have never been put in a dryer. 

Also, store bought liquid laundry soaps have whitener in them and if you want to save money then do not wash the darks in a laundry soap with whitener, wash them in either homemade soap or a laundry detergent that does not have whitener so they do not lose their color. 

There is no right or wrong here the way we wash, it is we each have our own types of garments that will or will not mix with other laundry. I feel that I am saving money by separating the colors so I can take better care of them but I do not feel there is a right and wrong here, we each live differently.  As long as they get clean is what is most important. 

S
92 posts
Tue Jan 17, 23 1:18 PM CST

I've been wanting my husband to dress like the thirties in a suit.  He has one somewhere. I might make him wear it on Sundays, with suspenders! :) I have more natural fabrics these days, and they want handwashing, which I've been ignoring. I'm sure that has something to do with them not lasting. I've noticed that living like the thirties enables me to do more with my time. Handwashing seemed impossibly time consuming before, but now it feels like I have more time. Mostly things take time when they're new and I have to get used to the new way. But drying on the line is getting to be automatic and I'll be ready to add handwashing soon. 

I turn my sheets. I try to remember to put the pillows the same way each day so after a week we can flip them over and use the other side. I've been thinking about not buying anymore fitted sheets so I can switch the tops and bottoms. 

And now I really am getting off the internet and only coming back to the forum on Fridays. I've got thirties' things to do! :)

T
30 posts
Tue Jan 17, 23 1:34 PM CST

I don't sort my laundry by color either, partly because I don't have a lot of "whites" to begin with.  I prefer sheets, towels, et cetera in dark colors, so it's pretty much just a few pairs of white socks and underwear from mixed packs, and I couldn't care less that those soon become pale pink. 

As far as washing different colors together (reds, greens, blues, et cetera) they haven't done each other any harm even after years of washing everything together.

I use cold water, and just a squirt of Dawn dish soap for "detergent."

I do sometimes have to separate by degree of cleanliness, for example not washing a blanket covered in dog hair with clothes I plan to wear into town.

K
48 posts
Thu Jan 19, 23 10:26 AM CST

Help!!! My quilt wouldn’t fit in the washing machine so I was going to take it to a laundrette but they wanted to charge £14 to wash it and £18 to dry it! So I’ve put it in the bath to soak but I didn’t think far enough ahead how to rinse and wring it out? It’s a pretty big quilt. I have an outside line so I can put it out there for however long it takes to dry it. Should I try again to get it in the washing machine now that it’s wet? 

T
30 posts
Thu Jan 19, 23 10:47 AM CST

Kasia A,

No!  Stuffing something in your washing machine wet, that wouldn't fit when it was dry, could overload and damage the machine during it's spin cycle.

I've gotten a good start on wringing something out in a bathtub by walking on it with clean feet.  (You've mentioned a disability, but can you enlist your kids?)  If so, my suggestion would be as follows:  Drain the tub, pile the quilt up, and have one of your children stand on it to squeeze most of the water out.  Refill the tub, swish it around a bit to rinse, then repeat the draining and squeezing.  Let it rest in a pile in the empty bathtub for maybe 20 minutes, then have a kid stand on it again.  You will be surprised how much more water comes out.  Then haul it outside (it will still be quite heavy) and each take an end, twisting in opposite directions until it is wrung as dry as possible.  Then hang it on the line and hope for good weather! 



K
48 posts
Thu Jan 19, 23 11:36 AM CST

Thank you I’ll get my son to walk on it :) 

G
16 posts
Thu Jan 19, 23 3:36 PM CST

Kasia, I live in England too, and we aren't turning the heating on long enough to dry our clothes.  Luckily we have a log burner/coal fire (aka multi fuel stove) and have worked out how to put up a drying rack in front of it--works well.

But my suggestion for you is something called a spin dryer, an appliance I have never actually used, only heard about.  The ones I've glanced at on Amazon have 2800 rpm spin, which is about twice as fast as the spin on my own washing machine.  Apparently they spin out nearly all the water so clothes dry much faster when hung up, and are quicker/use less energy than a tumble dryer.  

G
269 posts (admin)
Thu Jan 19, 23 4:25 PM CST

Grandma Donna wrote, thank you Tea S and Galadriel F for commenting to Kasia A, plea for help.  Kasia, I hope that you were able to get the water out of  your quilt.  It seems that if it still has a lot of water in it, that it would be better to pay for it to be washed so at least it has been spun out properly. And then hang it on the line less wet than it was.   Please let us know what you ended up doing.  

S
14 posts
Fri Jan 20, 23 2:16 AM CST
Galadriel F wrote:

Kasia, I live in England too, and we aren't turning the heating on long enough to dry our clothes.  Luckily we have a log burner/coal fire (aka multi fuel stove) and have worked out how to put up a drying rack in front of it--works well.

But my suggestion for you is something called a spin dryer, an appliance I have never actually used, only heard about.  The ones I've glanced at on Amazon have 2800 rpm spin, which is about twice as fast as the spin on my own washing machine.  Apparently they spin out nearly all the water so clothes dry much faster when hung up, and are quicker/use less energy than a tumble dryer.  

I can vouch for the efficiency of the spin dryer that Galadriel F recommends, Kasia. I have one and use it all the time as I don't have a washing machine or dryer.  I'm able to  get most of the water out of my hand washing and then can dry most things over a simple drying rack, even in our (extra horridly wet), British Winter weather. Having said that, there's only me so I only have one person's washing to do - I can't imagine attempting to do three person's washing by hand.  Have a look on Ebay, although my sister has been after one for ages and has found that they're super rare on social media (might just be in her area though - but I know I wouldn't be without mine!).  

Have you also thought about one of these heated drying racks? I don't have one but believe that they are very economical electricity wise...

S
92 posts
Fri Jan 20, 23 9:51 AM CST

My husband had an idea last night. The cold has finally arrived and laundry isn't going to dry outside anymore. He suggested putting up a clothesline in one of the bedrooms and using a dehumidifier powered by a solar generator. You would charge the generator with the solar panel, then use it in the bedroom to help dry the clothes. I don't know if a dehumidifier would work, but you could power a small heater or a fan the same way. And then your laundry is still getting dried by sunshine. :)

G
269 posts (admin)
Fri Jan 20, 23 3:40 PM CST

Grandma Donna wrote, Stephanie G, the one thing this great depression study does is makes us think about any other way to do something without it costing. They did not have these options we have today but we do have these options here in 2023 and that is a very good idea how to use the sun to charge the generator to run the dehydrator. 

S
92 posts
Fri Jan 20, 23 4:05 PM CST

Grandma Donna My husband just happened to buy a small solar generator recently, and I know exactly what the first thing he's going to do with it is. :) We're going to get some screw-in metal eyelet things and a clothesline when he gets home next weekend and give it a try. You're right, they didn't have that in the thirties. It at least does make it so you don't have to use boughten electricity. 

Kasia A I hope your quilt problem worked out! You've really been doing a lot lately. :)

Edited Fri Jan 20, 23 4:08 PM by Stephanie G
K
17 posts
Sat Feb 11, 23 10:15 PM CST

I am really hoping to get a clothes line this year.  We had a makeshift clothes line last year. I stretched out a line from our summer kitchen to a large black walnut tree. I could do that again this year if I have to but I'd rather have a nicer clothes line this year.  Maybe one of those pully ones.  I love the smell of line dried clothes plus or electric bill is a lot higher this year than it was last winter. We don't have central heat so I'm thinking it must be the drier that's using most of our electric. 

T
6 posts
Tue Feb 14, 23 4:47 PM CST

I need a suggestion I dry my towels in the drier and not outside. they become to rough. I use vinegar in the rinse water and shake out towel to fluff before hanging and use extra rinse cycle oh and also only use 1 tbls of soap. does anyone else have this problem when hanging towels outside?

G
269 posts (admin)
Tue Feb 14, 23 9:03 PM CST

Grandma Donna wrote, Tami S, it is common for towels to feel scratchy or stiff from line drying.  Rinsing well is the number one thing and we are used to the towels being line dried.  But one simple way to soften them is to pull the at the opposite corners.  Also lay them across the bed or table and brush them. That will soften them.  Long before we had dryers there was no expectation that they would be soft but shaking them, popping the corners and brushing them will make them softer.  I hope this helps.

T
6 posts
Wed Feb 15, 23 9:59 AM CST

Hi Grandma Donna,  thank you for your advice.  I grew up with line dried towels and also do not remember any dislike to them. I have to ask because I am questioning the task of pulling and brushing when the towel is wet or dry?

G
269 posts (admin)
Wed Feb 15, 23 10:47 AM CST

Grandma Donna wrote, Tami S, pull and pop it after it is dry and give it a brushing after it is dry as well.  You can even rug the towel, any of these things will soften the towel after it comes off the line and is dry.  You can give it a shake out and pop before you hang it up too.  I normally this and then when I take it off the line I shake it out and  pull it from the corners,  It only takes a few seconds to do.

J
7 posts
Wed Feb 15, 23 6:22 PM CST

I live north of Seattle in a very wet and rainy maritime climate. We're also in an apartment with only a small outdoor balcony. I started washing everything by hand a year ago when our laundry machines (no in-unit laundry, it's shared) went up to $4 to wash and $5 to dry! There's three of us -- two adults and a teen.

I do "small" laundry on Wednesdays, which is anything in the laundry basket. Usually tshirts, some small linens, socks, and underthings. "Big" laundry is on Saturday, and that includes the small laundry from Weds-Fri plus pants, towels, and sheets. Once a month I do one washer load in the machine -- heavy jeans, jackets, blankets, and anything too big for my wringer.

I have a Calligher wringer, which fits on the middle bar of my double sink (I added rubber flanges to the mounting clamps so it doesn't shift). I wash in bus tubs slipped into the sinks and use a soap made from a grated laundry bar. I couldn't dry clothes in my climate in winter without a wringer, I don't think!

For drying, I have a double tiered clothes bar on wheels. I put clothing on hangers then hang them on the bars -- it holds a bunch in a small space! I put them outside whenever I can, even if it's only for a few hours. In winter and spring when we are the wettest, I often dry inside. The rack goes on top of a yoga mat and I set them near one of the baseboard heaters. I haven't had issues with damp or mold beyond the expected for our climate, but we have to run the condensation vent every day for a couple of hours in winter anyway, per our lease agreement, so that combats damp and mold. 

We try to only wear natural fibers, so things can take a bit to dry but usually no more than 24 hours. We also spot clean and use a laundry spray between washes. I make it with rubbing alcohol and a lemon essential oil for scent. It kills bacteria and such on clothing so the don't smell. When I was a kid and we would go camping with a bunch of family for a couple of weeks every summer, my mom used to spray our clothing with vodka to keep things fresh. I remember going into the old stone camp showers and my mom taking our clothing to spot clean in the sink. She'd then spray everything with the vodka, paying special attention to crotches and armpits. This way we only needed a few outfits to get us through a two week vacation!

R
12 posts
Sun Feb 26, 23 1:26 PM CST

I have enjoyed reading all things laundry on this forum! I line dry my clothes in the summer (all except towels as my husband complains because they get stiff and scratchy when line dried but he may just have to learn to live with it!) but during the coldest part of the winter I do use my dryer. I have a question - we use well water. It is hard water but we do have a water softener now and that has made a world of difference on the wear and tear of our appliances, hard water build up and our clothes. But, I have yet to find a homemade laundry detergent that really works for us. Does anybody have any suggestions? I do prefer powdered detergent over liquid. I have used so many different recipes and have yet to find something that works to get the clothes clean and not have an odor after we wear them. I have tried so many different recipes and always end up using store bought detergent.

K
48 posts
Sun Mar 12, 23 3:41 PM CST

I’m looking at getting a spin dryer actually as I think it would help a lot. The only problem would be the lack of space to keep it. I’ve actually been watching videos of old fashioned twin tub washing machines and am very tempted to get one of those when the one I have breaks down. It would certainly be a lot quicker than my current machine that takes 3 hours and I suspect would actually get the clothes cleaner. 
The heated airers are not suitable as I’m trying to cut down on the electricity usage. 

G
269 posts (admin)
Sun Mar 12, 23 8:30 PM CST

Grandma Donna wrote Rhonda M, you could search Mommypottamus laundry soap and she has several recipes.  One of them is the mixture she uses to but the grated soap together with washing soda etc and she has the recipe she uses to make her bar laundry soap to grate.  I use her recipe from many years ago when she started posting about this.  I like her laundry bar recipe because she uses coconut oil.  Hopefully her recipes are still up. 

Jenny Wren, thank you for sharing some good information on how you do your laundry.

E
16 posts
Sat Apr 22, 23 7:52 PM CST

I am about to make a batch of laundry liquid, the first I have made in quite a while. I'm not sure why but I got out of the habit of making laundry liquid. I like the liquid as I use it as a stain remover too.

My grocery shop has gotten too high and it seems that no matter how simple I'm keeping it, I can't stay within my desired budget for our family of 6. Perhaps my desired budget is a bit of a dream given the current state of economic affairs, but I was able to do it two years ago. Mind you the children were smaller. 

I really like the smell of the homemade laundry liquid, it reminds me of my Nanna. I use a grated Sard soap as my family is grubby and I find it a little tougher on stains. Im not sure what the US equivalent is, do you have Sard soap over there? 

 

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