I iron mine... do you iron yours?

[John in Covina]

Spectacular advances in Solar technology for drying Clothes: Clothes line.

I can iron when it is necesary, and I have taken my shirts to the Laundry.
I prefer line dried clothes and only use the dryer to remove lint.
I usually use plastic hangers and pop all the shirts onto them and then Line dry.
The cotton dress shirts get a quick ironing as well as all the hankies.

 

[mysterygal]

the problem I found with drying clothes out on the clothes line is that they end up feeling really stiff....especially jeans

 

[Marc Chevalier]

In Chile, most folks don't have clothes dryers. (Neither did I.) Apartment dwellers line dry their clothes on outdoor balconies outside of their kitchens. I did so for 7 years, and learned to hate line drying ... especially in winter. It took days for jeans to dry, and everything made of cotton ended up stiff, wrinkled and scratchy.


.

 

[mysterygal]

the only thing I like line dried are sheets

 

[John in Covina]

Line Drying

I like the stiffnes of line dried clothes, but after wearing the clothes for a short period of time they "break-in" and are soft again.

Fabric softeners make me itch and the dryer makes everything static central with out them.
Itchy, itchy itchy!

Plus line drying is the totally ecological responsible way to dry clothing in the light of our electrical shortfall in California. And the sun happens to be real good at it, plus it's free.

Sincerely,

 

[jake_fink]

I remember having a conversation with my mother about this - she was taken aback that I didn't iron my handkerchiefs. But IMO, it would be a total waste of time. Besides, if they are for functional use, I'd much rather have them softer, un-ironed and un-starched. Much easier on the nose.

Leave out the starch. Ironing a hanky pulls it back out to its full size and allows for much more nose-wiping mileage.

I hate ironing. My books are in boxes in my basement right next to my ironing board. Guess what ends up getting more of my attention.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Plus line drying is the totally ecological responsible way to dry clothing in the light of our electrical shortfall in California.

Good point!

And the sun happens to be real good at it, plus it's free.

But when and where the sun doesn't shine, it's a hassle.

 

[Miss Neecerie]

Good point!



But when and where the sun doesn't shine, it's a hassle.

Haha.... I remember hand washing and then hanging to dry....in the middle of the amazon....oh..its more like slowly get less wet but then the mildew sets in....not to mention the 50-50 chance that it will then rain again while the clothes are out hanging.....final rinse cycle anyone? lol

 

[John in Covina]

Good point! But when and where the sun doesn't shine, it's a hassle.

*******
The humidity in Southern California (except near the coast) is usually pretty low. I would often set up temporary clothes lines inside my apartment and dry indoors. of course jeans were the slowest, I'd set a fan directing the air on them to quicken the process.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Haha.... I remember hand washing and then hanging to dry....in the middle of the amazon....oh..its more like slowly get less wet but then the mildew sets in....not to mention the 50-50 chance that it will then rain again while the clothes are out hanging.....final rinse cycle anyone? lol

Wow ... Brazil? Bolivia? Where was this?

 

[jamespowers]

*******
The humidity in Southern California (except near the coast) is usually pretty low. I would often set up temporary clothes lines inside my apartment and dry indoors. of course jeans were the slowest, I'd set a fan directing the air on them to quicken the process.

Hold on a minute while I hit you with this stiff towel I just got off the line.
"Owwwwwwww!"
There we go its soft again. lol

Regards,

J

 

[John in Covina]

Hold on a minute while I hit you with this stiff towel I just got off the line. "Owwwwwwww!" There we go its soft again. lol
Regards, J

****
But stiff towels don't snap as well as soft towels!

 

[Miss Neecerie]

Wow ... Brazil? Bolivia? Where was this?

Bolivia is the -side- of the amazon. Only Brazil is the -middle- of the amazon....hehehe..

It was about an hour outside Manaus, where the official 'Amazon River' starts, being formed by the meeting of the Rio Negro and the Rio Solimoes.

 

[scotrace]

Bolivia is the -side- of the amazon. Only Brazil is the -middle- of the amazon....hehehe..

It was about an hour outside Manaus, where the official 'Amazon River' starts, being formed by the meeting of the Rio Negro and the Rio Solimoes.

As Rhett said, "What a woman!"

 

[jamespowers]

****
But stiff towels don't snap as well as soft towels!

Yeah but they feel like you've been hit with a 2 x 4 when they are stiff.
(Looney Tunes theme music trailing)

Regards,

J

 

[mysterygal]

you guys know nothing about snapping towels....get it all nice and wet, pull an edge back and....SNAP!!!

 

[Haversack]

I have a preference for linen dress shirts. One way I have found to decrease their propensity to wrinkle is to dry-iron them while they are still damp. They come out polished and crisp, and tend not to wrinkle as much. Similarly, line or hanging to dry other shirts and trousers also makes for easier ironing.

Haversack

 

[magneto]

A no-iron handkerchief treatment.

I was reading an old novel recently; the main character was living in a boardinghouse, and reference was made to her washing her clothes in the washbasin and "pasting handkerchiefs to the mirror". I remembered seeing this phrase elsewhere too. Apparently if you dont have an (or don't want to) iron, you can indeed take your washed wet hankie, spread it out to full size, and stick it onto the mirror, poster-fashion, to dry. I tested this out of curiosity. It does produce a smoother, less wrinkled hankie than one dried normally.

Sorry if this is OT, I just love forgotten minutae of bygone daily life.

 

[Grimstar]

Sorry if this is OT, I just love forgotten minutae of bygone daily life.

I know what you mean. What about the old trick of pressing your trousers under the mattress (only works with a *hard* mattress... lol ) or the trick of sharpening used razor blades on the inside of a drinking glass, that's an old one from the depression, used it once or twice myself.

 

[Mrs Krogsæter]

From a housewife.

I iron everything that needs it. Linens, handkerchiefs, towels, table cloths and curtains. I also iron and press all my husbands clothing, and my own. I only starch the items that need starching, and I never send anything to the dry cleaners. I have found that there is nothing in my house that can not be washed either by hand or by machine.

For those that would like to drop the softener when machine-washing: use a litle white vinegar mixed with water instead. It will do the exact same thing as any softener. Also dip a piece of cloth in a white vinegar solution and toss it in the dryer.

If you would like to line-dry you clothes but hate getting that stiff feeling and you have a dryer: toss it in for a few minutes and then hang it on the line. Works wonders.

With regards
Mrs. Krogsæter