# Static and line dried clothes help!



## babysteps (Sep 11, 2005)

Well, Babysteps is offically in Wyoming and living in a dry climate! No more 80% humidity from S. IN. My husband strung up a huge clothes line in the basement and no more drying clothes by the wood stove! My clothes are dry in less than 12 hours just by hanging them on the line. HOWEVER, I've got static, static, static. Is there anything I can do with out using my dryer and dryer sheets ect.? Can I put anything in the was water? 

:walk: taking babysteps in Wy now.


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## Bonnie L (May 11, 2002)

Downey is what I used to use. If all the soap isn't out of the clothes it will make dark spots. I line dry - have for nearly 10 years now - & don't have a problem with static. Do you keep water on the wood stove to humidify the air? It might help.


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## StaceyS (Nov 19, 2003)

I'm in Northern Nevada and have the same problem. I hope someone with more experience can shed some light...


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## nodak3 (Feb 5, 2003)

Except for when in ND (moderately dry) I have always lived in really dry climates (Wyoming and NM).

First order of business is to go to cotton clothing--at least 60% in everything. 100% is better. That deals very effectively with static.....even with a clothes dryer!

You can use a fabric softener, but I don't due to skin issues. I use starch if something is a little high on poly in the blend and prone to static. Plain old cornstarch and follow the directions you can read at the store on a scented starch (dry). I use it so seldom I don't have it memorized. Iron the item or spray with a mist of starch and let hang til the starch dries.

But mainly, just ditch anything not cotton. It isn't worth the hassle with static.

And if you wear something and get a static attack, just moisten your hands and rub the fabric for a quick cure.


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## babysteps (Sep 11, 2005)

Ugh! Give up my beloved polor fleese! I'm not sure I can do that. HOWEVER, you will make me think about how I dress and the combonations of fabric I put on. Great tip. 

BTW I love my polar fleese because it is light weight, keeps me warm and drys quick!

babysteps.


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## kandmcockrell (Oct 10, 2008)

putting humidity back in the air helps. I line dry in my attic, and don't have much issues with static. We keep a cast iron kettle on top our wood stove full of water. That helps with the static, dry lips and skin in the winter. The wood stove really sucks the moisture out of the air.

Try that, or get a small humidifier and put it in the basement.


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## nodak3 (Feb 5, 2003)

Air humidity does help, but then you go to church and find your nice skirt and your pantyhose in a wad. Or you go hunting and find you could start a fire touching the truck. Or wear that down coat with the nylon lining and take it off in a restaurant and zap the waitress 2 feet away from you.

But like I said, IF you can tolerate waxed clothes there are lots of fine fabric softeners for use in the washer. I just cannot use them.


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## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

I've heard that using crumpled balls of aluminum foil in the dryer removes static - do you have a dryer at all? If you do, maybe try running the dry clothes on air fluff (no heat) and the foil balls might work? I haven't tried that myself, so if anyone has, I'd like to know the answer.


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## babysteps (Sep 11, 2005)

We have a dryer, but we just don't use it. We have a huge system of clothes line in the basement and can get about 3 loads on it alone. We then have a huge ceder drying rack my husband made last year. So our problem is we line dry all our clothes (it's really not a problem) we have low humidity and lots of static. I've not found a solution yet. But I love my new home and community. So I may just have to put up with the static. babysteps.


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## Humburger (Sep 13, 2007)

It might be a good idea to try and see how little soap you actually need to do your clothes and possibly rinse twice. I believe that sometimes the soap left in the clothes makes them static-y and also kinda stiff and itchy. We hang our clothes to dry in our basement and I have gotten down to using one teaspoon of soap. We use Seventh Generation. I also use a tablespoon of washing soda and a tablespoon of borax in each load. I use vinegar for softener. Vinegar helps get out the soap. Two rinses are really a good thing. With an automatic, let it go through the wash and rinse cycles, then reset the machine for rinse again and add the vinegar. Of course, you will not totally get rid of static, but raising the humidity, not using too much soap, double rinse, and vinegar should help a LOT!

As I was typing this, I thought to myself, "I hope no-one already said all this." I tend to scan instead of thoroughly read.


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## Bonnie L (May 11, 2002)

Humburger said:


> As I was typing this, I thought to myself, "I hope no-one already said all this." I tend to scan instead of thoroughly read.


I was thinking it, does that count? :nana:

I do the same thing with the vinegar - let the cycles go all the way, then add the vinegar & do a last rinse. I probably still use too much soap. We have only cold water & that means some of the dirtier, smellier things need to go thru twice or I wash them by hand in hot water first. 

I use Country Save, & before that, Planet. The CS seems to work better with our hard water. Haven't tried 7th Generation yet. 

Anyway, the vinegar does cut down on static. There seems to be less static when I can dry clothes outside.

But static can be fun. When the nosy, pushy cat gets a shock from my fingers, it does amuse me. :benice:


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## TexasArtist (May 4, 2003)

I had a freind that used to talk about the static and she said one day she tried a little experiement and it worked. After she'd line dry she'd take the fabric sheet (bounce or whatever it was) and she'd wipe the clothes down before putting them away. She mentioned something about haveing to wipe down a couple of things again before putting them on sometimes.
Maybe you could try this and see how it goes??


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