# stiff towels from hanging to dry



## Heather S

Anyone know of a way to prevent the stiffness in towels from hang drying. Perhaps a different type of fabric that works well and is soft after hang drying. Thanks.


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## LonelyNorthwind

You might try getting used to air-dried towels. I love my stiff towels! In fact I don't use my dryer anymore at all, just drying racks. Those stiff towels that haven't been coated with chemicals feel so good to rub against my skin and they soak the water right up. Towels from a dryer with fabric softener seem to slide right over your skin without picking up the water.


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## KnowOneSpecial

i'm with Gramma on this one. I LOVE a good scratchy towel! I used to have a line where we used to live, but there's not a good place to have one here. Between the smell and how good the towel felt-heaven! 

But if you want to soften them up, put a little vinegar in the rinse and then give them a good snap before and after you hang them up.


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## unregistered65598

KnowOneSpecial said:


> i'm with Gramma on this one. I LOVE a good scratchy towel! I used to have a line where we used to live, but there's not a good place to have one here. Between the smell and how good the towel felt-heaven!
> 
> But if you want to soften them up, put a little vinegar in the rinse and then give them a good snap before and after you hang them up.


Ok I have so been meaning to ask this....I have read several post to use vinegar in the rinse cycle...HMMMMMM Doesn't your clothes smell like it then???? That would so gross me out! I really don't want to smell sour all day.


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## Queen Bee

Vinegar done in the wash cycle will help and no smell at all... I also LOVE the stiff towels..and oh my --SHEETS.. crisp, fresh and stiff... OH I can't wait until it's a tiny bit warmer so my stuff can go on the line all the time..


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## Heather S

Ok I'll try the snapping and vinegar. The reason I ask is because infants and childrens skin doesn't do as well with stiff crunchy towels. I can't image drying a newborn with that stiff towel. Anyone else use other fabrics besides traditional cotton towels?


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## Nico DeMouse

I had some of those infant hooded towels that were made out of a jersey/terry sort of weave. They dried less crunchy than regular towels.

The vinegar really does help, though. 

But I often save up a washer load of large linens (queen sheets mostly) that are too big for me to line dry. I dry indoors in my basement. Then I do a load every week or two of things that I intend to dry in the dryer. I figure that cutting down to one load every week or two from 4-6 loads a week in the dryer is still a big improvement.

But, once the warmer weather is here, I'd like to get an outdoor clothesline set up so I can do sheets and towels outside.


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## suzyhomemaker09

If you do have an electric dryer you can pop them in to finish them up just before they are fully dry and they will be fluffy...
But personally I'm in the stiff towels being good camp too.


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## tallpines

This Gramma LOVES the line dried STIFF towels, too!

But I do keep 2 or 3 soft ones (dried in the dryer) for the wee bitty grandbabies~~~


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## Sonshine

I have heard that if you cut down on the amount of laundry detergent you use that they won't be as stiff. The recommended amount is not neccessary to get them clean. I haven't dried on a line in years though, so not sure if it's true or not. My SIL does though and she's the one that told me.


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## Texasdirtdigger

It is all in how well the soap gets rinsed out. The Vinegar will break the tinsel strength on the oil in the soap and they will be far softer. More than one clear water rinse may be required. Also, tweak back the amount of soap you are useing. Good luck!!


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## Our Little Farm

First of all reduce the amount of soap you use in your machine. It helps. 
When I get my towels out of my washing machine I shake them hard and then hang them, and then snap them as mentioned above before I fold them. I use no softener. I too like towels dried like this, they dry your body better than soft towels somehow!

All our clothes are a little 'harder' than dryer clothes, but you really get used to it.


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## Woodpecker

KnowOneSpecial said:


> i'm with Gramma on this one. I LOVE a good scratchy towel! I used to have a line where we used to live, but there's not a good place to have one here. Between the smell and how good the towel felt-heaven!
> 
> But if you want to soften them up, put a little vinegar in the rinse and then give them a good snap before and after you hang them up.


What does the snapping do? I too love line dried clothes and towels.


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## Our Little Farm

it loosens all the fibers and makes it softer. Less starchy.


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## grammea

Thanks Our Little Farm!
I knew what it did but for the life of me I couldn't explain it!!!LOL!!!
God bless,
Helen(grammea)


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## Woodpecker

Our Little Farm said:


> it loosens all the fibers and makes it softer. Less starchy.


Thanks after I postedd I figured it was something like that


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## Marcia in MT

I use vinegar in the rinse cycle, and our clothes are NOT sour smelling!! I use about Â½ cup, and it's a large-tub washer. They just smell clean and fresh, not like vinegar at all.


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## Fae

I'm in the stiff line-dried towel camp also. I use 1/2 cup vinegar in the rinse and you do not smell the vinegar. I also give those wet towels a good snap as I am hanging them. I just love drying off with a rough towel. It is very invigorating.


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## TheMartianChick

Ok... I'll be the one to admit it! While I love line drying clothes and I agree that they smell so god and fresh when I use vinegar instead of fabric softener, I HATE cruchy towels!!! I also HATE lint on my clothing!!!

So, I do throw each load of clothes in the dryer for 5 minutes or so to soften them up and to remove lint.


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## Mallard Farm

I bought micro fiber bath towels from Bed Bath and Beyond and love them. They are never stiff, always soft and dry in a very short time.


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## backwoods

I may have to get some of those micro fiber towels for dh, he HATES the crunchy towels too! I happen to like them myself, but rarely hang them because dh always fusses about them being hard. The kids could care less.


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## sss3

Back in the 1800's, people loved stiff towels. They were considered to be an exfoliator.


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## valgal

I love line drying clothes but don't love crunchy towels! I do finish them up in the dryer for a few minutes.


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## marsharini

valgal said:


> I love line drying clothes but don't love crunchy towels! I do finish them up in the dryer for a few minutes.


I finish them up in the dryer too. I don't mind stiff hand towels or washcloths, but the line dried bath towels are a bit too rough.


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## followinghim

You might try washing them on a higher temperature but don't put detergent in the machine. I think you will be surprised how much soap is still in the towels. Hope this works


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## Fae

I love rough line dryed towels. You get a brisk rubdown with them and they are so absorbent. I sometimes use vinegar in the rinse and once dry there is no vinegar smell.


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## Vosey

We have towels with bamboo in them, once you use them they soften up quickly. Our all cotton towels stay stiff and scratchy forever. I don't really care, especially in the summer when I don't need the towel to keep warm drying off! But DH complains about the scratchy towels, I ignore him :grin:


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## Shadohart

Line drying is my preference too. I use my own recipe for detergent and its only two tbsp per load. That seems to make the difference though, because they are a bit stiff but not too bad.


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## paradox

TheMartianChick said:


> Ok... I'll be the one to admit it! While I love line drying clothes and I agree that they smell so god and fresh when I use vinegar instead of fabric softener, I HATE cruchy towels!!! I also HATE lint on my clothing!!!
> 
> So, I do throw each load of clothes in the dryer for 5 minutes or so to soften them up and to remove lint.



I will stand in solidarity with my fellow martian and say I absolutely hate stiff clothes and towels and lint. I will even go one step further and say that I also don't like the smell of line dried items (we have cattle - our air isn't always "fresh"). But I am tucking away these tips for that "just in case" file. :spinsmiley: You never know when the dryer might break down...


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## danarutan

I think the line dried towels dry you sooooo much better--- don't leave you feeling 1/2 wet, but if you pop them in the dryer with a fabric softener sheet for 5 minutes of so it should soften them up for you. I also reuse out towels more then once before I wah ( your clean when you get out of the shower) and I think the line dried towels stay fresh smelling a lot longer. If I only have time to hang just a few loads out my 1st 2 choices is towels and jeans.


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## kudzuvine

I use fabric softner in my rinse water and it also depends on weather. if wind is blowing, softer towels. I've tried vinegar, but wasn't impressed. I just like soft towels.


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## grief

I like line/air dried - fabrics. Which is my way of saying clothes, towels, sheets, etc. I am
not a fan of scratch washcloths on my face, tho'. So I just scrunch them up in my hand.
Towels that are stiff, I just smooth w/my hands as I am folding them. Snapping works, also!


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## rubegug

I LOVE stiff,rough towels. Is there a particular kind of towel that will be the stiffest? Material, detergent etc.? washing procedure. ?


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## chibibarako

I'm pretty new to this stuff, but I discovered (quickly!) that the homemade laundry soap with borax and washing soda made my undies (and presumably the towels) VERY starchy and scratchy. I haven't tried the vinegar thing yet; I just went back to using my old familiar laundry soap for undies.


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## paradox

chibibarako said:


> I'm pretty new to this stuff, but I discovered (quickly!) that the homemade laundry soap with borax and washing soda made my undies (and presumably the towels) VERY starchy and scratchy. I haven't tried the vinegar thing yet; I just went back to using my old familiar laundry soap for undies.


Thank you for posting that. I was toying with the idea of mixing some up. But I cannot stand stiff clothes. I have been known to run a load back through the rinse cycle with fabric softener if it didn't feel soft enough or smell pretty enough when I pull it out of the dryer. Now I know not to waste my time with the homemade stuff.


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## chindian

danarutan said:


> I think the line dried towels dry you sooooo much better--- don't leave you feeling 1/2 wet, but if you pop them in the dryer with a fabric softener sheet for 5 minutes of so it should soften them up for you. I also reuse out towels more then once before I wah ( your clean when you get out of the shower) and I think the line dried towels stay fresh smelling a lot longer. If I only have time to hang just a few loads out my 1st 2 choices is towels and jeans.


The electric dryer towels get funky sooner because of the fabric softener. I used cotton cloth diapers on my babies and the rule was never to use fabric softener, because it coats the fibers and makes them less absorbent and more smelly.
Same thing with towels. For stinky, less-absorbent diapers (or towels) it's recommended to "strip" them of detergent residue and softener by washing in very hot water with borax and a little Dawn dish detergent, no laundry detergent. Rinse 2-3 times with hot water. Dry in dryer to prevent crunchiness.


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## mnn2501

chindian said:


> The electric dryer towels get funky sooner because of the fabric softener.


Assuming you use it, I don't for towels. I usually will use a towel for 3 or 4 days before throwing in the laundry basket.

Sign me up also for hating scratchy stiff towels


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## sisterpine

Hmmm, I really don't mind them being crunchy. I look at it like a remover of dead skin LOL I do know that I can hang them on the line to dry and then they need only five minutes in the dryer to get soft...I also have never used fabric softener. sis


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## Guest

Vinegar works as a softener in the rinse cycle and doesn't make stuff water-repellant. 
Fluff your clothes before or after line drying to soften the stiffies... LOL!


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## Lavender Blue

All the suggestions sound good: less soap/detergent, vinegar in the rinse (there is no smell later), snapping before hanging. I too enjoy a good back scrub with a stiff towel. One time I overdid it and gave myself a towel burn. :facepalm: But it felt sooo good!....

There is one thing I did not see mentioned that I have discovered works wonders on line dried clothes of any sort. Leave the clothes on the line overnight or for 24 hours. The only things you might not want to do this with are bright colors that will fade faster with the sunlight on them. Still, give it a try leaving things on the line overnight. 

For linen (real linen) clothes and tablecloths, I sometimes hang them on the line and then hose them. They dry wrinkle free after a good "drip dry" and and over night on the line softens them nicely.


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## Skandi

I'm a hater of crunchy towels. and we do not have a dryer. I find that if you dry them indoors they are horrific, but outside with some wind they are fine, in desperation I've been known to beat them up some before using, imo a towel should be soft and cuddly!


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## chibibarako

Hmmm . . . I'm drying inside because 1) I don't have an outdoor line and 2) I'm in Chicago and it's December. Wonder if running a fan downstairs would help? Already have a dehumidifier running, and I've noticed lighter dish towels are not stiff because dehumidifier moves towels with the air.


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## Skandi

chibibarako said:


> Hmmm . . . I'm drying inside because 1) I don't have an outdoor line and 2) I'm in Chicago and it's December. Wonder if running a fan downstairs would help? Already have a dehumidifier running, and I've noticed lighter dish towels are not stiff because dehumidifier moves towels with the air.


mm frozen towels are not too soft either


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## Guest

When the breeze blows here, it softens the towels a bit. Maybe turn a fan on them while they dry and see if they turn out softer?


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## Lavender Blue

_Hmmm . . . I'm drying inside because 1) I don't have an outdoor line and 2) I'm in Chicago and it's December. Wonder if running a fan downstairs would help? Already have a dehumidifier running, and I've noticed lighter dish towels are not stiff because dehumidifier moves towels with the air. _

Yeah, that would def. be a bad time to hang things outside. Ya do what ya can when ya can!


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## dmauzy

Has anyone tried washing clothes by hand with a breathing hand washer? I have read it actually gets your clothes cleaner and prolongs the life of your garments. I am new to homesteading and I am considering trying this. But it seems like it would be difficult to ring the clothes out. Someone said they saved $30 a month by washing their clothes in this manner. Any thoughts on the topic would be apprecitated.


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## teyze

I too like a line dried towel. We always snapped ours when I had to hang clothes as a kid. if your towel seems too crunchy for the baby, just waller it up a bit before drying the bubbies. Waller (lol) grab it up in your hands and masage it this way and that to soften it. You know like you had to do with a paper towel at school when you ran out of tissue : ) What happens is that as it dries the fibers stay put in the drying position. Excess soap will act like starch and make them stiffer. A good windy day will give you less stiffness because like the dryer it allows the fibers to be flexible as they dry. Fabric softner works like conditioner on your hair. It coats the fibers, and makes them less absorbent. (nasty stuff in my opinion) Just waller the towels before you dry your bubby if you don't have a dryer : )


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## Declan

I only had the stiff towel problem in winter when I did not have a dryer. I don't use fabric softener often, but just the dryer helps with that. I just moved and have not put up a clothesline yet, though I am going to for warmer weather. Clothes don't matter, but I like my bed linens/blankets air dried on a line.

I use vinegar in my wash cycle a lot for nasty clothes or things that have a moldy smell. I started first doing it when helping take care of an elderly relative who would wet the bed at night rather than chance falling while trying to make it to the bathroom. Vinegar was the only thing that really took the urine smell out that I could find.


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## light rain

I am starting to forgo the fabric softener sheets after making the fels naptha mix. I wonder if I put my towels on the line will they be soft or stiff? I am so grateful to have found out about that economical recipe.


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## Ann-NWIowa

Do not use fabric softener on anything you wish to be absorbent because it makes fabrics basically waterproof. My mother uses fabric softener on her towels and whether they are line dried or put in the dryer they are almost impossible to use to dry skin. Diapers should never have fabric softener for the same reason. 

I'm old enough to recall the days before dryers and fabric softeners. Stiff laundry was just the way it was. I think I was 11 when my mom got her first dryer. Mom is now 93 and still prefers to hang laundry outside in good weather.

I'm not a purest. I love to hang laundry outside in good weather, but don't hesitate to use the dryer when it cold or wet outside. I have lines in my basement but the washer is upstairs and I don't like carrying baskets of wet laundry down the steps. I could if I had to, but as long as my dryer works I'll continue to use it.

If you put line dried items in the dryer on air fluff setting for 10 minutes it does a lot to soften it


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## Witch's Broom

I second the suggestion of (A), either removing the washing from the line while still slightly damp and finishing off for a few minutes in the electric tumble dryer, or (B), before hanging washing on the line, tossing it into the electric tumble dryer for 3-4 minutes, then hang on the line.

Always snap my laundry before and after hanging, and try to line-dry first thing in the morning before it get's too hot out. The quicker washing dries on the line, the stiffer it comes off.

I used to do the (A) method when drying my children's diapers back in the day, and diapers were always buttery-soft and ultra absorbent.


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## Forcast

After a year of doing without a dryer I got a new one. The amount of fuzz animal hair ect was Huge. Had to clean the lint trap 2 times while drying


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## AmericanStand

After reading this old thread I’ve got a couple questions.
Do they really make towels with bamboo in them? Why?

What is a breathing hand washer?


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## Witch's Broom

Forcast said:


> After a year of doing without a dryer I got a new one. The amount of fuzz animal hair ect was Huge. Had to clean the lint trap 2 times while drying


Clothes and washables take a beating when dried in an electric tumble dryer. Aside from the constant wear-and-tear, when clothing and washables are subjected to over-drying, it damages the fibres in the material/fabric, often resulting in permanent stiffness.

Over-drying is also the result of a lot of problematic static-cling.


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## alida

Forcast said:


> After a year of doing without a dryer I got a new one. The amount of fuzz animal hair ect was Huge. Had to clean the lint trap 2 times while drying


I don't own pets, but for the last three weeks I've been looking after 2 cats while their owner was away. She lives in the same apartment building as me so I popped in for 30 minutes each day to look after them. I found quite a bit of cat hair in the drier lint tray after i did my laundry,which was a bit surprising given that I was only there for half a hour. Of course, both long hair cats insisted on sitting on my lap so that i could pet them more easily. So thoughtful of them 

I can see why pet owners often say they need to sweep or vacuum everyday just to keep the animal hair under control.


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## dmm1976

I used liquid fabric softner when I line dried. 

I went back to a dryer after a couple years of drying outside because our old house didnt have dryer hook up. 
Our new house does. Thankfully. 
Yeah it might cause some things not to last as long...but it sure is way more convenient and quicker.


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## Witch's Broom

Doubling, is another practice I use and have used over the years when one needs to hang laundry to dry in the heat of the day.

Simply match two like items together, so... two towels, two pillowcases, etc, and pin them to the line as if you were pinning them as a single item. Doubling retards the drying process helping to eliminate stiffness.

Used to practice doubling on the line when hanging diapers back in the baby days in our house.


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## Danaus29

AmericanStand said:


> Do they really make towels with bamboo in them? Why?


Yes. I bought dish towels made of bamboo fiber several years ago. Higher price stores sell some bamboo bath towels. Why? Bamboo doesn't need the pesticides that most cotton crops require. But, IMO, bamboo isn't worth buying. The fabric seems stiffer and is less absorbant. But they wear very well, my 15 year old dish towels look almost new.


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## oldasrocks

Just put them in the dryer for a few minutes with a fabric softner sheet after they are lined dried.


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## Katherinepotter

I use a little baking soda and i add detergent less than i normally add with clothes and it helps keeping the towels soft.


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## Jenn

I line dried things in central TX and coastal TX. They would be damp again from dew by evening so it took so long to dry the sun would have faded some of my clothes- guess I needed to do it on sunny days when I was home at the right times. Ended up using dryer. Asked Mom how she managed diapers on a clothes line: she advised the South Dakota winds beat the line dried stuff like a tumble dryer- I remember the sheets and towels blowing away from her or Grandma as they hung them on the line. Have to ask what they did in winter!!!


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