# Stiff Laundry On Clothesline



## Tervetuloa (May 2, 2007)

I don't get it! Every time I hang my laundry up on the clothesline outside, everything comes off stiff as a board. When I hang it up on the clothesline indoors, it comes out just fine, but takes much longer to dry. I use fabric softener and still get the same results. Does anyone have any suggestions?


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## Guest (Jul 30, 2007)

I don't use fabric softner. I use vinegar. Give the clothes a good snap before you hang them and another one when you take them down. 

Personally I like a nice stiff towel to dry off with. We were in a hotel in May and the towels drove me nuts! It was like rolling butter over my skin!


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## debra in ks (Jun 13, 2002)

I've experienced the "stiff" clothes too. Never have figured out why, so I'll be interested in the answers!


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## Tervetuloa (May 2, 2007)

How much vinegar should I use? I have a top load washer.


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## Bits'nBobs (Jul 27, 2007)

Funny, this happened yesterday to me. Mind you, it was hot as heck with no breeze. I have a feeling the heat sucked the life out of the clothes! :shrug: I also use vinegar, sometimes mixed with a little fabric softner. I"ll be listening in for others answers also! (( I used the steam iron on a couple of my t-shirts to soften them up afterwards. :grump: ))


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## farmergirl (Aug 2, 2005)

I've had good luck getting things to dry soft on the clothesline outside. Only special thing I do now is add about a 1/2 cup of powdered Borax to the wash water, in addition to the liquid laundry soap I use.


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## Marcia in MT (May 11, 2002)

I add about 1/4 cup of vinegar to the rinse cycle in my large size, top loading washer, and also about half of the fabric softener that the container calls for. You might experiment, as the hardness of your water will affect how much you have to use -- our water is pretty hard. I've also put the combination in a Downey ball, and except on slow spin (which I use a lot for clothes to be line dried) it works pretty well.

If it's really hot and still, clothes can be stiff. Also, if they get rained on and then re-dry on the line. I've seen it mentioned to put the clothes in the dryer on the no heat setting for a couple of minutes to soften them up after bringing them inside.


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## crashy (Dec 10, 2004)

I let mine hang out over night seems to help with the stiffness.


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## Shawna (Jul 10, 2007)

My clothes on the line used to always be stiff...until I started using the homemade laundry soap. I don't use fabric softener, just the homemade soap, and they have never been stiff like they always were before!

The recipe is in one of the threads below, but I'll post here as well:

1/3 bar of Fels Naptha soap
1 cup Borax
1 cup washing soda


Grate Fels Naptha and dissolve in 2 quarts of water (cook it on stovetop). After all is melted, add borax and washing soda and stir until dissolved. Add two gallons of water and use about 1/3-1/2 cup per washer load.

You can substitute Ivory soap for the Fles Naptha. I have found about 1/2 a bar works pretty good. I like the Fels Naptha, though, because I think it works better on tough clothing (like dh's stuff!).

 
Shawna


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## Maura (Jun 6, 2004)

I don't use fabric softener. Softener works by coating the fabric, ick. If your clothes are stiff, you are probably using too much laundry detergent. Try running a few loads with no detergent. There will be enough residue on the clothes to clean them.


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## kinderfeld (Jan 29, 2006)

Tonya said:


> ...Personally I like a nice stiff towel to dry off with.


Same here.


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## Milkwitch (Nov 11, 2006)

I use about 1/4c baking soda mixed with borax along with my laundry soap. My cloths are never so stiff a good snap will not fix. Vinegar will take any soap residue out. 
I so love my linens fresh white and crisp then snap!!! 
With all the work I have to do I am mystified by the way I never fail to get a thrill of joy from hanging clean white linen on a cloths line on a bright sunny day, then folding it.


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## KrisW (Sep 27, 2002)

I was going to say the same thing Maura, to much detergent.
Cut it back by half (after washing them without) and see how it goes.

Kris


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## earlsfarmgirl (Apr 6, 2006)

I was always under the impression it had to do with how long it took the clothes to dry and what the humidity was.....


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## Guest (Sep 1, 2007)

I notice that when there is no breeze the clothes are stiff. Today there was a light breeze, no humidity and 80 degrees. Clothes smell great and feel great. I don't mind the towels a little stiffer it soaks up the water off of my skin better.


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## matt_man (Feb 11, 2006)

Reading this thread reminds me of the three years I didn't have a dryer. I always hated what my Dad used to call "cardboard socks". Most things I don't care but I want soft socks and towels.

My opinion is they are drying so fast because of the heat.

Rachel


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## Horselover (Mar 22, 2006)

Milkwitch said:


> I never fail to get a thrill of joy from hanging clean white linen on a cloths line on a bright sunny day, then folding it.


Me. too. That is a job I love!!!!


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## mawalla (Oct 28, 2002)

I don't mind the stiff towels, makes it seem like I'm exfoliating as well as drying off! As for the clothes, the jeans feel like they have been starched and the other stuff feels crisp and folds up nicely. I like it!

I really like the money we have saved since starting to hang the laundry instead of using the electric dryer. (We only started doing it at the beginning of the summer.) I compared the electric bills from last month's to the one the year before and there was about a $50.00 savings!


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## TheBiscuitQueen (Aug 31, 2007)

I love stiff jeans, I just feel like I am really dressed and energized after putting them on. Flylady mentions that dressing for the day will help motivate, and you definately are no longer in pjs after putting on a stiff pair of jeans off the line!

As for how to fix it, sorry, haven't a clue.


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