Laundry tips

Countries with no dryers

Here only hotels and I guess 1% have dryers. The rest of us use air. I don’t know if I’m wrecking my washing machine using Dr Bronner’s 18-in-1 pure castille soap but it’s all I could find and hey it’s safe for black clothes. I’ll never shop again + a friend doesn’t make clothes anymore so I’d rather my clothes would last. I don’t care about looks but my lycra started coming apart, maybe it’s the new machine or me. I’ve never used delicate setting, I sticked things in a pillowcase. Now I handwash lycra. The rest is fine the clothes don’t come out as when I used shikakai/soapnut alone or kind laundry detergent or even germ-buster (I thought it’s concentrated and more economical, never tried their laundry detergent). Without the latter 3 products, I feel the need for softening so as not to iron. Before I’d simply take off the line and hang in closet or fold and clothes don’t seem creased. I used baking soda only on whites but sheets (also ended up with a stain using soda alone in the machine, I might try lemon oil on that). Baking soda can be used as softener.

For extra soft clothing, add 1/2 cup vinegar (a natural fabric softener) to your washer with each load. Don’t worry, your clothes will not smell like vinegar once dry.

It defo won’t, I’ve pre-soaked in pure vinegar or used more than one cup for mold removal. No smell remained. I use essential oils to kill germs and try repel insects when it’s hanging, I doubt it smells of any once it’s dry. I wonder if softening shortens drying time? Mine seems longer compared to neighbours but overnight and a day suffices in Curepipe.

My old bedsheets smell similar to the time they were washed with Savon National, my grandma’s house didn’t have a stench like most modern houses do (scents from detergents), a kitchen smell lingered in the adjacent bedrooms, mixed with the smell of firewood and coconut oil. Be it sunlight and air and the cotton, I don’t know, but that’s what the bedsheets she embroidered still smell like. I take comfort in it. I’m allergic to softeners nowadays and to detergents too. I was forced to get standard laundry services overseas, even the animal-tested laundry detergents on their own are so toxic. I like to breathe when I sleep.

laundry on a line

Tip for no ironing: Hang stuff as pictured above, except hang t-shirts by the shoulders (or open shirts by collar fold) when very damp then flip if needed to avoid the line and pegs’ marks on the base.

Rest of the world

“I have had great success with removing static cling by putting a washcloth with a safety pin on each corner into the dryer with each load. I have used this for years and am still using the same washcloth and the same safety pins that I first started with. Give it a try. You will be amazed at your success with this tactic for eliminating static cling. I also put a few drops of lemon oil on the cloth for a fresh scent.” – Patti

Another commenter says the same. I didn’t even know there were ways to remove static, never seen anyone doing it at the laundromat overseas.