What did I do wrong? Line drying diapers

[tazmom]

I finally got a clothesline and set it up around the patio. I decided to line dry 5 diapers to see how it went. They dried quickly enough, but they were so stiff it was as if I'd starched them. There was no quilting at all and the corners that were over the line held the shape. What did I do wrong?

[Soliloquy]

did you line-dry prefolds? They do get really stiff on the line. It is likely that you have detergent residue that is making them even stiffer. What detergent are you using, how much, and do you do a single or double rinse? I love to line-dry my pockets & microfiber--they come out really soft. But, w/ prefolds, I put them in the dryer for a few minutes on high, then I line dry them. Some people put a little vinegar in the rinse water to soften them--but I've read that's not good for elastic.

Another thing to remember is that as soon as they get pee on them they'll soften up again. :giggle. You can also scrunch them up to soften them.

[milkmommy]

prefolds wont quilt up onn the line some thigns that will help pin a few togther the slower they dry the "softer" they will be line dry till just dry and then toss in dry for the last 10 mintues or so to fluff up add a little vinager in the wash to help soften them.

[tazmom]

Yeah, prefolds. I'm using Charlie's Soap and only half a pump. We have a water softener, so I don't need much. I rinse them a lot. Like 4 full cycles, with extra rinse, beyond the initial cycle.

[canadiyank]

That's how mine always were when I line dried. Like shingles. :lol If you pop them in the dryer just before they're all dry it helps a lot. So does "snapping" them before you hang them. They're still shingle-esque, but less so.

[HummusDip]

taking notes...

[2sunshines]

Yep, prefolds (and often fitteds) will be stiff if you line dry.

I either throw them in the dryer for a few minutes at the beginning or after they're dry and stiff throw them in with a damp washcloth and they will soften right up.

[Mama Bird]

:yes I pop mine in the dryer for a few minutes. Softens the old shingles right back up.

[Mother of Sons]

You can't line dry them on a windless day. There has to a be a nice strong breeze with a partly overcast sun and then they don't get so stiff.

ETA: You CAN line dry them on a windless day and they will dry, they'll just be stiff and so will everything else.

[Herbwifemama]

I don't have a dryer, all our stuff, including diapers are line dried. I give everything a good snap before I hang it, and I NEVER use soap/detergent on my diapers- I wash them in a combo of B S and borax, and a few drops of tea tree oil. They are still stiff, not soft and quilty like diapers dried in the dryer, and the corners do stay hooked like they were over the line, but it only takes a few minutes of wearing before they're soft again. :)

[The Tickle Momster]

I toss mine in the dryer for a few minutes after line-drying. I add 3 tennis balls. They pound em soft. Makes a racket, but only for a few minutes.

[tazmom]

Thanks for the input gals. We don't get a breeze here very often and it's rarely overcast. If we do get a good strong breeze it turns into a dusty mess and I wouldn't want to hang anything then.

I'm thinking I'll hang all but a couple and then throw them all into the dryer to finish the job. And I use the dryer balls too.

Is there anything I need to know before I try line drying my other laundry?

[Mama Bird]

All line dried clothes are a bit stiff. I personally like my towels that way. DH likes his soft. He tosses it in the dryer for a minute or two. Tumbling makes them softer.

I hang my clothes out as long as it isn't raining. Windy, still, cloudy, sunshine...my laundry goes out. It's free, and I'm frugal. :giggle

[milkmommy]

no you'll be fine just know we have the heat things dry super fast and can go "crunchy" fast if you don't like your towels exfoliating your skin might want to machine dry those..
Deanna

[Soliloquy]

I much, much prefer my clothes to be line-dried. They're nice and crisp, not stiff. It's almost like they've been ironed. (I don't iron A THING. :giggle) Bedding that has been line dried outside is simply intoxicating. All winter long I wait excitedly for the first day I can line-dry my sheets. :yes I like my towels to go in the dryer, though, to make them soft.

I forgot to add that while my prefolds are stiff right when I take them off the line, they are much softer the next day after sitting in the house overnight. :shrug The only time I put them in the dryer to soften them is w/ a newborn. Toddlers don't seem to mind--plus their body heat softens them up.

[Forsynthianicki]

[quote=LisaM ]
Bedding that has been line dried outside is simply intoxicating. All winter long I wait excitedly for the first day I can line-dry my sheets. :yes
I/quote]


When you slide between them that first night they are nice and crisp and smell like a summer day. One of those comfort things I remember from my childhood that I still enjoy.

[tazmom]

This morning I hung up the inserts for the pockets and some were stiff, some were soft enough. No biggie, they go inside the pocket anyways. They were done at the same time as the prefolds in the dryer.

Then I decided to try some dishtowels. My washer leaks, so DH put an oil drip pan under it with a little sticking out the front and I use dishtowels to soak up the water. Usually they take 14-18 hours to dry hanging over the top of the shower. I left them up for about an hour and they were dry. I was amazed.

So I washed Tayler's bedding and hung it up. I had to do each sheet and the quilt cover separately cause I don't have very many clothespins yet. The sheets took about 30 min, and the quilt cover (like 2 sheets sewn together) took 45 min. By then we had a good breeze going, but still. :jawdrop I'm even more amazed.

What does it say about me that I'm all excited about laundry? :giggle

[Soliloquy]

What does it say about me that I'm all excited about laundry? :giggle


I don't know but I'm the same way! There's something about line drying . . . my grandmother had the line drying bug, too. I also like how it keeps me in tune w/ the weather . . . I plan my laundry days around the weather forecase and how the weather "feels" outside. I love it.