Drying clothes indoors

[ryanmercer]

Alright, so soon I'll be moving into an apartment... it has washer and dryer hookups, but I'd rather only have to buy a washer, and just dry the clothes (on nice days they'll be going out, but fall will be only a month or two away when I move)

So, anyone have any indoor drying tips? Any specific rack anyone suggests, or techniques?

[MissouriFree]

door knobs , open cabinet doors, top of the washer, washer door...you name it..they all work.

at least for a guy batching it far from home... ;D ;D ;D.

[ryanmercer]

door knobs , open cabinet doors, top of the washer, washer door...you name it..they all work.

at least for a guy batching it far from home... ;D ;D ;D.

I was already thinking shower curtain rod, my recumbent bike can old a hanger or two hahaha.

[flatwater]

Drying cloths over any heating source is dangerious but they do make a drying rack that works well next to a fire place or gas stove

[GoodDaughter]

hang your clothes like jeans and shirts from hangers in doorways. I usually have something hanging in one or other doorway here. You can put 3 or 4 pair of jeans per doorway and still have room to go thru.

Wal Mart etc sells folding laundry racks for about ten dollars. Figure they pay for themselves in a few months. I've bought several at resale and junk shops for a couple of dollars each. I usually have these in the same room as my wood stove in the winter or on the porch in the summer if I'm going to be away during the day. I have a regular clothesline out in the yard, but don't hang clothes unless I'm going to be home. Hate having my laundry soaked when it rains.

[jen_in_southtexas]

We have an extra shower rod ran long ways in the shower. Works well and even better if ya leave a fan runnin in there but we dont do that unless we need that clothing like the next morning. Like Flatwater said, next to any heating source dries well. When leavin' your jeans to dry, turn 'em inside out then when u git home turn em outside in. Of course, you cant beat a clothesline.

[ryanmercer]

Hey thanks everyone. Sadly I won't have too many doors, just the bedroom and bathroom doors, but that's something. I almost wonder if I should cough up the hundred or so for a ringer too.

[tufhelp]

You might be able to put a few small unobtrusive "eye" lag screws up near the ceiling. Make sure they are long enough to go through the wall board into into the wall studs or upper plate. When you need to dry, just run some clothes line from screw eye to screw eye...http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q82/willyallen/CLOTHESDRYER.jpg
Then when its time to get your deposit back - screw them back out, a little Spackle, make do, make do...

[jonvee]

Does your bathroom have a shower/tub that has a shower curtain rod or is there a place to put a shower curtian rod?

In winter I hang clothes on hangers and then hang them from the shower curtain rod, which gives you a lot of space. I also use a folding rack set up in the bathroom for items I don't want flapping in the breeze :P

[ryanmercer]

You might be able to put a few small unobtrusive "eye" lag screws up near the ceiling. Make sure they are long enough to go through the wall board into into the wall studs or upper plate. When you need to dry, just run some clothes line from screw eye to screw eye...http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q82/willyallen/CLOTHESDRYER.jpg
Then when its time to get your deposit back - screw them back out, a little Spackle, make do, make do...

That's not half a bad idea :)

[ryanmercer]

Does your bathroom have a shower/tub that has a shower curtain rod or is there a place to put a shower curtian rod?

In winter I hang clothes on hangers and then hang them from the shower curtain rod, which gives you a lot of space. I also use a folding rack set up in the bathroom for items I don't want flapping in the breeze :P



That was my plan, just not sure how well they'll dry. I'm just glad I already wear things several times (i'll even squeeze 2 or 3 days out of an undershirt) except for boxers... change them every day.

[Quietgentleman]

Back a few years when my dryer broke and I didn't have the money to replace it. I turned my spare bedroom into a drying room. I hung lines in there and ran the ceiling fan which I found out sped up the time it took to dry clothes. It works great and if I didn't have a ceiling fan I would use a box fan or something to get the air moving.

QGM

[tufhelp]

Oh, and a P.S. on using the shower curtain - they sure don't hold a lot of weight... flimsy would be their best description, especially if they were made in the last 20 years or so. Just sayin'...

[leera]

I've got an idea.....this rack hold a load and a half of laundry with no problem,all you need is some scrap lumber(we used 2x2),some 3/4 dowels,and a way to hang it from the ceiling........

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v239/leera/100_0337.jpg

We found a couple of studs in the ceiling and drilled into those....

I hang the clothes on hangers,and then hand them up,if I need them dry faster I put a fan in the room to blow some air around.

[MissouriFree]

I put the jeans on the knee wall at top of the stairs. the rising heat going thru the stair well drys them pretty quick. but like I said. Any place works.

But heck I have walmart plastic lawn chairs it my 4 ' round kitchen table.

[Anon001]

I have a rope that runs from one post 12 feet to another post and hang on that.

[Wildflower]

Be careful drying clothes near a heat source. I used to dry clothes on a rack by the woodstove. Woke up to the smoke alarm in the wee hours one morning. The rack had tipped over onto the woodstove. I have no idea how this happened but was very grateful for the smoke alarm.

[zbery1]

I like the sturdy drying racks from lehmans.com. they are a bit pricey but if you fold and hang neatly you can put a couple loads on the large rack and when you arent using it it folds up and goes out of site. They will hold up to many years of use.

[jonvee]

Ryan,

I usually do a load in the morning before we leave for school/work or in the evening when we get home. Either way the clothes were dry by the time I needed them. Heavy stuff like jeans, sweats & sweaters take a bit longer.

I',m like you - wear outfits for 2 or 3 times before washing, but I worked in an office. Except for the work grundgies. Usually wear the same jeans or sweats for evening chores for a week.

I think just try the ideas you like the best and see where you need to modify to fit your life.

I finally bought a 5-line retractable clothes line and mounted it to a 6-foot post. Works great. But, I still like my folding rack for the delicates.

[ryanmercer]

Ryan,

I usually do a load in the morning before we leave for school/work or in the evening when we get home. Either way the clothes were dry by the time I needed them. Heavy stuff like jeans, sweats & sweaters take a bit longer.

I',m like you - wear outfits for 2 or 3 times before washing, but I worked in an office. Except for the work grundgies. Usually wear the same jeans or sweats for evening chores for a week.

I think just try the ideas you like the best and see where you need to modify to fit your life.

I finally bought a 5-line retractable clothes line and mounted it to a 6-foot post. Works great. But, I still like my folding rack for the delicates.

I work in an office two, I actually will well my dress slacks Monday-Thursday, then we can have jeans on Friday. I have 2 pairs of khakis and I'll wear a pair for 4 days, then into the laundry basket, the next week I'll wear the other. For my dress shirts, being a bit ocd... and liking patterns... I wear Red Green Blue Red Black... the Red shirt gets wore twice a week, the others once... and I'll go about 5 weeks without washing them. Then I have old pocket t-shirts I wear in the evening at home, those only get worn a few hours a day and usually get swapped every week.

When I leave the house for something other than work, which isn't very often... a few hours on the weekends, I have weekend clothes.

haha, I bet I'll be doing laundry once a month. Here my stuff just gets washed with everyone elses, but out on my own I just won't need to do laundry too often... well except for towels socks and underwear (just enough to justify a washer, but not a dryer).

Thanks for all the good ideas everyone :)

[gump]

Any suggestions to prevent the clothes from getting stiff?

I have read that it is basically due to the clothes drying in the same positon for the entire time.

Does a fan do the trick or is something more needed?

[flatwater]

Yes and a fan would be good

[leera]

I've been told to put a cup of white vinegar in the rinse cycle and that helps,but ahve not tried it myself....the stiffness wears off after a few minutes of wearing them....

I have found that just running a fan does not help much,if any,just speeds up the drying time.

[ryanmercer]

Any suggestions to prevent the clothes from getting stiff?

I have read that it is basically due to the clothes drying in the same positon for the entire time. *

Does a fan do the trick or is something more needed?

I've read in the past few days that the stiffness is mostly soap residue.

[CarolAnn]

Ryan,
If you haven't moved into the apartment yet, you may find there's no hookup for a washer or drier. Most don't hve them, but have a coin operated washer & drier in the building somewhere.

If this turns out to be the case, I'd recommend using the drier, but not enough to get things completely dry. Then they'll be soft and wrinkle free (relatively) - and you can hang them around the place to get them dry the rest of the way. Believe me, having wet stuff hanging around ALL the time gets old fast! (Been there, tried it, didn't like it!) *;)

Same thing if you go out to a laundromat. Don't dry them all the way. It makes them wrinkle less and last longer. I got my washer and drier used - don't forget to look in the want ads & estate sales if you do buy a washer! Those things can last for 25 years!

Also, for about $12 at Target, they have a small rolling stand to hang your stuff on. I like it to use by the ironing board as I finish things off & then just roll it to the closet. You could use one to hang the still-damp clothes on to finish drying out in the open & it doesn't take up much space.

[ryanmercer]

Ryan,
If you haven't moved into the apartment yet, you may find there's no hookup for a washer or drier. Most don't hve them, but have a coin operated washer & drier in the building somewhere.

If this turns out to be the case, I'd recommend using the drier, but not enough to get things completely dry. Then they'll be soft and wrinkle free (relatively) - and you can hang them around the place to get them dry the rest of the way. Believe me, having wet stuff hanging around ALL the time gets old fast! (Been there, tried it, didn't like it!) *;)

Same thing if you go out to a laundromat. Don't dry them all the way. It makes them wrinkle less and last longer. I got my washer and drier used - don't forget to look in the want ads & estate sales if you do buy a washer! Those things can last for 25 years!


I haven't moved, but they have washer and dryer hook ups, I know that for a fact, but I don't particularly want to cough up for a dryer, and they don't have a laundromat as they are hud co-ops, not true apartments. Every unit has washer-dryer hook ups.

[Anon001]

I've been told it is the mineral content of the water that makes clothes stiff and that is why rainwater doesn't cause the same problem... don't know if it's true.

[flatwater]

I agree with ya paul , washing with iron in the water would make almost anything stiff HUMMMM that gives me an idea---OH Honey Bun come hither

[Bootz]

My clothes have been less stiff since I started using vinegar to get them cleaner (I handwash as well). Whipping the clothes in the air a few times when half dry will soften them the same way the wind does on a clothesline.

Thanks for the tip of using cabinet doors!

[NCLee]

Tip for small things --

If you have a good salad spinner, use it to remove more water after hand wringing for small things that'll fit in one. It'll speed up drying time for socks, undies, wash cloths, etc. (Same principle as the spin cycle on a washer.)

Lee

[anna]

I put two kitchen chairs back to back and put a broom across them. I then hung small items on plastic hangers and hung the hangers on the broom handle. You can hang quite a few items that way. Jeans or towels can go over the chair itself. Give things a good shake once they're dry and that will help with the stiffness. Nice part is nothing extra to store when you're done. I usually used 4 chairs, the broom handle and the mop handle so had two racks. Shirts, dresses, slacks, etc. I put on plastic hangers and used an over the door hanger to put the hangers on. I had enough of those for three doors. Basically I was drying laundry for a family of 5. Sheets went to the basement or outside lines or laundrymat if absolutely necessary.

[Bootz]

Another excellent idea. Thanks!

[pcrowder]

I have a long living room/dining room combination. I have hung on each end of the room 3 very HEAVY plant-type hanging hooks that will hold alot of weight. I made clotheslines to fit from wall to wall (with a little slack included) with a loop knotted on each end. When I need to dry, I just put the loop over the hook on each end and have an instant clothesline. When I'm done drying, to disguise the hooks, I hang an old straw hat or some dried flowers (or whatever) over each of the hooks to disguise them. Everyone thinks they're just part of the decoration, but they hide the big hooks. I coil up each of the 3 lengths of clothesline and store them in the drawer of my china cupboard until I need to use them again.

[NCLee]

If your utilities are included in the rent, think about checking out places like Habitat for Humanity stores for a used washer and dryer. You may be able to find both for the price of a new washer. Check the want ads in your area. Check local appliance stores to see if they accept them as trade in. And, some flea market / junk shop type places have them. Just make sure you can return if they don't work.

For years I didn't have a dryer and lived in a tiny moble home. I'd do the washing at home and take it to the laundry to dry.

If your appartment has a balcony, another option may be to dry the laundry out there. A few well placed tall plants and/or screens could hide what you're doing from the complainers. You can use a 4x4 post (attach 1by6 "feet") with hooks can serve as a "coat tree" for drying laundry. A couple of hanging plants disguise it's real function between uses.

Wal-Mart has a folding clothes rack for about $20. I keep one on the back porch to dry anything that gets wet before it goes into the laundry basket. Towels, cleaning rags, dish cloths, even wet coats and such. For inside drying it'll fit in the bath tub or over a floor furnace vent. If you have carpet, cut a vent sized hole out of a piece of plastic to go under the clothes rack. Here's a similar one at Amazon. http://www.amazon.com/Whitney-Design-05111-Folding-Clothes/dp/B0000CNQX6

Hope some of this helps.

Lee

[Iowa_Homesteader]

Another solution would be to purchase a mini-retractable clothesline. It usually comes with 5 lines and pulls out approx. 12 foot. When not in use, it retracts back into the case which is mounted on the wall. You can do a search on eBay for mini retractable clothesline and you should see several options. These work well for me.

[iowasue]

I use a spring-loaded shower rod over my washer-dryer - the 72" ones are long enough to fit over that area - I also mounted a rod on 2 of those cheap, angle brackets for closet rods, I can put a shelf on top and hang clothes on hangers on the rod - in my garage, although anywhere you can use a shelf would work - a hallway, bedroom, etc.. I hang pants on cheap plastic skirt hangers with the clothespin thingies on them - they dry faster than hanging over a rack. Sadly, I have shower doors rather than a rod - but these other solutions make it easier to take a shower too. If you live near a Menard's lumber yard, I found they have fairly sturdy wood racks for undies, etc. at a reasonable price.

[Dawgus]

I made a rack similar to leera's, except mine is flat and not angled. It's 6 feet long and 3 feet wide, made from 2x4's and 1" dowel. I attached tone end to the wall with hinges,(just above 6 feet so the bottom folds to the floor) and the other end to a pulley system. I can raise it to hang clothes, or let it fall flat against the wall by letting it down all the way. It's in the laundry room, so it's nice and handy, and with folding flat against the wall, doesnt take up any space when not being used. I also ran lines from the floor joists in the furnace room for bigger loads.

[oldgringo]

You need what's known as a washing-maiden or clothes-horse. They're pretty hard to find, but amazon has a few for not much money -> http://www.amazon.com/Whitney-Design-5147-Indoor-Folding/dp/B0007CXQR0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1255928365&sr=8-1. You can sometimes find them in more traditional kinds of hardware stores.

You can set it up in front of your heater, or stand it in your bathtub. No hangers needed.

[michiganmom]

I took two eye hooks and screwed them into the wall studs in my bedroom from opposite corners then i got a piece of horse hot wire and twisted it on the eye hooks to hang clothes. Now in the winter i dont get as many nose bleeds from it being too dry in here from the wood stove. The only thing is i have to hang the shorter stuff over the bed LOL.

[Mom5farmboys]

I took two eye hooks and screwed them into the wall studs in my bedroom from opposite corners then i got a piece of horse hot wire and twisted it on the eye hooks to hang clothes. Now in the winter i dont get as many nose bleeds from it being too dry in here from the wood stove. The only thing is i have to hang the shorter stuff over the bed LOL.

The mental picture this makes in my head cracks me up! This is something I would do! LOL

[NotSoFast]

I live in an apartment. While I haven't done much of it, I have used a drying rack I purchased at Walmart. I appreciate the other tips and ideas I've read so far though. I will be doing more line/rack drying this winter and less in the dryer. I like the savings already.

[michiganmom]

The mental picture this makes in my head cracks me up! This is something I would do! LOL

I usually shut the door when some one comes over or i have to answer too many questions as i am getting odd looks LOL.

[bookwormom]

I have a dryer that folds flat and holds a washer load. I can open it up, pull out the wings, which push inside , place it over a register and hang up my laundry.It is about waist high. It adds needed moisture to the air, dries over night, and then fold flat again and put in it's place between a cuboard and the wall. Mine is about ten years old.
http://www.evendi.de/preise/fluegel-waeschestaender_116137.html

[leera]

Since we've moved,we have rehung our drying rack from the ceiling in the basement here,and use it regularly.....that and we haven't gotten around to have a gas line installed for the gas dryer yet....I could do without it for a while longer...the only thing that bothers me is the lint on my work clothes...

[RenieB]

I have a couple of lines on or closed in porch but unfortunatley It id filled with firewood. I also have a large drying rack and I put it in the shower (we have a handicapped shower so it is as long as a tub) and it works well. Wooden clothes rack are getting expensive but mine are old from yard sales or when they were cheaper. But they work well in the winter.

RenieB

[NCLee]

RenieB. I like those wooden racks, too. Keep one sitting right beside the door on the screened back porch. Perfect place to put wet kitchen towels and dish cloths, etc. until they dry. I usually wind up with a bunch of them when I'm doing big batch canning.

Also use it to dry damp cleaning rags. Since the rack is just outside the utility room door, makes it easy to grab those towels, rags, and such and toss in the washer, when applicable. No more things getting sour smelling before they get to the washer.

Fine for drying things that shouldn't go in the dryer.

You're right about them getting expensive now. (sigh) And the bad part about it is the higher the price goes the lower the quality becomes. I watch for them at yard sales & flea markets, too. Especially the older ones.

Lee

[pathwayholding]

I use a retractable line from Lehman's strung across the basement. The heat coming off the boiler dries everything within a couple hours.

path

[cubcadet]

My clothes have been less stiff since I started using vinegar to get them cleaner (I handwash as well). Whipping the clothes in the air a few times when half dry will soften them the same way the wind does on a clothesline.

Thanks for the tip of using cabinet doors!

I did this and it works, Just take your wet stuff, put it in the biggest box you can find. The large waxed kind that vegetables come in are waterproof and will last forever. Set it near a heat source like the woodstove. Occasionally, go over and toss the clothes in the air and generally they dry enough to lay flat on the bed to completely dry-before the final dry, take and snap them good. That shakes the `stiff` out of it. Also, when taking stuff out of the washer, fold everything NEATLY while still wet. This generally prevents wrinkles mostly, and makes it much easier to hang up, if you`re blessed with an atmospheric solar clothes dryer (clothes line) like me.

[patience]

Quote:
"I've read in the past few days that the stiffness is mostly soap residue."

I think that is true, because since we have been using homemade laundry detergent, our clothes dry soft! :D There's a thread on making this around here somewhere. It not only cut our cost for detergent by about 90%, it also eliminated the fabric softener. We seldom ever use the dryer, because of the wearing it does on clothes. All that lint in the filter? That is your clothes, slowly being ground up into lint. The homemade detergent got rid of some itchy problems we had, too, which we think was allergy to the detergent.

We dry stuff on the outdoor lines, even in very cold weather. The literally "freeze dry". If you are in a hurry, dry what you need first in the house ,since the freeze drying takes a day or two, but it does work. We put a couple hooks in our sunroom, and even with it unheated, things dry fast in there. Just have a clothesline rope that we roll up when not in use.

[iowasue]

Quote:
"I've read in the past few days that the stiffness is mostly soap residue."

I think that is true, because since we have been using homemade laundry detergent, our clothes dry soft! :D There's a thread on making this around here somewhere. It not only cut our cost for detergent by about 90%, it also eliminated the fabric softener. We seldom ever use the dryer, because of the wearing it does on clothes. All that lint in the filter? That is your clothes, slowly being ground up into lint. The homemade detergent got rid of some itchy problems we had, too, which we think was allergy to the detergent.

We dry stuff on the outdoor lines, even in very cold weather. The literally "freeze dry". If you are in a hurry, dry what you need first in the house ,since the freeze drying takes a day or two, but it does work. We put a couple hooks in our sunroom, and even with it unheated, things dry fast in there. Just have a clothesline rope that we roll up when not in use.

Patience,
We haven't tried homemade laundry soap because we were worried about itching - I can't use laundry detergent except the "clear" type. Would you share your recipe?

Thanks

[daffodil]

I have one of those wood drying racks, a friend gave it to me. I put it about a foot from one of the electric heater, leave it on only when I'm home and not sleeping. It takes awhile for things to dry but I can dry a whole spread in a day by rotating it. I've been thinking of hanging some shower curtain rods from the rafters in the living room, just haven't gotten around to doing it yet. Would give me more drying room to hang clothes on hangers to dry.

[ScrubbieLady]

Someone I know put hooks in the ceiling over the bathtub. Then they hung a cutoff broomstick from the hooks. Hang the good clothes on hangers and put on the broomstick.

[patience]

Iowasue,
Here's what we are using, and the source of the recipe. Note that this does NOT make suds--at all. It looks like you are washing clothes in dirty water, which my wife had to get used to, but it does clean clothes.

http://www.duggarfamily.com/recipes.html

Homemade Liquid Laundry Soap- Front or top load machine- best value

4 Cups - hot tap water
1 Fels-Naptha soap bar
1 Cup - Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda*
½ Cup Borax

- Grate bar of soap and add to saucepan with water. Stir continually over medium-low heat until soap dissolves and is melted.

-Fill a 5-gallon bucket half full of hot tap water. Add melted soap, washing soda and Borax. Stir well until all powder is dissolved. Fill bucket to top with more hot water. Stir, cover and let sit overnight to thicken.

-Stir and fill a used, clean, laundry soap dispenser half full with soap and then fill rest of way with water. Shake before each use. (Will gel)

-Optional: You can add 10-15 drops of essential oil per 2 gallons. Add once soap has cooled. Ideas: lavender, rosemary, tea tree oil.

-Yield: Liquid soap recipe makes 10 gallons.

-Top Load Machine- 5/8 Cup per load (Approx. 180 loads)

-Front Load Machines- ¼ Cup per load (Approx. 640 loads)

*Arm & Hammer "Super Washing Soda" - in some stores or may be purchased online here (at Meijer.com). Baking Soda will not work, nor will Arm & Hammer Detergent - It must be sodium carbonate!!

While you won't need fabric softner, you may want to add a cup of white vinegar to the final rinse to remove all soap residue. Fels Naptha soap has a strong odor, but it is gone after washing the clothes. Because of the odor, we don't mix the stuff in the main part of the house, but in the sunrooom where we can ventilate it well. After it is gelled, we store it in the laundry area with a lid on the bucket with no problem. If you don't like the smell, you could use any other soap you see fit.

[AlchemyAcres]

Iowasue,
Here's what we are using, and the source of the recipe. Note that this does NOT make suds--at all. It looks like you are washing clothes in dirty water, which my wife had to get used to, but it does clean clothes.

http://www.duggarfamily.com/recipes.html

Homemade Liquid Laundry Soap- Front or top load machine- best value

4 Cups - hot tap water
1 Fels-Naptha soap bar
1 Cup - Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda*
½ Cup Borax

- Grate bar of soap and add to saucepan with water. Stir continually over medium-low heat until soap dissolves and is melted.

-Fill a 5-gallon bucket half full of hot tap water. Add melted soap, washing soda and Borax. Stir well until all powder is dissolved. Fill bucket to top with more hot water. Stir, cover and let sit overnight to thicken.

-Stir and fill a used, clean, laundry soap dispenser half full with soap and then fill rest of way with water. Shake before each use. (Will gel)

-Optional: You can add 10-15 drops of essential oil per 2 gallons. Add once soap has cooled. Ideas: lavender, rosemary, tea tree oil.

-Yield: Liquid soap recipe makes 10 gallons.

-Top Load Machine- 5/8 Cup per load (Approx. 180 loads)

-Front Load Machines- ¼ Cup per load (Approx. 640 loads)

*Arm & Hammer "Super Washing Soda" - in some stores or may be purchased online here (at Meijer.com). Baking Soda will not work, nor will Arm & Hammer Detergent - It must be sodium carbonate!!

While you won't need fabric softner, you may want to add a cup of white vinegar to the final rinse to remove all soap residue. Fels Naptha soap has a strong odor, but it is gone after washing the clothes. Because of the odor, we don't mix the stuff in the main part of the house, but in the sunrooom where we can ventilate it well. After it is gelled, we store it in the laundry area with a lid on the bucket with no problem. If you don't like the smell, you could use any other soap you see fit.

I'm surprised that works well for you, it's very diluted.

10 gallons X 128 ounces is 1280 ounces divided by 5 = 256 loads per 10 gallons with a 5/8 cup measure.

At 2 1/2 cups Fels, Borax and Soda, actual soap used would be around a 1/2 teaspoon per load!!!

I'm not saying it won't work, I'm just surprised, maybe you have very clean dirty clothes. :)

I've used the bar soap, borax and washing soda laundry detergent formula for almost 15 years and I need to use 1 to 2 tablespoons dry per load.
I have tried the liquid but to me it's not worth the extra time, I've never had a problem with the dry even in cold water.

1 bar 5.5 ounce soap (about one cup grated)....I used Fels Naptha for a number of year, but I became convinced that any bar soap will work fine...I now use homemade lard lye soap.
1 cup Borax
1 cup Washing Soda.

For really dirty clothes i mix up a batch with the addition of one cup Oxy-Clean.

~Martin

[NCLee]

Couple of thoughts............

Around here, Kroger is the only source I've found for Arm & Hammer Washing Soda. It disappeared from the other stores a couple of years ago.

Ivory soap can be used for the bar soap in the recipe. According to what I've read, some people prefer it. And, it's being reported to the substitute when Fels Naptha isn't available locally.

And, I've seen some plumbing warnings about it. If you routinely wash clothing in cold water, use hot water about once a month to help keep drain pipes clear. While I don't know for sure, suspect that also using a detergent, rather than a soap based product, with that hot water wash will clean the drains better.

Lee

[AlchemyAcres]

Around here, Kroger is the only source I've found for Arm & Hammer Washing Soda. It disappeared from the other stores a couple of years ago.

You can also get Washing Soda AKA Soda Ash AKA Sodium Carbonate from swimming pool needs suppliers, it's often much cheaper that way.


Ivory soap can be used for the bar soap in the recipe. According to what I've read, some people prefer it. And, it's being reported to the substitute when Fels Naptha isn't available locally.


Any cheap bar soap will work just fine. No need to spend hard earned money on a name brand, especially a light floating brand like Ivory with whipped in air!!!!! LOL
I use homemade lye soap.


~Martin

[iowasue]

Patience and Martin,

Thanks for the recipes and advice. I can find the ingredients here at our local Fareway (Midwestern grocery chain store that is more bare bones) so I will be experimenting next week. Thanks again.

[keydl]

A hanging cleat near the ceiling will allow pictures and objects of art to be hung and moved at will, the same cleat will hold hangers with cloths on them. They resemble crown molding but have a little space on top for the hooks.

They also make hanging brackets for the top of doors that slip off and fold.

If the closet is not full they can dry there with a fan.

Stuff that needs pressed will get pressed under the mattress if it is folded correctly. Stores there in good shape unless the boat leaks.

[Cherokeewoman]

If you have the space just put some hooks in the wall and have your clothesline rolled up ready to go when you need it. Unless you will be having alot of company you can just string it up and hang up your duds! Put everything you can on coat hangers it really does save space plus helps cut down on the ironing. Good luck.