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Drying Clothes At Home
If you dry clothes properly, you can cut down considerably on ironing time. After a line or tumble drying, fold clothes or put them on hangers. When hanging items on the line, try to keep seams and creases in the right places.
Hang clothes to dry outdoors whenever the sunlight makes white clothes whiter. If you have nice weather, this will save electricity. Hang clothes at outdoor space, hang two lines parallel to each other, and drape items across them.
Drying Symbols
The four variants to the square symbol indicate which drying method should be used.
Tights and Socks
Reducing snags: Clip clothes-pins to the feet of socks and or tights. This prevents them from blowing around and tangling or snagging.
Drying Socks
To save space on lines, hang pairs of socks on a hanger. This will also enable you to remove the socks quickly if it rains.
Preventing Problems
Fading: Turn colored T-shirts inside out, and hang them in the shade so that they do not fade in the sunlight.
Cleaning Washing Lines
Dirt collects on washing lines and may transfer to fabric. To clean lines, run a damp sponge or a split cork along the length of the line from time to time.
Drying Tricks
• Belts: To dry belts without creating a clothespin mark, loop around the washing line and fasten the belt buckle.
• Pleated Skirts: After washing, hang on the line from the waistband. Clip clothespins at the bottom of each pleat so that the pleats dry in place.
Quickly Drying Sheets
Pin the sheet at both ends first, then pin each side one-third of the way along. This “bag” shape allows air to circulate easily
Drying Sweater
Preventing Stretching:Sweaters will not stretch on a clothesline if you string an old pair of hose through the arms, and pin the pantyhose – rather than the sweater – to the line.
Handy Helpers
Use ordinary clothespins around the house to clip things together. They reseal food packages and hold notes and telephone messages together as effectively as gadgets sold for the purpose.
Tumble Drying
Dryers work best when the drum is only half full. Tumble-dried items become bone dry. You might not want to let clothes dry this much. If you do so, you will find that they are difficult to iron, they can move around freely. Don’t forget to clean the dryer filter after each use.
Using Dryers
• Avoiding creases: Certain items require little ironing if tumble dried in particular, clothes made from polyester and cotton mixtures. Remove items as soon as the dryer stops, and fold or hang them.
• Fabric-softener sheets: Use these in the dryer to keep items from creasing – particularly items that you do not wish to iron, such as sheets. Use half a sheet – it is as effective as a whole one.
• Spin drying: You can use a no-heat setting to spin dry hand-washed items. Put woolens in pillowcases to prevent stretching.
Making your own softener
For an alternative to commercial fabric-softener sheets, soak a washcloth in a solution of fabric-softener liquid and water for a few minutes. Squeeze out excess liquid, then put the wash¬cloth in with the clothes being dried in the dryer.
Flat Drying
Clothes made from delicate fabrics should always be dried flat. Roll them in a towel to remove excess moisture, then pat them into shape and let dry on a towel. Do not expose colored items to direct sunlight while drying them, since this may cause fading.
Airing and Starching
Large items are best aired along parallel washing lines, which will not only take the weight but allow air to reach the entire area of fabric. Air items such as pillows and blankets on the clothesline. To improvise an airing rack indoors, use the method shown below.
Constructing an airing rack
To air or dry large items if you do not have a clothesline, stretch strong cord between two chairs. Using parallel lines allows air to reach both sides of an item, and will not leave creases or clothespin marks. Use this system for blankets, comforters, and curtains.
Using Starch
Starching clothes and bed linen makes fabric crisp and helps reduce soiling. Rinsing kitchen towels used for drying dishes in a weak starch solution will prevent lint from coming off on glasses. Always apply starch to the right side of the fabric, once the item is dry and just before it is ironed. Spray starch is easier to use than starch dip, but it does not last as long.
