calling all tumble-dryer owners who live in a dry, static-prone climate... Ever since giving up fabric softener sheets I've had trouble with static. Softening isn't the issue as vinegar in the wash or dryer balls work fine for that... but you could power a small city off the static my laundry ends up with.
Any ideas?
I tried giving up dryer sheets but eventually settled on the Seventh Generation natural variety because of the static cling issue. Sometimes it helps to brush the clothes with a wire hangar before you put them on, that was a trick I use with my no-iron shirts.
I looked at the Seventh Generation ones and a few others but my stars, the cost!
What fabrics are you drying? I find that cotton and silk don't create static, but most artificial fibers do. If you have a lot of artificial fibers in your clothing, you may need to use something to cut down on the static. If you do use dryer sheets, try using just a quarter of a sheet at first--that's usually enough to eliminate the static.
Or try drying the clothes until they are just damp, and line drying until they are completely dry.
There are dryer balls that you can fill with water to make steam.
I also use a wrinkle release spray. I'm allergic to most scented laundry-items, but I can use the spray sparingly. One bottle lasts me about 3 years.
Xarcady's dry-to-damp method also works well.
I line dry my clothes and put only cottons in the dryer; sheets and towels. I haven't used fabric softener or dryer sheets in years. I forgot static cling existed until I dried my clothes at my mother's house.
I'm allergic to dryer sheets, so don't use anything in the dryer. I use only one tablespoon or less of detergent per load (one tablespoon is for a full, very dirty load), and about one cup of vinegar in the rinse cycle. Then I make sure not to over-dry. If I have a lot of synthetics in the load, I try to take them out early and finish hang-drying, but I usually don't succeed (I get distracted). Instead I set my dryer to be "less dry" and then hang them. If some items need more time in the dryer, I'll toss them in for just a bit. I don't have room to lay them out (the dogs like to nest on my clothes), so this works better for me over the long haul.
When I do use the dryer, I shake off the static as I'm folding - a few strong shakes releases the static on almost anything. And then since my hair is really vulnerable to static, sometimes if I put on a newly-washed garment and it makes my hair stick, I damp my fingers and run them over it.
We have a few large blankets that are 100% acrylic and get dried if some little critter pees or pukes on them in the night in winter, and they are REALLY staticky. Shaking solves it so the cat doesn't make sparks.
i have never actually purchased a dryer sheet in my life.
around here, synthetics get hung up on the line to dry.
natural fibres only go in the dryer if we are experiencing months of rain and everything is soggy, including the air.
right now it is crisp and dry and hot and if i put a synthetic in the dryer, i know i'd electrocute myself upon removing it.
to avoid dryer sheets and purchased sprays, i reckon i'd just remove the articles before they are completely dry and use dampened hands to handle them.
and a few good shakes, like rosa mentions.
thanks all for your replies
drying/finishing on the line isn't an option where I currently live...except for a few small items... hopefully in our next home it will be easier on a large scale
I read a way to make your own dryer sheets (reusuable) with liquid fabric softener, a spray bottle, and some clean rags. I may give it a try and see if it also helps with static.
My previous apartment got very dry, tot he point that even my upholstered furniture got bad static cling. I used an anti-static spray when I needed to. Not the most eco-friendly solution, since it is an aerosol, but I had got very tired of having my couch zap me.
i found out that synthetic stuff in the dryer is not getting static if you dry them cold. it takes some minutes longer than the regular hot airing but it works and it even saves energy :)
we have problems with static if we use the woodstove often because the air is getting very dry. so we now use an air humidifier, no problems anymore. if you transfer it to clothes you will possibly don´t have static problems anymore if you take the clothes out of the dryer when they are slightly damp and air them some minutes on e.g. a hanger to get them really dry.
someone can help me How to Refresh a Flour Sack Baby Dress?
I use a drying rack and try to line dry everything but sheets and towels (they dont fit on the drying rack)
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