Vinegar vs. fabric softner???

[needstoknowmore]

I love lined dried clothes, but haven't done so in a few years, due to the amount of birds and dust!!! Hard to line dry clothes here and still have them clean once dried. But now I have no choice. Dryer broke!! What is the safest for the septic tank??? Any sugestions for keeping the birds and puppy away from clothes on the line??? I know that is a tough one. Think I have the puppy part figured out. I just need a ladder to get the clothes up there!!!

[watcher]

Every septic tank guy I've talked to has said never ever use liquid fabric softener in a septic system. It gums up the drain field.

We are also dryerless and I don't use anything but water and detergent. I just give the jeans and towels a couple of good popping snaps right when I take them off the line.

[Wisconsin Ann]

Vinegar will neutralize the left over soap quite nicely...rinse it out of the clothes well. Fabric softener...bad. bad for septic system. bad for drainfield.

as for birds...try flying a couple of cheap shiny helium balloons over your clothesline. or make some whirligigs out of 2ltr soda bottles and stick on the top of the clothesline poles. birds don't like shiny flying moving things

[OUVickie]

I use baking soda and vinegar to clean sinks, toilets, showers, etc. It works.
I use a tbsp of baking soda in the washer with Purex detergent (biodegradable). It's good for the septic and it's a wonderful laundry booster and clothes softer. I also pour vinegar into the bleach cup and fabric softner cup of the washer and send it through a low water, fast rinse with small loads of cleaning rags and towels. It not only softens, but clears dust and such out of those washer drains and all. Plus - they are both very cheap, all round cleaning agents!!

[menollyrj]

DH is allergic to fabric softener. Breaks him out in big pimple-like welts (think whiteheads with a 2" sore, swollen spot). I use vinegar in a Downy ball instead. Our clothes are line-dried, and while they DO still feel stiffer than they would if we used the drier, they aren't "board" stiff. I can shake the jeans a few times and they won't crackle when we put them on.

As stated in another post, the vinegar neutralizes any soap residue in the clothes. I read some time ago (in a post at this site) that most of the problem with stiff clothes on the line is too much soap. You might want to look at how much soap you are using. After looking closely at the cup in the powdered detergent we use, the marking for one load of laundry is actually about 1/3 of the scoop, not the full scoop.

And finally, vinegar is SOOOO much cheaper!!

Bottom line, I highly recommend vinegar instead of fabric softener. It is cheaper, better for your septic, and works well. Good luck!

-Joy

EDIT TO ADD: The puppy can probably be trained to leave the clothes alone if you have the time to do so. We just chain ours up when there are clothes on the line, but I had considered at one point using a Super Soaker water gun and squirting him every time he attacked DH's pants hanging on the line.

[chewie]

the clothes from the line were always stiff until i started using the homemade laundry soap, recipe from here. it works great, is dirt cheap (no pun intended!) and i do not think our clothes have as much of that stiffness, and better yet, i dont' think i feel so much residue either. i hated that! and, my DD has stopped getting little red bumps on her shoulders! so go with the homemade soap, use vinegar in the rinse, and you'll have less issues. the birds? can't help ya there!

[Callieslamb]

if the wind blows, your clothes won't be as stiff.

I have been using vinegar with good results. I don't remember when everthing has ever been this soft. I don't know how it will work on static.

[wogglebug]

Yep, vinegar neutralises soap - not detergent. For birds, on a string hang computer CD's or DVD's, or the inflated silver bladders out of wine-casks - wine-in-a-box, whatever - or better both. Works on fruit trees too.

[MelissaW]

I use vinegar and it works fine. As for the birds, I don't know what to tell you! I have the same problem, plus anything that hangs down seems to be too great a temptation for my ultra shedding dogs to resist rubbing up against. Maybe some fake owls on top of the poles? Or, train the cat to guard the clothesline.

[shepmom]

I switched to vinegar years ago. Prefer it to softeners.
Don't remember any problems with birds when we use to line dry. I would think something that flaps, rattles or makes noise would scare the birds.

Watch puppy. smile

[Gailann Schrader]

I gave up on the clothesline years ago. Because I was dragging in so many many spiders into the house! Seems they like my clean laundry on the clotheslines... I don't have any open areas really so they drift onto my clothes and I had to use the dryer anyway to try and kill them.

Anyway. *embarrassed because it's one of the few non-green things I do*

I bought two of those ridiculous blue pebbly dryer balls?

I love them. They seem to work well and help the clothes dry quicker too...

or mebbe I just don't want to know...

[needstoknowmore]

Thanks everybody!!!
I have thought about homemade soap. But I have a frontloader washer, and wasn't sure if it would work with that. I do use HE soap and as little as I think I can get away with. Unless it is a real dirty load.
The wind blows a lot here. So that should help soften them. The only place I have that I can put up a line fast. Is the old horse hot walker. Putting posts in the ground is never easy here. But with the ground as dry as it is. Nope not going to happen. So other than sheets (maybe), that will keep it high enough to keep the puppy out of them. I could and will train her to stay away from them. She just loves to shred things like clothing!!!! But for the line, she will have to learn not to. And I do have a shock collar, that she respects!!! She is almost a year old, and learns pretty quick. Putting the clothes out there, will also help keep the birds away from them. It's not near any buildings or trees. But I might try some of the ideas. Spiders, could be a problem. But I will use spray and spray the walker down. That should help with them. I'm just hoping there isn't any bees, nesting in it this year. Will find out soon enough!!!
Thanks again, for all the help and suggestions!!!!!

[Drizler]

Still once in a while one that isn't housebroken drops a load on something. Later in the summer you can tell if they have been eating blueberries, yucch Spiders around here don't seem to want to get on clothes, they prefer the eves and even then they are ok by me since they eat flys and mosquitos.

[ptannjr]

Ok rather than starting a new thread i will ask here. For the Vinegar what kind are you using? I keep white distilled vinegar on hand for cleaning my CPAP machine. Can i just use that? How much should you add?

I just got the wife to start using the line for drying after a couple of $270 electric bills. We did 3 loads yesterday on the line and it was fine but i would like to give her the option of a "softener" for the wash but also worry about the smell of vinegar on our clothes.

[Kmac15]

Originally Posted by ptannjr

Ok rather than starting a new thread i will ask here. For the Vinegar what kind are you using? I keep white distilled vinegar on hand for cleaning my CPAP machine. Can i just use that? How much should you add?

I just got the wife to start using the line for drying after a couple of $270 electric bills. We did 3 loads yesterday on the line and it was fine but i would like to give her the option of a "softener" for the wash but also worry about the smell of vinegar on our clothes.

normal white vinegar by the gallon is fine, and once dried there is no smell. Use the amount you machine calls for for fabric softener.

[ptannjr]

ok so a 1 for 1 replacement of softener to vinegar. Thanks

[shepmom]

I have a fabric softener dispenser in the machine for a large load I average 1/2-1cup then I fill it up with water. Plain white vinegar, store brand in gallon container. Clothes smell fresh, no vinegar smell after dried. I have used that fabric softner ball they sell in the past. I use to fill it up to the line on that.

[ptannjr]

Thanks guys. I appreciate this site and what i am learning.

[CJ]

May I suggest Charlies Soap if you've not heard of it? It's amazing. And very, very inexpensive.

It might seem pricey at $95 per 5 gallon bucket, but a 5 gallon bucket will last about a year. You use a single tablespoon of soap, and your clothes get so clean, I really love this stuff. I also have a front l loader. Do some research yourself on this soap.

Originally Posted by needstoknowmore

Thanks everybody!!!
I have thought about homemade soap. But I have a frontloader washer, and wasn't sure if it would work with that. I do use HE soap and as little as I think I can get away with. Unless it is a real dirty load.
The wind blows a lot here. So that should help soften them. The only place I have that I can put up a line fast. Is the old horse hot walker. Putting posts in the ground is never easy here. But with the ground as dry as it is. Nope not going to happen. So other than sheets (maybe), that will keep it high enough to keep the puppy out of them. I could and will train her to stay away from them. She just loves to shred things like clothing!!!! But for the line, she will have to learn not to. And I do have a shock collar, that she respects!!! She is almost a year old, and learns pretty quick. Putting the clothes out there, will also help keep the birds away from them. It's not near any buildings or trees. But I might try some of the ideas. Spiders, could be a problem. But I will use spray and spray the walker down. That should help with them. I'm just hoping there isn't any bees, nesting in it this year. Will find out soon enough!!!
Thanks again, for all the help and suggestions!!!!!

[Cande]

Has anybody tried adding essential oils to vinegar, can you do that?