How can I keep lo's clothes soft without using tumble dryer or fabric softener?

[forevared]

DS1 has eczema and so I never use fabric softener on his clothes, but to get his clothes to stay soft and not end up like cardboard I have to tumble dry everything. I hate doing this and wondered if there's anything I can do instead?

DS1 has excema too. I was told to try white vinegar, I've found it stops the clothes going like cardboard but they don't come out too soft. Just been given a book with this recipe, I've not tried it yet:
half cup borax
1 cup hot water
4 cups white vinegar
8 drops lemon essential oil
8 drops sweet orange essential oil
dissolve borax in hot water, cool slightly and add other ingredients.
(The book is Natural Stain Remover - Angela Martin loads of recipes for different cleaners!)

I don't have a tumble drier but ds's clothes are reasonably soft - I don't use anythng like the amount of detergent they tell you to put in and I give things an extra rinse afterwards. Dunno if it'll help you but it works for us!

I use white vinegar but agree, the result is more 'slightly less cardboardy' then fabric softener soft.

Dry on an airer never on radiators.

If you have the time shake items vigourously when they are very nearly dry.

This will give you almost tumble soft results.

(and biceps like a navvy ).

I think you have to get used to things not feeling as soft. I've never had a tumble dryer and stopped using fabric softener ages ago (I don't like the smell).

Although clothes may feel a little crisp, once they are on they feel fine. The shaking thing does work a bit tho... (I do this for nappies)

Thanks all. I'll try the borax thing and the shaking them makes sense actually. Guilty of radiator drying in winter. My house sometimes looks like a 'chinese laundry'!

Radiators make clothes super crispy.

I should add that an airer in front of a radiator is fine.

i use neither and my cloths are super soft... i mean really really soft

i put a slosh of white vinegar instead of fabric softener and line dry on a high washing line which catches the breeze... even my towels are supersoft, and i am really fussy about supersoft towels

i use dryer balls, too.

you can use the dryer to just finish off the clothes for the last 10 mins. or so with the dryer balls and i've noticed they're quite soft.

ironing softens clothes well.

vinegar instead of fabric softener, good shake when you take them out of machine and if you can, line dry, if you cant dry on an airer, turn them over mid drying and then ten mins in dryer. bit of effort but my mums done it that way for years and after 3 years of missing her super soft clothes i now do it. its worth it for the softness.

i use a small amount of washing powder and a smaller amount of Washing soda crystals and then a little bit of white distilled Vinegar and it works ok really.
Better if i can line dry, but to be honest in this weather, it doesn't happen that much.

I hate to say it cos i hate to do it, and in fact i rarely do, do it, but, if something isn't soft enough, then i iron it.

Ironing will soften everything but it's a drag.

soap nuts make the water much softer.

I have to say that WhereWolfTheWildThingsWere is now my absolute hero! I am now shaking things vigorously and am experiencing softness like never before!!!!!!!!!!

Had alway thought I just had to put up with hard towels, but not any more. Thank you.

[and the navvy biceps are coming along a treat]

Wow that shaking the clothes (even if they are already dry) really works a treat.
I'm waiting for my navvy biceps though.

redclover79
Can i ask what this recipe was actually for?
Is it a substitute for fabric softener?

half cup borax
1 cup hot water
4 cups white vinegar
8 drops lemon essential oil
8 drops sweet orange essential oil
dissolve borax in hot water, cool slightly and add other ingredients.

I've found clothes only go like cardboard if they're really wringing wet - usually when we've pressed the wrong buttons on the washing machine. If they're washed on a cycle which spins a lot of the water out then they can dry on a radiator without getting too hard. ds appears to be allergic to fabric conditioner. We do have a washer dryer but I only put things through the dryer for a few minutes normally.