HELP! American and/or Canadian Ex-pats...what is wrong with my laundry!!!

[lillabean]

Why is it CRUNCHY? WHAT DO I DO??? My baby's clothes are all scratchy, even if I use fabric softener. I have a washer/condenser dryer combo.

Is it my machine? Is it the hard mineral water in London?

Do they make "American" style washers and tumble dryers here? Can anyone recommend a brand?

My baby gives me such dirty looks when I try to dress her in these sandpaper garments! (and let's not even talk about my towels....)

Any other ex-pats figured out a way around this problem, is it just me?

Please help, else must consider life as nudist!

We HAVE to use a tumble dryer cos the back yard it 1ft x 2ft and is full of ONE wheelie bin and if we hung any washing out the front it's get nicked!!
(plus "line dry smell" would probably be scallies fags & car fumes from the main road)

Cappucino, I think the issue is flexibility not the amount of time it consumes. There is a slot in his schdule on Thursday night and on the weekend for laundry. If it rains, what am I going to do for clean clothes on Monday morning?

Not to mention I hate stiffy line dried clothes with pokey outy bits from the pins.

You know what the problem is here?

London. Move to Sydney then you wouldn't have to waste all that lovely electricity on tumble drying or watch the weather forecasts.

Well you could, but they'd always say 'hotter than London with extremely good clothes drying predicted with no crunchy bits'.

PS. Did you notice how I tried to help first before being annoyingly smug? Eh? Did you?

Uwila the answer to that is that I put the washing in before bed after checking the weather, and get it on the line first thing

it takes no time

I do a load a day on average rather than saving it all up for one big huge laundry day, as the flylady says

live in the states and don't have crunchy washing - do think american washing machines and powders are shite though - really struggle to get the clothes clean here

But he leaves for work on Monday at 5:00AM and returns Thursday evening. So, he has Fri Sat Sun for that routine.

snap cappucino, that is how I do it and I work, albeit only 3 days, commute, and have no nanny or cleaner, but am sat at my desk with a washing line full of clothes at home.

if she donesnt want to do it we wont presuade her

d'ya think cod?

Lillabean, haven't read through the whole thread so hope I'm not repeating advice... condenser dryers are awful. They basically cook the clothes dry and take ages. We finally have space for a separate tumble dryer and it has changed my life. No more clothes hanging off of radiators, no more crunchy clothes or rough towels. Before the tumble dryer I would hang clothes on the radiator racks and then rub them between my hands when they were dry to soften them up a bit. I would dry towels one or two at a time in the condenser so they would be fluffy and I would stop the dryer once or twice during the drying cycle and peel them off the sides, shake them out then put them back in before starting it off again. It seemed to help them fluff up. Ridiculous I know, but I hate having rough, crunchy clothes and towels.

Just curious, how much £ you you loyal laundry hangers think you save each month by not using a tumble drier?

Do you know what, I really don't know! Have never really used dryer so can't compare 'before' and 'after' iykwim!

Interesting thread. I brought my two DDs up on crunchy clothes (couldn't afford a tumble dryer 30 years ago. Has anyone else out there had to put their babies in crunchy (terry towelling) nappies after sluicing them (the nappies not the babies), rinsing them, boiling them, rinsing them again and line drying them ?
My view on line drying - you can stick it! Give me a tumble dryer any day. I have a condenser dryer (but not a washer dryer - mine are separate machines) and I don't have any problem with it. I either use fabric softener in the wash or Bounce sheets in the dryer. Either way my washing is lovely and soft and to hell with the electric bill.

and global warming

and, er, no. I've never boiled nappies and I've never met anyone who has

Global warming isn't going to persuade me. But saving money on my extortionate gas/electric bill might.

So, come on, how much does it save? Someone must have worked it out.

According to CRed-uk.org.uk (carbon reduction site)

"Every time you use a tumble dryer you use enough electricity to emit over 1.5kg CO2. A tumble dryer if used for every wash will be responsible for emitting about 140kg of CO2 and costs you £16 on your electricity bill. "

Any help?

I find the cheapest way is (like cappucino) if a good dry day is forecast for tomorrow, then sort clothes and set the machine up with the timer to come on at 5am. That way it's all done by the time you get up. Takes only 5 mins to hang out (will DS is eating his breakfast). Also save loads of money on electricity putting machine on at that time. I run the dishwasher on a timer too, at 5am. Empty in the morning. When I look at the bill, most of my electricity units are being used when I am paying the least.

I bet that's £16 a year Uwila, I don't think it's much. I'm allergic to tumble drying (not literally) but most energy-saving efforts don't save much individually IMO.

Many thanks for the helpful advice... hanna, I'll try the vinegar trick. how much vinegar do you put in do you reckon?

and fishy, I'll be moving to Sydney if I decide to give up the crunchy clothes and go the nudist route.

Tex- I think drying on the radiators adds extra-crunch (no outdoor space here though.. so must dry on radiator or on drying racks that take half my living room) Am I right that your baby is 9 months old too?

truth is, that even if I could scrap up the money for a vented tumble dryer... there is no space in our urban flat for it. But it is good to know they do exist.

Sad that I used to fantasize about Johnny Dep, and now it is the thought of soft, fluffy towels that get me excited....

and a word about economics since it's been previously mentioned.

My clothes used to last longer. I have a couple of Banana Republic t-shirts that I'd had for seven or so years. They still looked fab after many years of wear and washing.

I move here, and after one year they're now all either down graded to rags or clothes I wear on laundry shortage days. I don't really get it.

And I've thought it over, and I just don't buy the "crunchy clothes build character" argument. This is Britain. A first-world industrial power in the 21st century. Crunchy shouldn't be the adjective people are using to describe their laundry.

If we were all doing our washing at the village well that also doubled as a drinking spot for wandering goats- then I think I'd be managing my expectations.

Ring the helpline for the manufacturer of your washing machine?

Mmmm, Johnny Depp, wearing nothing but a soft, clean towel . . .

And a smile .

never really measure it out, just a good splash ( clothes won't smell of vinegar by the way)
where in Canada are you from? I'm a Bluenoser!