https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/weird-laundry-question Style Advice for Fashion Lovers en-US Mon, 27 Apr 2026 02:13:44 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 q https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/search.php https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/weird-laundry-question/page/2#post-413136 Tue, 30 Aug 2011 05:13:01 +0000 Lena 413136@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I hang dry most everything except sheets and towels and some more sturdy cottons. </p> <p>I'm also afraid my undies will shrink in the dryer, and I can't have that. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/weird-laundry-question/page/2#post-412913 Mon, 29 Aug 2011 22:39:13 +0000 Kate 412913@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I hang everything to dry. I tend to keep undies and socks on a foldable drying rack, whereas most big clothes go on the clothesline. I feel like they're less on display on the drying rack, even though I put it outside to dry.</p> <p>When I was studying in South Africa we handwashed our underwear every day and hung it on the clothesline by the front door! That was a bit odd for me - kinda like "hello everyone, check out the panties I wore yesterday!" </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/weird-laundry-question/page/2#post-412770 Mon, 29 Aug 2011 18:06:12 +0000 rute 412770@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I hang mine, but here everyone hangs their clothes. Not many people use the drying machine.. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/weird-laundry-question#post-412767 Mon, 29 Aug 2011 18:01:47 +0000 Elly 412767@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I wouldn't be overly worried about spreading behind germs to your clothing. I wouldn't recommend washing kitchen towels and undies together, but I am mildly-to-moderately immune deficient and my docs told me not to worry about sanitizing clothes. The exceptions were kitchen rags and towels and bathroom towels because they are moist and are usually used before touching your face or food. They also warned me about gym clothes (because of the risk of staph and other infections). I wash my towels in hot water and use a sanitizing additive in the rinse cycle of my performance gym clothing. Even sheets are ok to wash warm or cool, although I do dry mine. If you hang in the sun, that also sanitizes. The way the doc explained it, washing is usually good enough--- just like washing hands with soap. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/weird-laundry-question#post-412739 Mon, 29 Aug 2011 17:30:10 +0000 rachylou 412739@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I have a tack-on question about line-drying... when I line-dry, my clothes get stiff and rough. Is this always how it goes, or is there a fabric-softening secret? </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/weird-laundry-question#post-412705 Mon, 29 Aug 2011 16:50:23 +0000 Louise 412705@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>We don't have a dryer so ALL my stuff gets hung to dry x </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/weird-laundry-question#post-412686 Mon, 29 Aug 2011 16:20:48 +0000 Vildy 412686@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I put almost nothing of mine into a dryer and particularly nothing with<br /> elastic or stretch. I will say that I'm not scared by the prospect of<br /> cold water washing of undies harming me. I'm not dead yet. And, hello,<br /> they're my own germs. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/weird-laundry-question#post-412682 Mon, 29 Aug 2011 16:19:26 +0000 rachylou 412682@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I throw everything in the dryer, using the sensor / less dry setting. Otherwise... the dryer pretty much destroys clothing, undies and more, even on the delicates setting.</p> <p>The other crazy thing I do - because I'm a neurotic sorter without time to do laundry all the time - I have 30 pairs of socks and undies. So they each can be their own load, no water wasted, no weekly laundry, and no mixing. I hate, hate untangling. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/weird-laundry-question#post-412666 Mon, 29 Aug 2011 16:11:28 +0000 bella 412666@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>A quick caution AGAINST washing your undies by hand or at cold cycle:<br /> <a href="http://www.glamour.com/health-fitness/blogs/vitamin-g/2008/08/read-this-before-you-toss-your.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.glamour.com/health-.....-your.html</a><br /> Undies have to be washed in hot temperatures to kill germs. Also, there is a good chance that you many not be able to rinse undies properly when you're handwashing. They have to be rinsed free of any detergent/soap residue. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/weird-laundry-question#post-412657 Mon, 29 Aug 2011 16:04:32 +0000 Aziraphale 412657@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Angie, I haven't put my bras in the dryer for over 20 years. Like I said, the dryer destroys bras quicker than anything. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/weird-laundry-question#post-412655 Mon, 29 Aug 2011 16:03:39 +0000 Mo 412655@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I toss mine in the dryer and honestly most of my clothing, too. Premium denim, coolmax workout gear, bras and rayon tops/dresses are the things I pull out and hang dry. All the cotton blend clothing gets dried on med low heat. My undies are a modal construction and they fare fine in the washer and dryer. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/weird-laundry-question#post-412647 Mon, 29 Aug 2011 15:55:37 +0000 Patty 412647@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I don't blame you for taking care of the good undies!!! My old five to a bag Hanes sweat it out in the dryer . </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/weird-laundry-question#post-412638 Mon, 29 Aug 2011 15:26:10 +0000 Elly 412638@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Mod girl---Perhaps I should explain myself ---- I have not replace any underwear in five years. All my undies are between 5-6 years old. I was wearing a cotton lycra style that I liked, but found that they seemed a bit small for "bum coverage"-- I attributed this to slight weight gain. I ordered the same style again recently and found that they new ones have more bum fabric in the same size-- and I started wondering if they changed the style (the have in other minor ways, the sides are slightly wider, ect) or if my undies shrank that much!!!! </p> <p>Regardless of shrinkage, I have avoided replacing my undies for so long that the lycra has given out on me all together and they are just pretty ratty. </p> <p>I currently have 14 pairs of my preferred style, which I purchased over two or three years. I figure that I can get buy with fewer pairs (between 8-10) if I also purchase a few pair of something else to wear specifically when working out. Where I currently live I have access to a washer, but am currently waiting on a call back from an employer with company housing (but no laundry). </p> <p>My old favorites were 10 bucks a piece, but I often bought them on sale for probably 7. The new favorites are 18 dollars a piece (a recommendation by a friend) and I can get them on sale sometimes for 15. Even 10 pair on sale is going to be 150 dollars compared to 70 to 100 dollars. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/weird-laundry-question#post-412617 Mon, 29 Aug 2011 14:52:01 +0000 mrseccentric 412617@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>i always line dry all my clothing (except socks sometimes). if you live in a cold, wet climate you can get one of those folding pop up dryer racks and set it up in a warmer area of the house. i put ours next to (not on top of!!) a heater vent and it works fine.</p> <p><a href="http://tinyurl.com/3n3rh4m" rel="nofollow">http://tinyurl.com/3n3rh4m</a></p> <p>lycra will go bust in the heat. cotton shrinks in washing and drying (any heat, really) and it will not reach it's maximum shrinkage until as many as ten wash/dry cycles. nylon and polyester won't shrink much at all in normal washing and drying. so whether shrinkage occurs/how much depends upon the particular fibre content of your knickers.</p> <p>Off Topic Rant Ahead: okay, i can't help i - bras should NEVER go in the dryer or the washer!!! ESPECIALLY underwires!!!! it will bend the wires and they will poke you and make you look misshapen and demented! the elastic will disintegrate!! getting a nice bra wardrobe takes a lot of time, research, and money. don't spoil it all by ruining your bras. my sister worked for a couple of old-style corset/bra fitters back in the day and they pounded this into our heads. and over the years i've found it does make a huge difference in how your bras last. just swish your bra around in some lukewarm water and a dab of nice shampoo, rinse gently, and hang to dry. also, let your bras 'rest' a day between wearings. (climbing down off soapbox).</p> <p>good topic!! and very sensible to think about how to make your clothing last, steph </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/weird-laundry-question#post-412611 Mon, 29 Aug 2011 14:42:53 +0000 Queen Mum 412611@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I hang dry everything that has anything stretchy (lyrcra, spandex) in it... including my panties. I do think they last much longer this way. The only things of mine that I dry in the dryer are socks actually. I cant' think of anything else. My husband made me a drying rack that sits over our tub. I have a friend who has a second shower curtain rod that she hangs inside the first one to hang her stuff on... I thought that was a clever idea too. I'd to that but I don't have a shower curtain over my tub. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/weird-laundry-question#post-412608 Mon, 29 Aug 2011 14:41:15 +0000 MNsara 412608@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Not a weird question at all! I love hearing the different responses, and we can get new ideas this way ;-)</p> <p>I wash undies and bras in cold 'hand wash' cycle in my front loader. The bras are in a lingerie bag, the undies are not. I hang them all to dry or throw them over a mesh drying screen.</p> <p>I am convinced that my elastic lasts longer this way! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/weird-laundry-question#post-412606 Mon, 29 Aug 2011 14:37:56 +0000 modgrl 412606@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>How many do you really need? With kids I am doing laundry like almost every day!!<br /> Can you get away with buying a few pairs to start and getting rid of the ones you don't like right now? Don't hold on to any that are not fab. Add a couple of pairs every few months as needed. Old fabrics change shape over time and through many laundry cycles. Your old ones may have lost their shape. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/weird-laundry-question#post-412601 Mon, 29 Aug 2011 14:33:40 +0000 Angie 412601@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Do not put your bras in the dryer, Elisabeth. That's the first way to destroy them! </p> <p>I pop my knickers in the dryer - no shrinkage. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/weird-laundry-question#post-412592 Mon, 29 Aug 2011 14:24:41 +0000 marianna 412592@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I guess I'm in the minority here, but I put my undies in the dryer, along with camis, loungewear, and pajamas. Everything else I hang dry. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/weird-laundry-question#post-412555 Mon, 29 Aug 2011 13:32:45 +0000 Anonymous 412555@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I own washer with hand wash setting and dryer but wouldn't think of putting my undies in either one. It's a quick hand wash each night and hang to dry. At one time I'd put them in a mesh bag in the washer on a gentle cycle and hang to dry, but they look nice longer hand washed. Even that much agitation made the surface look worn after a few times. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/weird-laundry-question#post-412554 Mon, 29 Aug 2011 13:29:02 +0000 Makrame 412554@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Being able to use a dryer was one of the things I enjoyed after moving from Russia to the US (many years ago). But I am also pretty careful about not drying any delicates or clothes I want to last longer. My husband and I each have a drying rack in the bedroom, which we use to hang clothes that might be worn next day and also to dry those items that don't go into the dryer. I air-dry most panties (and all bras) on the drying rack. If I have room in the mesh underwear bag for laundering, I will also put delicate panties into the bag (but I have a top loader washer).</p> <p>Several years ago we were in Russia for 2 weeks in August, and the first few days were extremely wet and cold. After trying to dry jeans on the clothesline on the balcony for days, I was so missing my dryer! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/weird-laundry-question#post-412537 Mon, 29 Aug 2011 11:36:46 +0000 ButterflyLady 412537@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I'm in the UK, and have a dryer (and so do most of my friends) - but I line dry outside whenever possible. I only really use the dryer for bedding and towels. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/weird-laundry-question#post-412526 Mon, 29 Aug 2011 08:33:54 +0000 Polly (thunalata) 412526@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I don't use a dryer in the UK either. I used to have a washer dryer that I only used for occasional drying of washable diapers, but like others I now only line dry, inside or outside. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/weird-laundry-question#post-412518 Mon, 29 Aug 2011 08:06:46 +0000 Lavinia 412518@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Same here. It seems that dryers aren't as common in Europe. I don't have one and I don't think I need one. We line dry everything. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/weird-laundry-question#post-412516 Mon, 29 Aug 2011 08:02:58 +0000 HeleenH 412516@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>You are right, Saretta, on those days I can see the joy of a dryer, when it takes about 3 days to dry... </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/weird-laundry-question#post-412511 Mon, 29 Aug 2011 07:49:54 +0000 Saretta 412511@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I don't have a dryer either. They're just not a commonly used appliance here in southern Italy. Most days there's enough sun and/or wind to dry on the line. I often wish I had one in the damp winter months when nothing ever dries indoors or outdoors! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/weird-laundry-question#post-412505 Mon, 29 Aug 2011 07:01:47 +0000 HeleenH 412505@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>No dryer here, either. My neighbour has one and has offered that I can use hers if I needed, but the need never arose. I line dry everything, inside or outside, depending on the weather conditions.<br /> Once on a holiday I used a dryer and promptly ruined some clothes with lycra or some other elastic in the fabric. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/weird-laundry-question#post-412499 Mon, 29 Aug 2011 05:45:56 +0000 Scarlet 412499@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I hang all our undies to dry because they last much longer that way. I don't think it is weird. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/weird-laundry-question#post-412496 Mon, 29 Aug 2011 05:14:44 +0000 Rachel 412496@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I don't own a dryer. Sturdy things go on a line outside and delicate items are hung on a clothes horse. I also wash everything on a cold wash.<br /> I have always done my washing this way so can't give an opinion on whether it prolongs the life of items or not. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/weird-laundry-question#post-412495 Mon, 29 Aug 2011 05:02:42 +0000 AJ 412495@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I hang my nicer "no VPL" ones. My cotton sets go in the dryer. </p>