http://www.care2.com/greenliving/no-more-static-cling-how-to.html
No More Static Cling!
By Annie B. Bond, author of Better Basics for the Home (Three Rivers Press, 1999).
There is only one reason why fabric softeners and dryer sheets are added to the washing machine or dryer: To eliminate static cling!
But commercial fabric softeners can make you sick. According to a study by Anderson Laboratories, many commercial formulas emit chemical fumes like toluene, styrene and phenol that can cause acute respiratory tract inflammation and irritation.
But what to do when dry winter air makes static-laden skirts scrunch and bunch, and pants creep up to your knees?
Learn the easy all-natural ways to banish static cling from your laundry, including the fabulous metal hanger trick that you can use on already-clean clothes!
1. Add either of these cling-busting additions to your laundry wash cycle:
1/4 cup vinegar
1/4 cup or less borax
2. Add 1/4 cup vinegar to the rinse cycle.
3. Switch to a “green” fabric softener, like those made by Seventh Generation or Ecover, made with vegetable-based surfactants, salt, and natural scents.
4. Choose clothing made from natural fibers; they don’t get static cling as readily.
5. Shake out your clothes when you remove them from the drier.
6. The metal hanger trick for already-clean clothes: Put on the garment. If it is a skirt or dress, simply reach up underneath it with a metal hanger and brush the inside of the garment with it, top to bottom. If it’s pants, elongate the hanger and reach up inside each pant leg, brushing downward.
More on Household Hints (166 articles available)More from Annie B. Bond (3190 articles available)
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8 comments
add your comment »I add 1 downy ball of vinegar (less if smaller load) and hang my laundry up to dry. No vinegar smell and I have small amounts of static during the winter. Only if I use the dryer, such as for my linens, I still use the vinegar and I use 1/3 of a dryer sheet. (Sorry, can't comment on nylons since I cannot wear due to allergy).
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I have to wear nylons with my skirts, and I find if I wear cotton skirts they always ride up when I walk. I've tried the static cling sprays - but nothing works!! I'm getting so frustrated...any ideas?
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I have to wear nylons with my skirts, and I find if I wear cotton skirts they always ride up when I walk. I've tried the static cling sprays - but nothing works!! I'm getting so frustrated...any ideas?
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I have to wear nylons with my skirts, and I find if I wear cotton skirts they always ride up when I walk. I've tried the static cling sprays - but nothing works!! I'm getting so frustrated...any ideas?
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I use a pair of "dryer balls" and anti-static, reusable (hundreds of cycles) cloth dryer sheets, both purchased online at Giam.com. They work great!
Water in a spray bottle works wonders for clothes with static cling, too.
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Vinegar does smell - 1/4 cup or less is pretty faint, though. My grandma always used the Borax - plus, she said it's a 'detergent booster' - helps get stuff cleaner, whites whiter, etc. It doesn't smell like the vinegar does.
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doesn't vinegar make the clothing smell?
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will try vinegar and "green" fabric softeners earthling marcel
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