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klimme56 t1_iu7pqz5 wrote

Linen. Gets softer as it's washed.

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acchaladka t1_iu7sefr wrote

Also, line dry your sheets whenever possible. Much less wear and tear on sheets and better smells after drying.

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incasesheisonheretoo t1_iu7zgan wrote

People say this, but I’ve yet to smell a line dried sheet that smells better than one fresh out of the dryer with fabric softener.

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foo-jitsoo t1_iu80jht wrote

People say this, yet I continue to hate the stench of fabric softener and consider it bad for my laundry, bad for my skin/health, and pure environmental pollution.

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lickmyfupa t1_iu99ae9 wrote

Im glad im not the only one who detests fabric softner. Everytime i get a whiff of it i feel like im being poisoned.

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nepnepnepneppitynep t1_iu9dyr7 wrote

I don't use fabric softner but I am from the east coast so to me put your laundry out to dry is like asking for it to rain.

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unicroop t1_iu9mzqv wrote

Agreed. Fabric softener is completely unnecessary

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Alec_Strebec t1_iu9t725 wrote

Wool dryer balls do the trick for me.

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OutlanderMom t1_iua6yo3 wrote

When I was drying blankets, I put a few drops of lavender essential oil on the dryer balls. They tumble and spread the scent.

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Alec_Strebec t1_iue2zoh wrote

Ah nice, I understand you can "recharge them" by putting a bit of lanolin on them, though that sounds messy and I've never tried.

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akita_4u t1_iua45z9 wrote

Try vinegar in your washer. Also, try a vinegar based fabric softener. It's all I use now.

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Sipikay t1_iucsrv2 wrote

I never understood what the point of them was. My clothing is already soft. It's clothing. It's made to feel good on your body. Else I wouldn't buy it. Fabric softener seemed like just adding stinky perfume chemicals for no reason at all.

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alv51 t1_iuajk7f wrote

Totally agree. Those synthetic, toxic scents are awful, an assault on the nostrils, and utterly unnecessary pollution.

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Muncie4 t1_iubk162 wrote

Can we stop using toxic when we don't understand toxicology please? I've yet to pick up a paper and read, "Man dies from Bounce use". Don't like fabric softeners due to *.reason? Great! Don't use them. But don't sound the Horn of Helm's Deep like the stuff is toxic when it ain't.

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alv51 t1_iucjfy5 wrote

I agree actually, it’s definitely overused - however there are studies linking synthetic detergents and softeners (maybe not specifically the scents in them but nevertheless) to carcinogenic ingredients. I’ll try and link one here later if I can find it.

But even more than that it is well known that they are extremely damaging to the environment for several reasons, when compared to plain soap or milder, biodegradable cleaners, (killing microorganisms and destroying biodiversity; surfactants causing foaming in rivers and leading to long term damage; changing the ph in soil and water; inorganic phosphates causing eutrophication which depletes oxygen in water; they don’t properly biodegrade, causing maximum long term pollution of soil, rivers and water sources;), so in that case they are far worse than what we might commonly use the word toxic for.

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AmbientGravitas t1_iuaz5ql wrote

There are unscented fabric softeners, including sheets, which I really only use to get rid of static.

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javaavril t1_iu82w7f wrote

Fabric softener is synthetic or natural beef tallow with petrochemical fragrance, so really don't get why you are discouraging a suggestion for a natural line dry.

Do you specifically enjoy having your clothing covered in synthetic beef fat and chemicals? I prefer Air.

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ForwardCulture t1_iu846u7 wrote

I had to stop line drying at one point years ago when a neighbor bought an outdoor meat smoker. That fresh line dried smell was replaced with smoky meat smell several times a week.

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briinde t1_iu8v1jk wrote

I think we’re missing the big point here in that these would be the best smelling sheets of all.

“Honey, these brisket scented sheets are amazing!”

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alimaful t1_iu8zmcf wrote

This would break my heart 😂😭

I had to stop line drying because my a-hole neighbors complained I had a clothesline and apparently it's against HOA rules. Now I sometimes just drape them over my patio table instead, that's how much I crave that sweet sweet line dried sheet smell!

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javaavril t1_iu84rv5 wrote

I dry our clothes inside our home. It has little to do with our neighbor's meat smoking, which I am unsure if they do, but everything to do about efficiently drying our clothing without chemicals or energy.

I recommend the Ikea Mulig drying rack, holds a twenty pounds of dry clothes. Maybe 30lb wet.

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Popheal t1_iu86mzk wrote

We have a high ceiling in our family home and my dad installed a clothes line on a pulley system.

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acchaladka t1_iu8ix0l wrote

"Ah, a man of culture, i see" must be your line every time you see the clothesline and him together.

Which is a fair statement, as hanging your laundry in the courtyard, the palazzo, the ancient ruins, is something humans have been doing since the agricultural revolution at least, ie when our non- nomadic culture developed and changed radically.

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javaavril t1_iuc5086 wrote

OMG! I have seen those in British tv shows. I want one so badly. I have high ceilings in America and I very much want a British cast iron pulley ceiling dryer.

The floor based IKEA rack is still good, but I have Victorian dreams.

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jlbob t1_iu9hdhu wrote

I mean, that could likely get me to start line drying personally. But it's all about preference, if it wasn't Reddit I'd be shocked over how bent out of shape people are on this.

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LP61 t1_iu9ncm5 wrote

Well that might certainly attract all the cats and the dogs in the area 🤣

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ForwardCulture t1_iu9osw4 wrote

It sort of did. Same neighbor ended up with several dozen stray cats. Who then all had kittens. They ruined several neighbor’s landscaping etc. Health department got involved. Then they left piles of wood for their fireplaces unused and that attracted rats.

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Sipikay t1_iucsucy wrote

My dryer seems to work just fine without any fabric softener. Maybe I've got a special unit!

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WhatsMyPasswordGuh t1_iu9pllu wrote

Bruh fabric softener is just artificial scents from mass produced chemicals. It’s so unnecessary and just creates more waste. “Smelling good” doesn’t add function to sheets. In fact fabric softer deteriorates cotton over time.

Stop using fabric softer. Shit is for boomers

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incasesheisonheretoo t1_iua2udp wrote

I’m far from a boomer, but you guys have really educated me on a few things and I’ll try vinegar. I was speaking strictly from a scent standpoint, as I’m a fragrance lover. But I wear cologne every day, so you’re right, dryer sheets are probably unnecessary in my circumstances.

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CleanAssociation9394 t1_iuatrtf wrote

You can use a non-chemical linen spray. Buy it or put some essential oils and distilled water in spray bottle.

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fire_goddess11 t1_iu8fgrn wrote

You prefer a gross, laboratory chemical smell to a fresh smell?

You've been brainwashed by advertising.

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OCJane t1_iu8l6dt wrote

Fabric softener, ew. Use distilled vinegar in the rinse cycle to get it extra clean & fresh.

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incasesheisonheretoo t1_iu8nsi4 wrote

How much vinegar?

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OCJane t1_iu8ot5z wrote

Start off w half a cup for small loads; one cup for full loads. And use a second rinse option if available. Wash hot, dry low.

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notiebuta t1_iu9hvq4 wrote

About ⅛ c vinegar as a rinse/fabric softener in a front loader works for me. I wash on cold/cold, saves $ (unless someone is sick or for very young or elderly etc). If things stink or heavily soiled I add baking soda or borax then turn washer off while it’s in the washing mode and let things soak. I never rinse twice unless I accidentally add too much detergent. It’s believed to be worse to use too much detergent than too little. Manufacturers want you to use a lot. When I clean my coffee machine w vinegar I reuse the vinegar to help w baking soda to scour bathrooms and toilets.

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incasesheisonheretoo t1_iua3i6r wrote

Thanks for the tips! Definitely gonna try these out.

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notiebuta t1_iuag0m2 wrote

You’re welcome. Consumer Reports is often my reference. I think they work hard to help w well researched tips.

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RunningOnPunkTime t1_iua06ir wrote

There's a lot of people talking about how fabric softener is bad for you and your clothes. It's also bad for your dryer. The wax that they use for softener coats the dryer and can make it break down much earlier.

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cothomps t1_iu9cbrv wrote

Found the guy that lives next to a dairy farm.

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BeauregardBear t1_iu9rk8n wrote

Line drying is probably the reason even inexpensive sheets last forever around here.

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Rosa_gallica t1_iu8tl2o wrote

Does anyone have preferred brands for their linen sheets? I love linen sheets and have bought ones that I thought were good quality but have similar problems with them wearing through within about 3 years.

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Half-Upper t1_iu9it8m wrote

I can actually contribute to your question with my hunt for linen sheets! I bought sets from both Cultiver and the Citizenry. The ones from the Citizenry are significantly softer and seem to have held up better after a couple years of washes (in that the buttons didnt fall off in the wash like the cultiver ones). The cultivers are kinda scratchy.

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wild-yeast-baker t1_iu9bhn6 wrote

I think there are a couple threads on here about it. Our bed thread ones are about 2 ish years old and feel pretty sturdy still. We got ones from the citzienry a long time ago and they wore out very fast. Would not reccomend.

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mlurve t1_iu9r6bm wrote

I got mine from Bed Threads and they're pretty new but I really like them so far

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Teutonic-Tonic t1_iu8dbme wrote

100%. Breaths much better, which despite it not being as soft, contributes to better sleep.

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Sook1970 t1_iub2brj wrote

Can u recommend a brand of linen sheets?

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klimme56 t1_iubx4kd wrote

I bought Quince sheets around a year ago after the set I inherited from my parents (probably from the 80s, judging on the pattern) started getting holes. They're pretty solid so far, and we just bought a set of Brooklyn Loom sheets to alternate on laundry day, but I haven't even slept on them yet so I can't speak to their quality.

I would NOT recommend Brooklinen though. Very thin, feel cheap, and get holes quickly (around a year and a half in, in my sister's case)

But yeah. I don't know if these quince sheets will last another 40 some odd years like my old set, but they seem pretty good so far.

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