How to keep clothes soft after air-drying?
Want to save money and reduce your impact on the environment? Then air drying your laundry is the way forward! And there are a lot of added benefits to air drying. You can do it indoors or outdoors and can get that fresh scent when you air dry your laundry.
There’s nothing quite like the smell of freshly washed laundry, and we can thank air drying for that! However, we all know that air drying can sometimes lead to stiff clothes. But Lenor is here to help – read the guide below on how to avoid stiff clothes and how to soften clothes after air drying.
How we can get air drying right?
Air drying can involve drying indoors and drying outdoors in the sunshine. Regardless of which way we prefer to air dry, this can make our clothes stiff. Whilst air drying clothes is great for saving money and better for the planet, it can often make our laundry stiff. Dry clothes can become stiff for many reasons. These include the fabric not being properly rinsed during your laundry load and using too much detergent which can leave behind residue on your clothing, making the fabric stiff. You might also be using the wrong brand of fabric softener for your laundry – we recommend our Lenor range, made with plant-based softness1 to help you achieve that long-lasting freshness.
Top tips on the best way to soften clothes after air drying
Air drying clothes is a great way of reducing your carbon footprint because you save energy from not using a tumble dryer. It also helps to preserve clothing fibres, which can increase the longevity of your clothes! Not to mention the lovely fresh smell that comes with air drying.
Our top tips on air-drying clothes include…
Use the right amount of detergent
– we must be careful when putting on our laundry load to make sure we don’t use too much detergent. It’s easy to think it might make our clothes cleaner, however, it’s important to use the right dose. If we use too much detergent, this can leave a residue on our clothing – which in turn, stiffens the fibres. We recommend a 14ml dose of Lenor Outdoorables for amazing freshness and soft clothing (for a 4-5kg load).
Clean your washer
– something we can often forget when doing our laundry is that we must also keep our washing machines clean! If we allow dirt and excess detergent to build up in our washing machines, this can transfer to our clothes and make them stiff. We recommend regularly cleaning your washing machine for fresher and softer clothes.Give your clothes a shake
– once washed, give your clothes a good shake before you hang them up. Shaking fabric fresh from the machine helps to fluff up its fibres and prevents static cling, which can build up during your laundry load. Plus, garments should be fully stretched out, not crumpled, to keep wrinkles at bay – saves you ironing your clothes, too!
Consider whether you use hangers for drying laundry
– for example, we recommend hanging delicate items such as camisoles and shirts on coat hangers off your airer or washing line to maximise space. It will handily ensure more clothes dry at once and are as crease-free as possible. The bonus? Once completely dry, you can pop them straight into your wardrobe!Position your laundry properly on the rack
- we advise thinking about how you position your laundry – we recommend against hanging sweaters to avoid saggy shoulders and baggy sleeves. For knit and stretchy garments, we suggest laying them flat across a drying rack to help them retain their shape. When hanging laundry, make sure you leave an inch between garments for faster drying.Consider whether your dry clothes in the sun or have clothes drying indoors
– if you’re lucky enough to have lovely weather, we recommend drying white clothes and linen outside, to keep the whiteness of your white garments. Drying bacteria-prone items like socks and underwear is also ideal outdoors, as the sun’s UV rays can effectively kill pesky, odour-causing bacteria. If drying laundry indoors, we recommend investing in a heated drying rack and leaving windows open, if possible, to stop drying clothes from causing damp air.Soften the water
– some of us might live in ‘hard’ water areas, meaning the water contains high levels of minerals. If this is the case, we recommend installing a water softener system in your home as this helps to keep clothes soft.Add a fabric softener to your laundry load
– to get rid of any damp odour or stiffness that can come from air-drying clothes, we recommend washing your clothes with a fabric softener, like Lenor Outdoorable for unbeatable freshness. Developed with unique SolarDry™ technology, it gives all laundry loads a line-dried freshness and will fill your home with that lush fresh-air smell of clothes that have been dried outside.Still use the dryer for a quick tumble if possible
– to help fibres relax quicker, we recommend popping your laundry load in a dryer for around ten minutes to soften the load. Remember, fabric type, heat, and airflow all play a part in how long our laundry takes to dry!Don’t fold clothes away too soon
- make sure the items are thoroughly dried out before putting them away! This will prevent mould and mildew from growing in areas of poor circulation such as wardrobes, and make sure your clothes remain soft and fresh.
Why do air-drying clothes smell so good?
Not only does air-drying clothes give your laundry an amazing fresh scent, but it kills unpleasant odours. Thanks to the Lenor Outdoorable fabric conditioner range and its SolarDry™ technology, you can enjoy that incredible fresh-air feeling and plant-based softness to your laundry2 – whether you dry it inside or outside.
Whatever the weather, Lenor Outdoorable allows you to bring the outdoors inside. Experience the subtle change in seasons with three different scents: Spring Awakening, Summer Breeze and Pink Blossom – all from the comfort of your own home.
85% of the ingredients contributing to Lenor’s softness are plant-based