General Chat

(see below)

I have just bought some new towels. In this day and age when we are being encouraged to save energy I am amazed to find they have a label telling me that ‘ In order to maintain optimum results we recommend tumble drying this towel after washing’ Personally I find this to be not very ‘green’. Dee x

That is daft Dee, I have never had a tumble drier but have heard they use a lot of electricity. I try to wash at low temps all the time too, Caz x

Hi Caz I've not got a tumble dryer either, guess if I want the towels to stay fluffy I will have to find a friend who has one ;-))

When my son was little terry nappies were the only option Caz ;-)))

Ive always tried to look at enviromental issus too, Dee, Some of my mates thought I was mad using terry nappies with all my kids! Caz x

I rarely use my tumble drier, however I do wish towels would stay soft when line dried but they don't. Re Terry nappies, which, of course I used having little option, I did see in the paper this week that they are saying terry nappies are not as green as we think. When they did a 'scientific' survey on the two options, terry and disposable. The terry nappies used a lot of energy because of the washing (electricity, water and soap powder) and especially if they were tumble dried. Ann Glos

Talking of soft clothes etc. have you seen the ad for a fabric softener. it says it is now more concentrated and therefore in smaller bottles. because of this they would be able to do away with x number of lorry loads. My thoughts were, if you didn't use it at all it would save even more lorry loads. l rarely use fabric softener and see no difference in my clothes at all. i am convinced it is a gimmick. Ann Glos

Ann I saw that too, about disposables versus terry nappies. My immediate thought was: who did the research? The manufacturers of disposable nappies? The research findings missed out one VERY important point - terry nappies do not fill up our land sites for hundreds of years and leach human sewage into the water table. OC

Aww Dee That's daft!!!!! Having to Tumble dry them I mean I don't use my tumble dryer much and prefer everything to be dried outside anyway---and Towels I like them unfluffy---lol

Apparently you're not supposed to use fabric softener on towels as it makes them less absorbent.

Hi folks Ann (Glos) I must admit I don't always use conditoner either, and certainly not the sprays that they have brought out for ironing with Ann (Darlington) , I like my towels soft and fluffy, need to live in a hotel really and have fresh ones every day - but that would be really 'ungreen' OC and Ann - terry nappies - don't start me on them. The research you mention Ann makes interesting reading but I do agree OC, they seem to omit to take into account the landfill problems. Some areas do a laundry service for terry nappies I believe, but I guess a lot of these 'greener' options come with a hefty price tag, putting them out of the reach of a lot of Mums of small children Dee x

Tracey, I have seen that somewhere as well I think, wonder what happens if you use those 'sheets' in the tumble dryer? The ones that are supposed to stop everything clinging to things when they come out Dee x

It's interesting that we may have a completely different perception about things. My family know immediately if I don't put fabric conditioner in the wash. I buy concentrate and dilute it, - 1 part softener to 3 parts water, into a large bottle ready for use. I too prefer to dry washing outside. I do have a tumble drier and use it to finish drying clothes if necessary, rather than dry them from wet, as I haven't space to drape half-dry washing for 5 people. Gwyn

I always use Conditioner, even with a washing Powder that claims to have conditioner added. However I dont use a dryer or.... drive a car.

Gwyn, I will concede that if you use fabric softener it has a pleasant smell, but I really don't think my clothes could feel any softer. (or should that be 'more soft'?) OC I can't remember who commissioned the survey, did it say? But, yes, probably the makers and retailers of disposables. The land fill problem with them is horrendous isn't it? Mind you i always used to boil my nappies, I suppose that would take a lot of energy, we are not advised to boil things these days are we. Can you imagine stained nappies hanging on the line? I wonder if the cooler washes would remove the stains. Ann Glos

Ann Wasn't it great to see a line full of snow white nappies blowing in the breeze.? I used to soak them in Napisan and boiled them infrequently. Yes, the fabric conditioner has to smell right. I hate the highly scented ones. Gwyn

Gwyn, I agree it has to smell right if I use one, Hi Bella Donna, I never think the combined washer/conditioners are as effective when it comes to makeing clothes softer , so I can see where you are coming from Dee xx

Napisan, goodness I had forgotten that, the bucket of napisan (and not a very nice smell), then into the baby burco (I didn't have a washing machine when either of my two were babies!), Then into the spin drier then out onto the line. And if it was very cold teyw ould all freeze and there would be all these weird shapes hanging on the line, an frozen fingers if you went to get them in while still frozen. (Good old days??????)

Ann, I was like you , had a burco boiler and a spinner. My sister in law boiled nappies in a saucepan on my mother in laws cooker when she was living with her - my poor mother in law had fifty fits!! Dee xx