Lay Flat to Dry

[Marilyn]

One of my biggest everyday challenges in life besides working full time & keeping the house clean is laundry. One of the reasons that I like warmer weather is that the laundry is easier. Why do they make so many winter clothes with the instructions, "Lay Flat to Dry"? Where are you supposed to put all these flat drying things???? I have plastic racks with fabric mesh that work well, but my husband doesn't want them setup in the garage, so they end up stacked on the dining table.

This may be in the wrong forum. This is turning into a rant. Oh well!! I just prefer "tumble dry and light iron if necessary". Fortunately light ironing is seldom necessary if removed promptly from the dryer.;)

[Lindsey]

I feel the same way! I have a clotheshorse and I try to just lay them out on that, but then I have no room for my other clothes! I also have soooo many "handwash only" shirts. I used to spend 2 hours at a time washing them all when they built up. Then I got lazy and just started throwing them in the gentle cycle :D

[Janet]

I totally understand this problem. I finally said to heck with it. I just throw them in the dryer on air dry and that's it. When I was laying them out, it must have been the OCD in me, because I would have them so flat and stretched out, they looked horrible and outta shape.:)

[RLC12345678]

Oh I just have sweaters laying all over our home...on cahirs, on the couch, thrown over the side of our footboard on our bed... Hubby never says anything. He would not like to hear my response if he said anything. And I refuse to iron. If something needs to be ironed, I send it to the drycleaners. And I make hubby do his own laundry. I'm so aweful. I'm just really really bad at being a wife I guess. :rolleyes:

[DianaB]

I have a lot of sweaters and shirts that say "hand wash, lay flat to dry" too. I put them in the washing machine in cold water and on a gentle cycle . Then I hang them up on plastic hangers on a rod above my washing machine and let them air dry. I haven't had any problems with doing this.

[Marilyn]

My washing machine has a gentle cycle and a handwash cycle, so I use that and never handwash. There are a few items that say lay flat that I hang or hangers if they dont' seem to be stretching from the weight of the water in them, but some items just have to be layed flat or the sleeves would be way too long :p.

However, Janet, you have an idea that I may try. Perhaps air dry in the dryer would do the trick. I'm kinda afraid to try though, in case I ruin something. Do you just put the item in there with a big fluffy towel and set on air dry?

[Janet]

My washing machine has a gentle cycle and a handwash cycle, so I use that and never handwash. There are a few items that say lay flat that I hang or hangers if they dont' seem to be stretching from the weight of the water in them, but some items just have to be layed flat or the sleeves would be way too long :p.

However, Janet, you have an idea that I may try. Perhaps air dry in the dryer would do the trick. I'm kinda afraid to try though, in case I ruin something. Do you just put the item in there with a big fluffy towel and set on air dry?


Whenever I use the air dry in the dryer, I use my bed pillows. It fluffs them up at the same time.

[Marilyn]

Whenever I use the air dry in the dryer, I use my bed pillows. It fluffs them up at the same time.

Great idea. I'll try that.

As you said, learn something new on here every day!! ;)