Ok readers, I need your help. Lately, I've been washing a lot of my laundry on the delicate cycle. Not just the typical delicates...we're talking cardigans and thin t-shirts in addition to the nicer-quality tops I've been trying to work into my wardrobe. To be fair, the tags all say "gentle cycle", and I don't want my clothes to pill! The problem is that half of the stuff can't go in the dryer. Yeah, I throw most of the cardigans and tshirts in the dryer (on LOW, jeez) but a lot of the tops and sweaters can't go in the dryer, either because they say "lay flat to dry" or because I'm paranoid that they'll shrink.
Usually it's ok; I divide the delicates into "dryer" and "not dryer", and lay flat all my "not dryer" pieces on this awesome guy over here:
| Michael Graves, I love you. |
The mesh keeps my clothes from gaining awkward indentations (that are seriously difficult to get out without ironing or re-washing). The mesh is removable for super easy storage if you need to tuck it away, or if you want to drape towels on it or something (though who line-dries towels?). Thanks to Erin for introducing us; I am in love.
However, we only have one. Our other drying rack is from IKEA, and it is all skinny slats.
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| I bought you for Will when he first had sweaters that couldn't go in the dryer. We've moved on. |
It doesn't hold a lot, and even bulky sweaters end up with those awkward indentations. But sometimes (usually), I need the space of both racks. I feel silly buying a second Michael Graves (also I can't find it online, so now I'm freaking out that maybe it doesn't exist anymore), but the IKEA one is kinda useless.
Tonight, I am in the predicament of having done (somehowidon'tknowhowitpileduplikethatyikes) THREE LOADS of delicates. Load #1 all went on the racks (and barely fit, I might add. ok, didn't fit. one sweater is laying on the dryer). Load #2 went in the dryer. Load #3 is sitting in the washer, because when I went down to the basement to take it out, the rack stuff still wasn't dry (I washed it last night, but it's been cold out). So it's going to sit overnight tonight. In the washer. Hopefully it won't get like, gross and moldy or something, but that usually takes several days of sitting (not that I would know) to occur. Fingers crossed that tomorrow (when, um, I get home at like 10pm) Load #1 will be dry and I can put Load #3 on the racks. It will be wrinkled and I might have to air fluff it in the dryer or something, because ahem, delicate "nice tops" shouldn't be wrinkled. And I don't like to iron.
So help me please. Do I follow my laundry directions too strictly? Should I just do smaller loads and let this be a lesson to myself to never let the laundry pile up again? Is there a way to avoid those indentations? Should I just seek out another mesh rack?
Help.
You need to get your butt over to the container store and get this.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.containerstore.com/shop/laundry/dryingRacks?productId=10000496They stack on top of each other, so you can get a bunch and just stack them on each other.
Have you considered investing in a bunch of good slopey-shouldered fat hangers? Like the kind that come with suits. I would hang 5-6 sweaters off of the Ikea rack on those to dry--as long as they're not touching they'll dry fairly efficiently, and a well-shaped hanger with broad shoulders will keep them from getting all misshapen. Or there's always the retractable clothesline spool in the cabinet trick. (depends on the width of your kitchen and your own patience, of course.)
ReplyDeleteI'd just invent in another michael graves drying rack if you can find it. There are two of you - it's not crazy that you'd need two racks. I'm often using two now days...
ReplyDeleteSometimes it's a pain following directions, but I always regret it when i don't and (1) shrink the item, or (2) it starts pilling and looking like shit. waste of money either way!
I don't have a drying rack for my laundry. Our undryables end up all over the house - mostly hanging over the many railings we have and in the second bedroom. Tim's dress shirts usually end up on the backs of chairs. If they shrink, they still "fit" everywhere but the arms, which get too short and it looks silly.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry I'm not much help, buuut, I never leave the laundry sitting wet in the washer overnight anymore. I've done it before, but they always end up with a weird mildewy smell. So, if they accidentally (or on purpose) get left in the washer, I run the washer again - which is wasteful, yes, but not smelly.
I've always thought those were neat - but where do you stack them? On the floor in a giant tower? And can you fit more than one article of clothing on each square?
ReplyDeleteI have considered hanging, but I am scared of the misshapen shoulders. It's happened before, but maybe that was just the wrong kind of slopey-shouldered fat hangers and haven't found the brand that works for me yet. How do you use a clothesline without clothes getting all wonked out? Do you just get magical clothespins that don't leave indentations?
ReplyDeleteAgreed!!
ReplyDeleteYeah, I used to have them drying all over the house, but now that the laundry is in the basement, I don't want to bring a bunch of wet clothes upstairs (laziness? not wanting to schlep a hamper full of wet stuff?). It was easier when it was all on the same level, and it would just go out of the washer, walk down the hall, drape over a chair. And yeah, I have definitely done the wasteful thing and run the load again to clean the mildew smell away.
ReplyDelete