hmmm, dryer sheets

[Amethyst]

We didn't even have a clothes dryer until I was about 5. I grew up with clothes hung outdoors, even when it was cold enough for the bed sheets to freeze. When we moved to Florida in the 70's, the first thing Mom and Dad did was set up a clothes tree outside.

I didn't use dryer sheets until I got married in 1986. My husband used them, so I took up the practice. I did notice the coating on the dryer drum, and there was a Consumer Reports article (I think) about potential health issues. So, some time in the 90's we quit using dryer sheets and never went back. We also hung the clothes outside on the deck railings, 9 months of the year. In Florida, I use the solar and wind dryer all year round.

The main reason I use the electric dryer is to soften the bath towels. But bear in mind, those gobs of lint after drying towels, used to belong to the towels before they got roasted and battered in the dryer drum. Drying clothes in a dryer greatly shortens their life.

 

[Koolau]

My high school physics teacher warned us not to use dryer sheets when they first came out, circa 1975. I didn't pay attention to the reason as DM always hung her clothes out to dry. When DM and DF moved in 1979, it was highly frowned upon to hang your wash outside, as the house also came with a dryer.

We try to dry most of our clothes within the lanai as we do not have a clothes line here in the Condo complex (and there are strict rules against visible laundry drying from railings, etc.) I think I roughly calculated a load of laundry was about $1 here in Paradise ($0.30+ per KWH). I think air-dryer not only smells better than dryer/with sheets but costs a lot less. True, it's a bit more work and some clothes need a final "tumble" to insure the wrinkles are minimal. But as retired folks, it's an activity that brings a certain satisfaction - and savings. YMMV

 

[Amethyst]

HOA's normally prohibit outdoor clothes drying where anyone can see it, and I don't blame them. People's laundry can be quite a sight.

Then again, we only lived in an HOA development early on. I used to put up an old folding clothes rack in the bathroom, to dry my blouses, which I washed by hand. Since then I've used deck railings, and even the rungs of a painter's scaffold. My solar/wind dryer has always been discreetly hidden from direct view.

When DM and DF moved in 1979, it was highly frowned upon to hang your wash outside, as the house also came with a dryer.

 

[Koolau]

HOA's normally prohibit outdoor clothes drying where anyone can see it, and I don't blame them. People's laundry can be quite a sight.

Then again, we only lived in an HOA development early on. I used to put up an old folding clothes rack in the bathroom, to dry my blouses, which I washed by hand. Since then I've used deck railings, and even the rungs of a painter's scaffold. My solar/wind dryer has always been discreetly hidden from direct view.

Yeah, we have a rack that works well. When the trades are blowing, clothes dry quickly. If I run out of room on the rack, I'll use the backs of chairs (for shirts) or place clothes on hangers and string them up and down the hall (our mini-wind tunnel with the trades.) It's not even that much extra work - and it's satisfying (to me.) YMMV

 

[Amethyst]

And boy, do those wind-dryed sheets smell good

Yeah, we have a rack that works well. When the trades are blowing, clothes dry quickly. If I run out of room on the rack, I'll use the backs of chairs (for shirts) or place clothes on hangers and string them up and down the hall (our mini-wind tunnel with the trades.) It's not even that much extra work - and it's satisfying (to me.) YMMV

 

[CaptTom]

I can't imagine caring whether a neighbor's laundry is visible or not. How petty can a person be?


Another reason I'll never buy a home with a HOA.

 

[Walt34]

FWIW..

Dryer sheets are awesome at removing all those splattered, baked-on bugs from the front of your car.

Maybe there's a retired chemist on here that can explain why?

I have no idea why, but wet newspaper also works great for that. I found that out in the mid 1970's when I had a light airplane. When you hit bugs at 120+ mph they stick on good!

We used wet newspapers to clean the windshield especially, since you definitely don't want to scratch it given the cost of a new one. I also found it worked great on my motorcycle windshield. Wet the newspaper in layers of three or four sheets, let them sit for 20 minutes or so, and wipe off. Yes, your hands get newsprint all over but it washes off easily.

 

[NW-Bound]

HOA's normally prohibit outdoor clothes drying where anyone can see it, and I don't blame them. People's laundry can be quite a sight...

I can't imagine caring whether a neighbor's laundry is visible or not. How petty can a person be?

Another reason I'll never buy a home with a HOA.

My guess is that they try to prevent a sight like this.

 

[Koolau]

I can't imagine caring whether a neighbor's laundry is visible or not. How petty can a person be?


Another reason I'll never buy a home with a HOA.

Agree that some HOA's become little fiefdoms for power-mad board members. We have seen very little of that though the occasional member has a "pet" peeve they like to see enforced.

Having said that, I actually do prefer folks keep their laundry off the lanai railings and such (ours is not visible the way we hang it.) There are lots of places where towels, laundry, etc. are flapping all over the place in high rises. It's not the end of the world, but it is unsightly. Our building's requirements are outlined clearly in the documents available to all potential residents. There are no surprises. It's important to buy into the HOA rules before purchasing a condo - or avoid said condo. YMMV

 

[Philliefan33]

All of you who like laundry dried on the line must not have pollen allergies. I can’t imagine trying to sleep on sheets that have been basking outside in the very allergens that I try to wash out of them.

 

[Amethyst]

Or one family's worn, stained underthings, staring other families in the face when they look out their back or side windows.

My guess is that they try to prevent a sight like this.

 

[kgtest]

I'll have to give those dryer sheets a try for the bug removal. Never knew.

 

[Mr._Graybeard]

Dryer sheet fragrance comes from chemical compounds called pthalates. They're also used to make plastic flexible. Pthalates are known as "endocrine disruptors," chemicals that may alter how the body produces hormones. Long-term health effects are unclear but under study. https://www.niehs.nih.gov/health/topics/agents/endocrine/index.cfm

 

[RobbieB]

Air dry sunshine is great. HOA's are not. Fly your clothes line proud!

 

[CaptTom]

My guess is that they try to prevent a sight like this.

Must be laundry day in that neighborhood. I don't see the problem. None of that would interfere in any way with my life. Worrying about what a neighbor's laundry looks like is pretty low on my list. Complaining about it would be even lower.

But my real reason for posting is I found a smell that's worse than dryer sheets... Fabreeze.

I sprayed some on a couch that the dog likes to sit on, thinking it might help. I'd rather have the dog smell.

 

[eytonxav]

Don't like HOAs, read rules before buying a home in one. The ones I have lived in are pretty reasonable. If you don't live in an HOA, why bother to complain about them

 

[Koolau]

Don't like HOAs, read rules before buying a home in one. The ones I have lived in are pretty reasonable. If you don't live in an HOA, why bother to complain about them

True, and as often as an HOA rule may interfere with YOUR "freedom" it (or another rule) may protect you from a neighbor who would otherwise cause you grief. We have a significant number of non-owner residents (renters) and since they tend to move in and move out, having clear rules has been helpful in managing (for instance) noise (we have official quiet times), pets (zero barking or out), smoking (we went "no smoking" with currently 2 people still grandfathered to smoke), sub-letting (not allowed), etc.

I can see how folks do not like rules. Rules do restrict freedom. BUT as long as the rules are clear and are not used as a club, they may also be liberating. This is very much a YMMV subject and some folks are not cut out for HOA living. The bad news is that living in a single-family dwelling (aka house) costs nearly twice what a condo costs here in Paradise. Again, respectfully, YMMV.

 

[Luvtoride]

I read and knew all of our HOA rules before purchasing our 2nd home (condo) at the Jersey shore. This was my first experience with an HOA since living in our primary single family home for 37 years. The same HOA that bans hanging laundry and towels outside on patios and decks implemented a 3 month minimum rental rule many years ago to prevent this from becoming an Air BnB rental building.

In 4 years since I’ve owned it, the HOA fee has NOT increased $1 and the market value of my unit has increased 30% and my equity (yes I have a mortgage) has increased 170%! I’m happy to abide by the rules that preserve and enhance our values and dry my clothes in my dryer!

 

[RobbieB]

I did the HOA thing once in my first home a townhouse. Makes sense for that type (community owned) property.

But I would never go on a house. Got to get your paint approved, got to get your landscape approved, no antennas, no smoking?, ya gotta be kidding right? Can't smoke in my own house or my own backyard? When I fire up the barbee, it smokes way more than a whole pack of smokes.

Oh I get it, can't fire the barbee either.

 

[Philliefan33]

I did the HOA thing once in my first home a townhouse. Makes sense for that type (community owned) property.

But I would never go on a house. Got to get your paint approved, got to get your landscape approved, no antennas, no smoking?, ya gotta be kidding right? Can't smoke in my own house or my own backyard? When I fire up the barbee, it smokes way more than a whole pack of smokes.

Oh I get it, can't fire the barbee either.

Not all HOAs for single home communities are as restrictive as that. Our (single family) vacation home in the mountains has an HOA, with the primary purpose being maintenance of the shared amenities and roads. Our annual assessment (~$800) funds road maintenance and plowing, maintenance on the social hall/office, pool, lake, lifeguards, security, maintenance workers and office staff. Plus association insurance, operating costs, and a hefty contribution to the reserve fund (it has to be hefty because previous BOD neglected this for almost 50 years). Without an HOA with the power to collect funds, the place would fall apart.

The only rules regarding individual properties are to prevent excessive tree clearing (we are a forested mountain community and want to keep it that way) and to prevent trash from accumulating. No rules regarding paint colors or landscaping.

 

[Walt34]

But I would never go on a house. Got to get your paint approved, got to get your landscape approved, no antennas, no smoking?, ya gotta be kidding right? Can't smoke in my own house or my own backyard? When I fire up the barbee, it smokes way more than a whole pack of smokes.

Oh I get it, can't fire the barbee either.

Few HOAs are THAT restrictive, and I wouldn't put up with it either.

The key is to actually get a copy of the covenants and sit down and read them before signing a contract, which very few people do. Then they cry, whine, and carry on when they find out that no, you can't park your 32 foot boat on the street in front of the house.

Where we live there is an HOA, and I wouldn't have it any other way. In their collective "infinite wisdom" the voters in this WV county have twice rejected zoning laws in the time we've been here. That means, absent an HOA with enforced covenants, the guy next door is free to open a used car dealership, a gambling or strip joint, a bar, a junkyard... you begin to see the possibilities.

I'll take the HOA, thank you very much.

 

[Koolau]

In 4 years since I’ve owned it, the HOA fee has NOT increased $1 and the market value of my unit has increased 30% and my equity (yes I have a mortgage) has increased 170%! I’m happy to abide by the rules that preserve and enhance our values and dry my clothes in my dryer!

I envy your experience. That's one area our HOA has been a pain. The fee increases are exceeding inflation. We have to maintain certain levels of reserves and much of our building's outside maintenance (tree trimming, trash removal, etc.) are at the mercy of the providers we hire. Our building is aging and requires a fair amount of external maintenance. We all pay for that. The good news is that, unlike many condos in our area, we have not required an "assessment" for (say) painting the building or concrete repair. "It's in there." Prices for units are steadily moving up as are prices in Honolulu in general. The price of Paradise is high - but so far, worth it. YMMV

 

[Lewis Clark]

... In 4 years since I’ve owned it, the HOA fee has NOT increased $1 and the market value of my unit has increased 30% and my equity (yes I have a mortgage) has increased 170%! ...

This may be a serious warning sign that the HOA reserve account is underfunded. A major repair or maintenance issue may require a special assessment if reserves are inadequate.

I'd recommend asking to see their reserve study. If they do not have a reserve study, that's an even bigger warning sign.

 

[Koolau]

This may be a serious warning sign that the HOA reserve account is underfunded. A major repair or maintenance issue may require a special assessment if reserves are inadequate.

I'd recommend asking to see their reserve study. If they do not have a reserve study, that's an even bigger warning sign.

Yeah, I would agree with this. Our board takes "reserves" very seriously and has proposed from time to time as much as 9% increases in HOA dues JUST to insure that reserves are MORE than adequate. So far, we have NOT done that and our reserves are "officially" adequate (I forget what group determines that - some governmental body I am certain.) Without adequate reserves, a single "bad" event (a fire, a major leak, a sewer line, elevator replacement, painting, spalling, etc.) can wreak havoc with funds and cause an assessment. We have heard about other local condos when sometimes owners FAIL to come up with assessments in a timely fashion. While there are penalties for such failures, the bottom line is that a condo can find itself in dire straights if it runs short of money. Reserves ARE owned by the owners, so it's sort of "pay me now or pay me later." Point is, knowing your condo's finances IS in ones best interest - before you buy in and after you are an owner. YMMV