Washing hemp

[tarynsmum]

When I wash my hemp liners and dry them on the line (outside in the sun), they always come off feeling really stiff. Is that normal for hemp, or am I doing something wrong? I don't think that there's soap residue, since I do a few rinses. My wash cycle is: (add detergent) hot cycle + extra rinse, then cold cycle (no soap) + 2 extra rinses. It seems like adding rinses doesn't do anything. Is that just what happens when they're in the sun?

[lizajane]

yes.

do you dry other fabrics in the sun? cotton prefolds come out very stiff if you line dry them, too.

try line drying them until they are just slightly damp, then finish drying them in the dryer. even better, toss in a wet tennis ball with them.

[tarynsmum]

I dry the outer shell of the Daisy doodles, Happy Heinys and the microterry inserts (I guess microterry is soft no matter what you do).

I guess I'll just have to live with it, cuz I don't pay enough attention when they're line drying to pull them when they're damp (they're lucky to get pulled off before it gets dark at night, lol)

thanks for putting my mind at ease. I was thinking I was doing something wrong.

[lizajane]

putting them in the dryer after they are dried with a damp washcloth will also soften them up a little.

PUL and fleece or suedecloth don't get stiff.