Clothesline Drying Mistakes: Why Your Clothes Smell Musty and Deform

My grandmother always said that "ironing starts at the clothesline." And how right she was. As a washing machine technician, I see people daily blaming the machine for their clothes coming out wrinkled like an accordion or smelling musty, when the real culprit is what they do after the cycle ends.

Hanging clothes seems instinctive, but there's a science to it. Committing certain clothesline drying mistakes can ruin your favorite garments, deform wool sweaters irreversibly, or make towels feel like sandpaper. Today we are going to review those mistakes we have all made at some point and how to solve them so your laundry comes out impeccable.

Mistake 1: The "Forgotten" Load in the Drum

It's a classic. You start the washer, go to work or watch a series, and remember the clothes 4 hours later. That pile of hot, wet clothes inside the drum is a perfect breeding ground for bacteria and fungi.

Consequence: Rancid musty smell that sometimes doesn't go away even after drying the clothes. If this happens, my technical advice is not to hang it like that; run a short rinse cycle with a splash of vinegar to kill the bacteria.

Mistake 2: Not Shaking the Clothes (The "Snap")

Taking clothes out in a ball and hanging them as is guarantees deep wrinkles. Fibers come out hot and damp from the spin cycle; if they dry in that position, the wrinkle "sets."

The Solution: Before hanging anything, give it a couple of strong shakes in the air ("snap it"). This stretches the fibers and eliminates most surface wrinkles. On t-shirts and jeans, the difference is abysmal.

Mistake 3: The Sun is the Enemy of Colors

Hanging in the sun is great for whitening white sheets and towels (the sun is a natural disinfectant and whitener). But for colored clothes, it's deadly.

The Trick:

• White Clothes: Direct sun.
• Colored/Black Clothes: Always in the shade or inside out. If you hang a black t-shirt in the August sun in Ponferrada, in two hours you'll have a grayish t-shirt with reddish marks.

Mistake 4: The Tyranny of Pegs

Putting pegs on the shoulders of t-shirts or in the middle of a pant leg leaves marks that sometimes don't go away even with ironing.

Where to put them:

• T-shirts: By the hem (the bottom part), on the sides. Or better yet, use hangers! Hanging on hangers saves space and leaves the garment ready for the closet.
• Pants: By the waistband, which is the thickest and most resistant part.
• Wool Sweaters: NEVER with pegs! The weight of the water will stretch the wool and deform the sweater. Always lay them flat horizontally on the drying rack.

Mistake 5: Overloading the Drying Rack

If you stick the garments very close together to fit everything, the air doesn't circulate. This causes clothes to take twice as long to dry and the dreaded musty smell to appear, especially in areas like armpits or jeans pockets.

Advice: Leave at least a finger's width of separation between garments. If you don't have space, prioritize hanging thick garments outside and use a dehumidifier to dry indoors for the rest.

Mistake 6: Drying Indoors Without Ventilation

In winter, many people hang laundry in the living room with the windows closed. This not only takes forever, but increases the humidity in your home, favoring mold on the walls and respiratory problems.

If you have to hang clothes inside, do it in the largest room, near a heat source (but not directly on the radiator) and open the window a little so the humidity escapes.