String 'Em Up ....


According to the U.S. Department of Energy our clothes dryers are the second largest energy hog in our homes. The Energy Star label of efficient appliances doesn't even bother to label them.

There is a little $5.00 solution to consider.

A clothesline has a few pluses:

1. You can save money and reduce your personal impact on climate change
2. Your clothes will last longer; dryer lint from your clothes is like sawdust from wood, no shrinkage, no static cling, less ironing.
3. Your clothes will smell fresher and the sunlight will bleach and disinfect.
4. Indoor racks can humidify in dry winter weather.
5. No more dryer fire worries (over 18,000 a year in the U.S. alone).

And, I'm not going to get all new age-y on you here, but there is something about the feel of those wet clothes against your arms when you hang them up and the warmth when you take them down that is very grounding - I'm starting to tear up a little bit just thinking about it.

(or maybe I have something in my eye, but you get the picture)

A clothesline has a couple negatives:

1. You can't leave the clothes up for days like you leave them in your dryer
2. It takes a little more time, but not as much as you might think
3. It can be a bit unsightly depending on how crappy your wardrobe is

I have a little clothesline that started out as a yard gym for Olive. It has a rubber donut that dangles from it and she spends hours jumping for that donut and wearing herself out while I work. Now I use it for towels, linens and jeans (I don't use it for everything, but it does save me a few loads a week).

It is also great for beating throw rugs and this is where some real therapy can come in. You can even draw a little picture of your mother-in-law (just as an example not that I have done this) on the back of the rug and the cleaning will be even more therapeutic (this kind of only works if you have kids though).

Hubby - Is that my mom's face on the back of that rug?

Me - Huh?

Hubby- My mom's face drawn on the back of that rug!

Me- *looking confused*

Hubby - Look! *points to back of rug*

Me - *frowning and shaking my head* These kids...

1. Laundry room vinyl lettering by SingleStoneStudios
2. Vintage Washboard from ShamsandCoverUps
3. Vintage Clothespins from TripleTrouble
4. Vegan Laundry Soap by ShowerTreatSoap
5. Dryer Pillow Sheets by zJayne
6. Wool Dryer Balls by Romeo2Juliet

5 comments

queen-of-nostalgia said...

LOVE this! I laughed so hard :) I belong to a design group "Better Than Doing Laundry" so it makes me smile even more :)

I think I might go hang a line today. Seriously...

Anonymous said...

Much like our dish waser, Our dryer is only for emergencies or when a large volume of guests are around

Kate8085 said...

hahhaha. I can just see you beating the hell out of that rug!
I live out in the country, so there
are clotheslines everywhere.
I am a big fan of putting bed sheets and comforters out there.
They smell so good!

Lorrie said...

I have a little dryer that sits under the stairs, and it rarely gets used, and I mean maybe once a year in desperation. Also, occasionally things go to the laundry where a dryer is used, but its very rare. I hate using a dryer, but in a country like England where it's so damp (and clothes hung indoors can take days to dry so end up having to be rewashed), sometimes it's a necessity. However, I am better than most I know. I know many women who rarely hang on a line and use the dryer all the time. I enrages me, as I think if it's warm enough to dry outside, get off your arse and peg it out!

lyptis said...

Ha ha, funny the idea with the pic of ur mother-in-law!

I dont have a dryer and i absolutely HATE hanging up clothes! I HATE IT! It wears me out, but i like washing them!:)