Thursday, April 29, 2010

Hotter Than I Should Be

This year Alain and I installed a new outdoor clothes line as part of an Earth Day Initiative. I haven't been able to write about before now for a few reasons:
  1. I wanted to take a photo with non-embarrassing items hanging on the line (I'm not into public displays of my underwear)
  2. We were sick immediately after installing it, although I don't think the two are related
  3. We're still getting the hang of it and definitely need to install one of those thingies that keeps the line from sagging so much.
We've had an umbrella style clothes line outside since we moved here, but it was in a shady place (since the septic bed had to be avoided when it was installed) and it rarely fit all our clothes, since we generally only do laundry on weekends and always do a few loads at a time.

Our new line, besides being a lot bigger, gets a lot of sun and since it is higher, it gets a lot of wind too.

So far, since it's still new, we are loving doing laundry and hanging it outside.

I haven't been great about hanging laundry outside in the past, but I'm really trying now. For whatever reason, my Mother would hang out laundry outside for several days. I guess she'd get busy (?). She'd hand it back in folded piles and I swear the clothes were stiff enough to stand on their own. Not exactly comfy. Sometimes, if it had rained the clothes would smell funny. In my teens I would swear they smelt like acid rain.

Since my husband has always liked hanging things out on the line we have adapted to doing things differently than my previous experience: We try not to leave the clothes out too long (ie. not even all day usually) and we toss them in the drier for a few minutes to soften them up before putting them away.

Sticking to these few rules has seemed to help me get over my aversion to drying things on the line.

I had to include our matching his-and-hers "Hotter than I Should Be" t-shirts in the specially selected load of wash (chosen so I could take these photos!). They were from WWF a few years back. They don't seem to be available from WWF anymore, but you might be able to find them elsewhere on the 'net.














Once the wind picks up...

2 comments:

  1. Blogger needs a Like button! *like!*

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  2. Great for you. I consider myself an air drying advocate. Drying laundry on a line or a clothes drying rack is so simple and it makes so much environmental and economical sense. Did you know that you are saving 6% or more of your utility bill annually by this simple lifestyle change. Not to mention the added benefit of adding a little outside sunshine into your life. Good for you!

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