Friday, June 3, 2011

FRUGAL FRIDAY #2

Drying your clothes on a laundry line!
Apparently you can save a  BUNDLE if you hang it instead of using your dryer!
So I started to do some research. I remember that my Mom hung out our laundry when we were little and that she had RULES. The main one that I remember was that you hung sheets and towels on the outside of the line and your "undies" on the inside where the neighbors couldn't see them.
Apparently MY neighbors don't know about these rules -
I did a whole post about them and how they have their hot-tub on the driveway and their cars parked on their front lawn.
Go here for details of my plight :
http://oldblackcatboo.blogspot.com/2010/04/garden-decision-has-been-made-thanks-to.html
But I am going to put up my clothesline in my backyard behind the privacy fence. I do a big load of dog towels and bedding everyday. Plus I am washing the sheets that I drape over my furniture every 2nd or 3rd day.
So I am thinking that MY savings could be HUGE!
Now, getting back to my research. There is a TON of info about laundry line etiquette and/or rules.
Things like running a washcloth along the line first so that you don't get a dirt mark on your sheets or whatever. Also you are supposed to do the whites first and hang them end to end so that you can overlap and use less clothes-pins. Also tips like "if you wear it on the top, then hang it from the bottom and vice versa".
REALLY there are a lot of TIPS and apparently zoning regulations in some places.
And if you don't want "crunchy" towels, some say to throw them in the dryer for 5 minutes after you take them down off the line.
Others say to put heavy items like jeans in the dryer BEFORE you hang them to get some of the water out.
I got clothes-pins and cotton laundry line from the Dollar store.
This weekend I am putting up my clothesline!
Do YOU have any tips this week?

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I grew up with all those rules and I follow them strictly :-) Dryers costs enormous sums of money so You will save a lot by hanging Your washing on lines. I don´t even have a dryer :-)

Well today I thought of one way to save some money. Instead of buying more tomato plants I just plant those branches one must get rid of if one wants big tomatoes. It´s the easiest thing in the world to get new roots on those branches. It can also be done with the spuds on potatoes :-)

Have a great day!
Christer.

yoborobo said...

That's a great idea. We hang things around the house, drying them here and there. And we drape things off of our deck - lol!! Maybe I should string a line. I love the way it makes clothes smell. :) xox Pam

Cindy said...

I very badly want an outdoor line, my hubby says no, I think he's afraid that I will hang his undies out there! I think he's pretty funny because he knows I would not do that. I am thinking that I will try to wear him down again and go ahead and get that line and put it up. I already have lots of clothes pins.
Those rules you mention makes lots of sense, I should do a bit of research too, maybe.
Thanks for coming over and commenting on my blog so I could find yours, it is very fun!
Hugs, Cindy