It seems that I've been reading a lot lately about the growing trend toward hanging up laundry to dry. People who wouldn't normally strike you as frugality fiends are finding, among other things, that it isn't such a pain as you would expect, that it's nice to get outside and breathe fresh air, that it gives the laundry a clean, fresh scent, that it saves a huge amount of wear and tear on clothing, and that it really does save a ton on the energy bill.
That's all well and good, but I still don't like the thought. I know it would probably be good for us, and I'd get used to it, and I'd get the kids involved someday so it wouldn't be such an onerous chore, but still.
Last week we were researching new garage doors, since a spring broke on our current one. In looking through the covenants of our home-owner's association to determine the requirements of a replacement garage door, I discovered that outdoor clothing lines are banned. Oh, bummer. Guess I can't jump on that bandwagon after all.
6 comments:
Ah, Rose, I'm glad to know that I'm not the only one who isn't doing this! We live in the middle of nowhere so I don't have to worry about HOA rules, but my husband and older daughter have bad hayfever and hanging clothes, towels, and sheets outside makes it worse. Can't say that is such a big bummer to me, either. :-D
Terri
I guess clothes hung on a line are okay (I used to help Grandma do it). But towels hung on a line are stiff and awful. They could be reserved for punishments: "Use that tone of voice with me again and you'll be using the LINE DRIED TOWELS all week!"
-- SJ
We hung our clothes out at our Denver house but I DIDN'T hang the towels :) The sheets were amazing with the sweet smell of outdoors (no hayfever here). Not sure how it saved me tons of money though although it let my dryer catch up with my washer on laundry day. Don't you hate how the washer works faster than the dryer? Almost makes it seem like drying clothes is a lazier job.....
geni
They do sell pretty cheap indoor hanging racks that are all the rave here in France. :-) I am only mocking you...I also do all of my drying inside in my dryer even though most French families don't own dryers.
Geni, that always annoys me too.
Mom always loved hanging clothes outside, but I'd just as soon wear clothes dried with a nice fabric softener sheet in the dryer :)
A prohibition against outdoor clothing lines? Jeepers. Is that even American?
I live in condo land so it isn't even an option. I'm generally lazy about such things, but with rising energy costs, I would consider hanging my laundry.
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