But I don’t have a country estate! I live in an apartment!
That’s OK – you, too, can hang some of your laundry and save yourself both cash and carbon emissions. And it’s super easy!
If you live somewhere with a backyard – just string up some clothesline (available for about 99 cents at any hardware store) and get a package of clothespins (these might cost $2). And you’re in business. Wash your clothes, in cold water of course, and then hang them up.
If you don’t have a backyard, you might have to invest in a clothes rack. You can get these at almost any warehouse-style store or hardware store. Depending on the size, they cost between $10 and $30. But I’ve gotten an entire very large load on two of them. You can also hang your clothes directly on their hangers and hang them on a dowel (or one of those garment racks) in front of a sunny window, on a deck or balcony, or by a heat source – like a radiator (but not too close!).
But I hate it when my towels and jeans feel stiff!
Well, you can do one of two things:
1. You can get over it. That’s what we do. Towels only feel stiff through the first use and jeans take just 10 minutes or so to get going, as it were.
or
2. You can spray the hanging clothes with a combination of water and fabric softener. I personally think it’s a little silly, but if it really bothers you, it’s better to spray a bit than not to hang at all!
3 responses so far ↓
marye // August 6, 2007 at 5:39 am
you can also use cider vinegar in the rinse..
Wordless Wednesday “Summertime Laundry” « Half Pint Pixie // August 8, 2007 at 3:22 am
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cheaplikeme // August 13, 2007 at 6:59 pm
Our local H-Mart (huge Asian supermarket) has great drying racks.
If someone’s not going to hang laundry because of stiff jeans/towels, they could even cheat and throw them in for 10 minutes on cool — MUCH better than not hanging laundry at all!