Hanging laundry is one of those things that is only worth it IF you have a little time on your hands. For me—it saves us about $20 a month in our utilities. I don’t necessarily hang every load of laundry in the summer. I do make an effort to hang as much laundry as I can during the summer. The beauty is: in the heat of the summer -- the clothes dry BEFORE they would have in the dryer!! When I am running low on “spare time” I just throw it in the dryer. But hanging just 1-2 loads a month can make a difference in your utility bill!
Because it is a slightly time consuming project, I enlist in my children’s help. My kids love to hang the clothes with me. They pull out the step ladder and pin the bottom of their shirt with clothes pins. This way I DON’T feel guilty of doing chores and not spending time with them! What a great way to teach your children about frugality, work and spending time together all in the same activity!
My “rules” of what I hang to dry:
1. No towels. (They go straight to the dryer. I HATE crispy towels. I LOVE a plush soft towel when I hop out of the shower.)
2. No unmentionables. (I don’t hang our underwear out to dry.)
3. Use fabric softener. (It makes a HUGE difference in their feeling softer.)
Happy Stretching Pennies.....
I grew up hanging clothes on the line with my mother, but it's so frowned upon these days. Because the sun is so harsh here I do a load at night and hang clothes on hangers on door jambs and on a wooden clothes airer. In the morning I put them in the dryer to fluff them up for 10 minutes.
ReplyDeleteGreat post.
Ann