A great way to save on energy (and money!) in the summer is to use a clothesline instead of a dryer. I’m still trying to figure out how I might be able to rig one up in our backyard (which isn’t too flat), but in the meantime I’ve been keeping a list of tips for when it’s ready. Some of you already getting clothes outside on the line might also find these helpful.
One of the things I love best about line dried clothes is the fresh, outdoor smell. I also like the crisp feeling when it comes to line dried sheets, but I’m not a huge fan of crispy-feeling jeans. To soften clothes in the wash a bit more for line drying, store a gallon of water mixed with a cup glycerin in the laundry room. Add 1/2 cup of the mixture to your wash or rinse cycle for every load.
Next, to make washable blankets nice and fluffy, try adding 2 cups of white vinegar to the last rinse cycle. This should also help to get rid of any lingering soap residue.
For grass stains, blot with a mixture of 1/3 cup white vinegar to 2/3 cup water. Remove as much of the stain as possible and then wash as usual.
For items that need to keep their shape, hang them on a non-metal hanger (you don’t want rust marks on your clothes!) first and then hang it on the line, securing with a clothespin if needed. Also, to get socks to dry faster, hang them by the toe with a clothespin instead of just folding them over the line.
If you have any other simple laundry line drying tips, please feel free to share them!
http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/home/uses-for-vinegar-doing-laundry-ga.htm Clean, Naturally by Sandy Maine http://www.thedailygreen.com/green-homes/latest/vinegar-uses-460409 http://www.thegreenestdollar.com/2009/04/how-to-line-dry-your-clothes/
Photo By: cpriest
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Thanks for the stain removal tip. I absolutely hate doing laundry! Right now two of my kids are playing baseball and they have grass stains on everything. I really don’t line dry-but it is certainly something I could try. We have so much laundry-I would need a line through my neighbors yard!
Lori, I know what you mean! Laundry is one of those never-ending chores. Hope the grass stain remover works for their clothes!