It's rained here for the past seven days and doesn't look like it will stop anytime soon. 
That means I've had to resort to using my dryer for all the laundry our family of five generates. With two in sports, that's a lot of laundry.
Springtime usually means that I can take my laundry outside to the clothesline to dry. It's easy on the environment and, even better, it's free! Why pay for the gas and electricity to run a dryer when there's a perfectly good sunny, breezy day outside to dry the clothes for you?
There are neighborhoods around here that do not permit clotheslines. I guess that clotheslines aren't classy enough to belong there (along with metal swingsets and flagpoles, but that's another story.) Fortunately for me, this house came with a clothesline already installed. Every spring I just replace the ropes and I'm all set. My neighbors aren't offended by my laundry on the line, because they're hanging their clothes outside too!
So while I wait for the weather to brighten up, I'll have to console myself with the fact that I do have one more "green AND frugal" laundry trick up my sleeve: Instead of adding some Downy or Snuggle to the handy-dandy little fabric-softener dispenser in my washing machine, I put in a little less than 1/4 cup white vinegar and fill the dispenser the rest of the way with cold water.
The vinegar works really well at getting the extra soap out of the clothes and even softens them. BONUS: unlike fabric softener, the Vinegar Rinse doesn't cause your towels to be less absorbent. BIGGER BONUS: Vinegar costs less than $2 a gallon. Fabric softener costs more than $5 a gallon. A gallon of vinegar lasts at least twice as long as a gallon of fabric softener, so I save $8 with each gallon of vinegar I use. GREEN BONUS: Fabric softener is nothing but chemicals and water. ALLERGY BONUS: Vinegar has no fragrance to irritate your allergies--and the smell of the vinegar is not noticeable once the clothes are dry.
And one last bit of laundry-related advice: Don't keep the bird-feeder at the back of the house. That's where the clothesline is.
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One Response to “It's Easy Being Green--When the Sky is Blue”
I love hanging my laundry out to dry.
For me, it is an awesome way to save some hard earned money.
Plus it is sort of a meditative type thing for me.
A little fresh air, sunshine, and birds singing ...
Love it