It's something we all have to deal with. Depending on the number of people in your house and the size of your wardrobe, you may have to do more or less than I do. With 5 of us in the house, and one being pint-sized, we're doing laundry at least 3 times per week. If it's not done at least that often it gets overwhelming.
A few years ago our washer died. It was one we had gotten for free just for my hubby helping get it out of someone's basement. We also scored a dryer for only $50 because it needed a new cord. My hubby is so handy that he was able to replace the cord himself. Instead of shopping for a nice used washer, he decided we needed a new set. When they were delivered, the delivery people even hauled away our old ones for no charge.
This set was not overly expensive, and is also designed to save money. The washer has a load sensor so we don't use too much water. It also has the option to use "Tap Cold" water - no heating or cooling the water. The dryer also has a dampness sensor so laundry doesn't get over-dried unless you set it to "More Dry."
I needed to do myself one better. Especially since our yard is finally starting to come around. The last 2 years it has been quite the mess in our yard from the construction. I didn't like going in the back yard, let alone hanging my clothes back there. I was actually worried about my clothes getting dirty just from hanging there.
But this year I'm set on hanging them out! Which means I only do laundry on days that it is not raining. Tonight when we got home from baseball it was sprinkling, so Beau got all the clothes off the line while I was making supper (it was after 8 pm already.) I know some people hang clothes in their basements when it's wet or cold out, but I don't think I could do that because 1) the cat boxes are by the laundry and 2) our basement floor gets wet with large amounts of rain, so any clothes drying down there would smell musty. With the clothesline I have, I can hang out 3 large loads of laundry at once. I don't do much more than that on laundry days.
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| Chubbers loves helping Mommy when he's riding in his Moby! |
Then there is the question of towels. They always come out so stiff and scratchy, right? I did a little bit of research into this. I used to throw them in the dryer for a few minutes after taking them off the line, but that doesn't always do it. That defeats the purpose of not using the dryer in the first place anyway!
The one method I've tried so far that seems to be working is to use vinegar. I put half a cup of vinegar in the fabric softener dispenser. The towels do NOT smell like vinegar when they come out, and the towels are not so stiff they are able to stand on their own!
I have also been using homemade laundry soap for a couple years now. The old recipe I used would take up a lot of space in my laundry area. A friend turned me on to a more concentrated version. It's the same recipe, just less water, and therefore less soap per washing. A single batch makes 128 loads, so it lasts quite a while. I have not had any reactions to it and I have sensitive skin. It's also been fine for my kids' clothes including Chubbers. It doesn't take long to make it, and it's very inexpensive.
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