Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Line Drying When it's Snowing Outside..

Now that winter's arrived in my neck of the Frozen North I've had to take in my clothesline from out back and find a new place for it inside. Since last March I haven't used our dryer at all, I started line drying mostly because of a bird's nest in our dryer vent opening- I know, I know, but after awhile I sort of got used to the zen of hanging laundry and getting that satisfied feeling seeing my clothes swaying in the breeze. When the sun was just right and the birds were chirping hanging laundry outside was one of the nicest chores around. Sadly, all good things must come to an end, and November brought snow and below freezing temperatures to my little corner of the world- and hanging laundry outside suddenly lost it's appeal. Frostbit fingers and frozen socks looming, I decided it was time to move the line inside. We are blessed with a great big basement but finding a place to hang our laundry where it would dry in a relatively short time and still be out of the way proved tricky. Reusing the length of cord from outside, we finally rigged up the line in the furnace room, and alongside our freestanding clothes drying rack it should serve us until Spring returns. Our furnace room works great for drying because of the heat our wood burning furnace puts out, and since we light a fire every day it's easy to gather or hang laundry while tending the fire.

I know not everyone has a handy furnace room like ours, what do you do in the winter? Line dry outside? Use the dryer for a few minutes? Put a rack by the wood stove? Line-drying clothes is such an easy, old fashioned way to do a necessary household chore. It saves you electricity (watch those kWh drop!), helps the environment, and you never get that pesky static cling that makes socks stick to.. well just about everything!