20080411

Swinging In the Breeze

I want a clothesline. I want the OPTION of using the desert sun to dry clothes namely jeans that take forever, and unmentionables, you know, the stuff that takes a beating in the wash. I am not sure if it is allowed in our neighborhood, but Will is totally against it, as he thinks they look "white trash." Apparently he isn't alone in this, to me they look farm life and like a way to save energy AND a way to utilize the year round heat we have here. No frozen undies for us.

Check this article out, too. Crazy! The restrictions on these things makes me want one even more. Call me a crazy home birthing, extended breastfeeding, green living, hippy. I dare you (And I will grow out my armpit and leg hair and SHOW IT TO YOU, so there.) My own personal protest.

I would ideally like one of these drying racks. But I think that our patio cover would be a good place to put a couple of these retractable lines. They wouldn't be an eyesore, nor would anyone really see our hanging laundry. I already have a line in my laundry room. I hang Will's underpants in there (mostly because he has expensive taste in undies and they cost $20 a pair, so it is a way to keep them going longer- the elastic wears out more slowly.His undies can continue their inside dry time.) I hang the fleece jammies that Rhayn and Gwen have, they stay softer and do not pill that way. I lay sweaters on our table. I sun Gwen's cloth diapers once a month or so. But right now? I am doing 6 loads of laundry and one has 3 pairs of jeans that could be dried in no time in the 85 degree temperature outside.

I love the idea of standing in the morning sun, hanging up a load of laundry, watching it sway in the breeze. Taking shirts off of the line and smelling the fresh smell. I remember that smell from childhood. I remember the crispness of shirts and jeans that were line dried. I remember and I want my kids to remember it, too.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

It's so funny because EVERYONE hangs out washing in England, and we don't get a whole lot of sun there as you probably know. It is a true luxury there to even own a clothes dryer!

So ridiculous the misconceptions people have here, and of course the restrictions. Check out "Project Laundry List", at www.laundrylist.org. It may have your area listed, or not, as one that has restrictions.

tif-do said...

Wow... I have never heard of a restriction on hanging laundry out... I guess that's one of the luxuries of living in small town America. Wow!

Amie said...

When I was in college I did this. I hated it. LOL! I hate the hard crunchy feel all my clothes had. And they lost their color in the sun if left out too long. Or worse, if there was bad weather, you get the picture. Good luck though, if you want to try it, even just a small one, go for it!

lvh said...

My most favorite part of the place we bought in MT is the clothes line. I hang out sheets year round if the weather stays sunny during the day. All the jeans and sheets go on the line plus most of my t-shirts and JW's work shirts. I love to go outside and get the sheets off the line - they smell so fresh. I would wash my sheets every day during the summer if I had the time.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for writing this.

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