Nature’s Dryer

With the high temperatures are you using Nature’s Dryer – the outside to dry your clothes?

If not, you are missing out on free energy.

An electric clothes dryer uses approximately 4400 watts. That’s over twice the amount your oven uses to cook at 350°!

When you hang clothes out on the line, you are saving a good percentage off of your electric bill and the more loads you do a day, the more money you save. You also save money in not having to replace your clothes as often. A dryer is extremely hard on clothes and will wear them out faster than hang drying will. If you want to save a lot of money, doing things the old fashioned way is sometimes the best way.

Since my “job” right now is to take care of our son and the household I also think it’s my job to save as much money as we can. Between using coupons at the grocery, buying only what we need, not splurging and finding more ways to save on bills, it can equal to a savings a part time job can make!

I grew up hanging clothes up to dry all year long right through the winter time and there is something very refreshing about sleeping on sheets and wearing clothes hung out on the line. Who needs smelly fabric softeners when Nature delivers a wonderful scent infused into your clothes!

If you think you don’t have the time to hang clothes to dry, you might be surprised just how little time it takes once you have all the right tools. All you need is a clothes line or a clothes rack, some hangers, clothes pins and place to dry. It really only takes a few extra minutes per load to save a lot of money.

Many people just use the old fashioned clothes line out in the backyard which is the simplest method and the cheapest. You can install poles into the ground and string a taunt clothes line or you can use the rotary style that doesn’t take up as much room.

If you don’t have a backyard or one big enough, you can also string a line on your patio with a retractable clothes line, a drying rack or even just a simple clothes rack.

I use a simple clothes rack, hang or pin the clothes to plastic hangers and hang them on the rack. Once dry, I take the clothes that may need some softening such as bath towels and throw them in the dryer for just a couple of minutes with some fabric softener diluted on a rag and tumble to soften.

Many clothes don’t even need softening as the sunshine and light breeze does it. The sunshine is also a natural clothes brightener and makes whites brilliantly white without all the chemicals. If you’re worried about bleaching out your dark shirts, just hang those clothes out later in the day when the sun isn’t so high.

Many newer neighborhoods have ordinances against hanging clothes out which is a shame. I know the ordinance is to keep the neighborhood beautiful and uniform ……. all looking the same that is, but it’s a shame to deprive people the chance to reap the benefits and money savings that this practice provides.

If you happen to live in a neighborhood that restricts hanging clothes out, you can buy a clothes rack and hang or pin your clothes on hangers then hang on the rack near an open window or patio door. The breeze still infuses your clothes, you just may not get the benefits of drying in the sun.

If high temperatures, inclement weather or neighborhood ordinances prevent you from hanging your clothes outside you can still hang them to dry in your laundry room, basement or wherever you can string a line or put up a clothes rack.

I also use the practice of hanging clothes out to dry as a little “job” for my 3 year old. He loves to have a job to do and his is to help me take the clothes out of the washer and pin the clothes onto the hangers for me. I hold the clothes and hand him a clothes pin, I then point to where I want the pin and he puts it on. If I’m just hanging shirts on hangers then he hands me the shirt.

It’s a great way to get the kids involved in helping out to save money. Teaching kids about responsibilities and chores, earning money and finding ways to save are just some side benefits in learning to be more frugal. And kids learn real fast that more money saved equals more money available to spend on fun things.

With harder economic times upon us we need to find all sorts of ways to be more frugal with our money. Using Nature to help us save that money may be an old fashioned way of doing things, but when you think about it, old fashioned ways are often very frugal ways.

Julie

**If you are a stay-at-home mom who has ever struggled to make ends meet, or a working mother who would like to transition to a business that allows you to spend more time with your family, then Project MAHMA is for you!

Project MAHMA(Moms at Home Making A Difference…and a Lot of Money!) is a global coalition of moms (and dads) who are earning an income from home and giving themselves the gift of freedom— including more time with their families—while at the same time offering others the gift of better health and a better life.

Visit us on the Web at: Project MAHMA