Comments on: Creatively Stretching the Dollar http://www.passionatehomemaking.com/2008/02/creatively-stretching-the-dollar.html Loving simple, natural, and intentional living Sun, 12 Feb 2012 16:24:56 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Dawn http://www.passionatehomemaking.com/2008/02/creatively-stretching-the-dollar.html/comment-page-1#comment-2134 Dawn Fri, 20 Jun 2008 05:44:48 +0000 http://www.passionatehomemaking.com/2008/02/creatively-stretching-the-dollar.html#comment-2134 I have a retractable single clothesline screwed next to our back patio door. It's about ten feet long, and the housing blends into our siding color. I think I paid 75 cents for it at a garage sale. My hubbie borrowed an auger and drilled a hole for a short length of PVC pipe to hold a metal closet rod "pole." The rod conveniently had a small hole near one end for the line to hook onto. I removed it when not in use and the pipe was nearly invisible. It worked great for many years, eventually bowing due to hanging heavy bed coverings. We then replaced it with a steel clothesline rod. I also have a small five-line retractable line that is mounted in our laundry room above the washer & dryer. It is up permanently and always has something hanging on it. Our laundry room is longer than it is wide and we don't have cabinets, so this works for us. Another laundry tip to save on small loads of gentle or delicate cycle items--use mesh laundry bags. I have four or five of these in various sizes and I use them for anything delicate: stuffed animals, velcro bibs, woven belts, tutus w/tulle, baby socks that the washer "eats," etc. I found a bunch of those bags at yet another garage sale, but I've seen them at Wal-Mart too. I have a retractable single clothesline screwed next to our back patio door. It’s about ten feet long, and the housing blends into our siding color. I think I paid 75 cents for it at a garage sale. My hubbie borrowed an auger and drilled a hole for a short length of PVC pipe to hold a metal closet rod “pole.” The rod conveniently had a small hole near one end for the line to hook onto. I removed it when not in use and the pipe was nearly invisible. It worked great for many years, eventually bowing due to hanging heavy bed coverings. We then replaced it with a steel clothesline rod.

I also have a small five-line retractable line that is mounted in our laundry room above the washer & dryer. It is up permanently and always has something hanging on it. Our laundry room is longer than it is wide and we don’t have cabinets, so this works for us.

Another laundry tip to save on small loads of gentle or delicate cycle items–use mesh laundry bags. I have four or five of these in various sizes and I use them for anything delicate: stuffed animals, velcro bibs, woven belts, tutus w/tulle, baby socks that the washer “eats,” etc. I found a bunch of those bags at yet another garage sale, but I’ve seen them at Wal-Mart too.

]]> By: Tia http://www.passionatehomemaking.com/2008/02/creatively-stretching-the-dollar.html/comment-page-1#comment-825 Tia Wed, 05 Mar 2008 09:52:33 +0000 http://www.passionatehomemaking.com/2008/02/creatively-stretching-the-dollar.html#comment-825 About half of my clothes and my dh's are dry clean only. His jeans, khakis go in the dryer, along w/underwear, socks and t-shirts. The rest go on drying racks. I have a few of those! (I personally like the plastic coated ones) I haven't had my clothes hung on a line in 20 plus years. We own our own home, and a clothes line just never did the backyard justice. I will have a few drying racks on our back deck (off our bedroom), and bring them in if we get company. Towels, sheets, and underwear ALWAYS get washed separately, and in hot water, and all get bleached added to kill bacteria. Everything else (that isn't dry clean only) gets washed in wash/cold water. About half of my clothes and my dh’s are dry clean only. His jeans, khakis go in the dryer, along w/underwear, socks and t-shirts. The rest go on drying racks. I have a few of those! (I personally like the plastic coated ones)

I haven’t had my clothes hung on a line in 20 plus years. We own our own home, and a clothes line just never did the backyard justice. I will have a few drying racks on our back deck (off our bedroom), and bring them in if we get company.

Towels, sheets, and underwear ALWAYS get washed separately, and in hot water, and all get bleached added to kill bacteria. Everything else (that isn’t dry clean only) gets washed in wash/cold water.

]]> By: Heather http://www.passionatehomemaking.com/2008/02/creatively-stretching-the-dollar.html/comment-page-1#comment-824 Heather Wed, 05 Mar 2008 03:08:31 +0000 http://www.passionatehomemaking.com/2008/02/creatively-stretching-the-dollar.html#comment-824 My goal is to not put more than 50% of our laundry (family of 6) in the dryer. In the winter I have 2 big drying racks I keep up near the wood stove. In the summer I hang out side. It is a little more work, but it feels good! I do hang more of our things in the summer (I run the dryer once for about every 3 loads in the washer). If I just had more rack space in the house! When we rented we had a wonderful basement and my hubby hung lines across it... I hung a TON!!!!! HEather My goal is to not put more than 50% of our laundry (family of 6) in the dryer. In the winter I have 2 big drying racks I keep up near the wood stove. In the summer I hang out side. It is a little more work, but it feels good! I do hang more of our things in the summer (I run the dryer once for about every 3 loads in the washer). If I just had more rack space in the house! When we rented we had a wonderful basement and my hubby hung lines across it… I hung a TON!!!!!
HEather

]]> By: Lindsay http://www.passionatehomemaking.com/2008/02/creatively-stretching-the-dollar.html/comment-page-1#comment-795 Lindsay Fri, 29 Feb 2008 23:37:07 +0000 http://www.passionatehomemaking.com/2008/02/creatively-stretching-the-dollar.html#comment-795 I actually don't have a clothsline outside as we have no way of hanging it on our small back deck. I have a metal rack and then I hang shirts and towels on our back metal fence. ;) Inside I have hung clotheslines in our bathroom and in our hallway. Lots of fun! Just have to be careful what's hanging when people come over! I actually don’t have a clothsline outside as we have no way of hanging it on our small back deck. I have a metal rack and then I hang shirts and towels on our back metal fence. ;) Inside I have hung clotheslines in our bathroom and in our hallway. Lots of fun! Just have to be careful what’s hanging when people come over!

]]> By: jerilyn http://www.passionatehomemaking.com/2008/02/creatively-stretching-the-dollar.html/comment-page-1#comment-792 jerilyn Fri, 29 Feb 2008 22:17:23 +0000 http://www.passionatehomemaking.com/2008/02/creatively-stretching-the-dollar.html#comment-792 Most people gasp when they hear that I wash all colors together in cold water :) but almost all of our clothes are either from the thrift store or 5+ years old (or both!) so I'm not too concerned about them. We live in an apartment with no outside place to dry clothes, but we have vaulted ceilings, so we hung up our own clothesline with pulleys. Most people gasp when they hear that I wash all colors together in cold water :) but almost all of our clothes are either from the thrift store or 5+ years old (or both!) so I’m not too concerned about them.

We live in an apartment with no outside place to dry clothes, but we have vaulted ceilings, so we hung up our own clothesline with pulleys.

]]> By: Andrea http://www.passionatehomemaking.com/2008/02/creatively-stretching-the-dollar.html/comment-page-1#comment-789 Andrea Fri, 29 Feb 2008 20:25:19 +0000 http://www.passionatehomemaking.com/2008/02/creatively-stretching-the-dollar.html#comment-789 As a single person, I began to realize that since my clothes were not new and were often bought used, that I could wash all my clothes together in hot or cold with no bad results. This helped me since I didn't want to wait the amount of time it took to get two or three different kind of loads together. Now that I'm married, I do most of my washing in mixed loads of warm water. I do have to be careful of the occasional new thing that is purchased to make sure that it is color fast or not of special materials (like wool) that need special treatment, but overall I save time and money by not being fastidious with separating colors. I also am forced to use a laudromat, so that's part of my issue. This may not work for when I have a large family (since I won't be able to color test each new clothing item that comes in), but hopefully by then I will have my own washer and dryer and I'm sure there'll be plenty of laundry to seperate! As a single person, I began to realize that since my clothes were not new and were often bought used, that I could wash all my clothes together in hot or cold with no bad results. This helped me since I didn’t want to wait the amount of time it took to get two or three different kind of loads together. Now that I’m married, I do most of my washing in mixed loads of warm water. I do have to be careful of the occasional new thing that is purchased to make sure that it is color fast or not of special materials (like wool) that need special treatment, but overall I save time and money by not being fastidious with separating colors. I also am forced to use a laudromat, so that’s part of my issue. This may not work for when I have a large family (since I won’t be able to color test each new clothing item that comes in), but hopefully by then I will have my own washer and dryer and I’m sure there’ll be plenty of laundry to seperate!

]]> By: mom2fur http://www.passionatehomemaking.com/2008/02/creatively-stretching-the-dollar.html/comment-page-1#comment-788 mom2fur Fri, 29 Feb 2008 19:59:12 +0000 http://www.passionatehomemaking.com/2008/02/creatively-stretching-the-dollar.html#comment-788 Oh, btw...the warm water is for killing dust mites! Oh, btw…the warm water is for killing dust mites!

]]> By: mom2fur http://www.passionatehomemaking.com/2008/02/creatively-stretching-the-dollar.html/comment-page-1#comment-787 mom2fur Fri, 29 Feb 2008 19:58:53 +0000 http://www.passionatehomemaking.com/2008/02/creatively-stretching-the-dollar.html#comment-787 I vary from cold to hot depending on what I'm washing. I have chronic allergies, so bedding and PJs get washed in warm water. I always do towels in hot...not sure why, I guess it's psychological. I wish I had a clothesline! I just love the smell of sun-dried laundry. I heard a funny piece of news on the radio this morning. Apparently, they're trying to pass a law that says no one can tell you what you can put up in your yard. That means, no condo board can tell its members 'no clotheslines.' I vary from cold to hot depending on what I’m washing. I have chronic allergies, so bedding and PJs get washed in warm water. I always do towels in hot…not sure why, I guess it’s psychological.
I wish I had a clothesline! I just love the smell of sun-dried laundry. I heard a funny piece of news on the radio this morning. Apparently, they’re trying to pass a law that says no one can tell you what you can put up in your yard. That means, no condo board can tell its members ‘no clotheslines.’

]]> By: Melonie (Momma & More) http://www.passionatehomemaking.com/2008/02/creatively-stretching-the-dollar.html/comment-page-1#comment-783 Melonie (Momma & More) Fri, 29 Feb 2008 15:26:07 +0000 http://www.passionatehomemaking.com/2008/02/creatively-stretching-the-dollar.html#comment-783 Great post! We've got a courtyard that actually came with a big pipe railing with hooks pre-installed on it (and the wall of the shed forming the wall across from it) for running a clothesline. You can guess what is on my Home Depot list for this weekend! :-) I've done my laundry in three basic steps for years: whites/lights, darks, and linens (bed sheets and towels). I separated my daughter's baby clothes out for a while when she was first born but found she didn't have enough clothing if I waited til laundry day - besides, I use the same detergent for everyone anyway. 6 years later and a new baby, and I just kept going. :-) I do stick bibs in with the linens load, however, because I don't like the idea of a bib coming loose (if it is a Velcro closure one) and sticking to/pulling clothing material. Great post! We’ve got a courtyard that actually came with a big pipe railing with hooks pre-installed on it (and the wall of the shed forming the wall across from it) for running a clothesline. You can guess what is on my Home Depot list for this weekend! :-)

I’ve done my laundry in three basic steps for years: whites/lights, darks, and linens (bed sheets and towels). I separated my daughter’s baby clothes out for a while when she was first born but found she didn’t have enough clothing if I waited til laundry day – besides, I use the same detergent for everyone anyway. 6 years later and a new baby, and I just kept going. :-) I do stick bibs in with the linens load, however, because I don’t like the idea of a bib coming loose (if it is a Velcro closure one) and sticking to/pulling clothing material.

]]> By: lizzykristine http://www.passionatehomemaking.com/2008/02/creatively-stretching-the-dollar.html/comment-page-1#comment-782 lizzykristine Fri, 29 Feb 2008 14:59:59 +0000 http://www.passionatehomemaking.com/2008/02/creatively-stretching-the-dollar.html#comment-782 Almost all kinds of clothes, sheets, and towels can wash well together. It may not be the recommended, but I've never noticed a difference in the cleanliness or color. :) I sort laundry solely by color, so white towels, sheets, and clothes all go together. This definitely cuts way down on the number of loads per week, and regulates the time in the dryer -- instead of a load of jeans or towels taking forever, all the loads take about the same time. Since I use the laundromat, doing laundry this way is more convenient and has cut our laundry budget about in half... Yay! Almost all kinds of clothes, sheets, and towels can wash well together. It may not be the recommended, but I’ve never noticed a difference in the cleanliness or color. :)

I sort laundry solely by color, so white towels, sheets, and clothes all go together. This definitely cuts way down on the number of loads per week, and regulates the time in the dryer — instead of a load of jeans or towels taking forever, all the loads take about the same time.

Since I use the laundromat, doing laundry this way is more convenient and has cut our laundry budget about in half… Yay!

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