CountryMom's Profile

We own a dryer for "emergencies" but don't use it. We started by hanging clothes outside in the fall, spring and summer, and then we strung a double-line in our kitchen for rainy days and winter. Now I use my dryer maybe 2-3 days per year. We saw our electricity bill go down by over $90 a month, and that was five years ago. Sometimes it's a pain to navigate around the laundry in the kitchen, but it's worth it - our clothes last longer, drying adds humidity to our house, and we're saving money and energy.

We upgraded to a high efficiency front-load washer and that helped a GREAT deal, plus we have a wood stove that we use to primarily heat our kitchen and part of our great room. When we have guests, the line is on hooks and just comes down. I start a load of wash at night, and then we hang it early in the morning. By supper, it's dry and comes down. I can sometimes do two loads a day if I plan it right. Small things (socks & kids' underwear) just go on the radiators.

In the warm months, I can dry 2-3 loads on the line. The key is to plan ahead and to do laundry every day rather than in one big fell swoop. I do use fabric softener which helps - but I only use petroleum-free, phosphate-free products as we are in a public watershed and we have a septic system. We love it!