Speaking of the laundry subject - two questions for the masses

coasterqueen wrote: 1. Do you line dry your clothes when weather permits (like spring/summer warm weather) and if so do you have a clothesline or how do you hang them?

2. Does anyone use some home product or remedy over using actual laundry detergent? I like the idea of white vinegar instead of fabric softner - at least give it a try. The smell of vinegar makes me gag, so if I smell it when I've washed them - it's over! lol. I"d like to try something other than regular detergent if there is such a thing.


I have been begging my DH to put me up a clothesline. We live in the country and it would go way in the back yard, so who cares, right? He thinks we'll look like white trash if we have one. My parents, who live down the road from us, still have one and it's in plain sight and it doesn't look bad in their yard. I grew up having to put the laundry (nix the undergarments, though) on the line and I LOVE it that way and would love to save on electricity.

Edit for spelling.

C&K*s Mommie replied: We have one of those clothesline poles that have what looks like the pentagon at the top. It is smaller, thus it does not hold but 1 or 2 loads. I used it frequently for a while after our dryer broke, then I finally convinced Chris to get me a dryer since I was backed up on the washing without the dryer, and the cold weather approaching would not help.

I think I may go back to clothesline drying when spring/summer rolls around. Mostly because we had exorbitant electric bills last year, and I want to stay away from that again this year.

We use the regular store bought detergent to clean our clothes, nothing homemade about that.

luvmykids replied: I love to line dry, especially sheets and jeans. (They're easier to starch if you do that to yours)

But for wash I haven't tried anything other than regular detergent. I'm going to try the vinegar thing but it will be hard to give up my Downy Lavendar and Vanilla softener!

kimberley replied: i LOVE my laundry line! i had one in my old place and one here too til last year. the boys swung on it and it broke and DH won't put it back up it saves on hydro and takes a lot faster to dry on a sunny day and smells so fresh! the sun is the best natural bleach in the world!

aspenblue1 replied: I hang most of my clothes in my house I have a pole over the washer and dryer.

kayla's mama replied: Our home association will not allow a clothes line. I would love to have one to save of the electric bill.

I just hang clothes all over the house, mainly on door frames.

eta: I use only Tide with bleach or Tide with downy. Nothing homemade about me

TANNER'S MOM replied: Oh I love my clothes line. I love to hang sheets on it..and jeans too!

When Brittany was a baby and I used cloth diapers only.. I let the sun bleach them..and I loved how fresh they smelled.

I don't always use it..but use it for things like rugs that I have washed..big blankets and sheets

I don't mind the look of a clothes line. It makes me feel homey. I know someone who lives there loves there family..does that make since.

I do use clothes pins..but I use the ones that don't leave a mark..they are padded. I use them on my clothes that I have to hang to dry..which these days is almost everything But I don't mind it!

gr33n3y3z replied: I use the dryer for everything
We dont have a yard big enough to hang them out and the work trucks are back there any way.
But i do miss the fresh smell of my clothes

3_call_me_mama replied: We are putting up a new clothesline this summer. And other thatn that we used to use a clothes rack. I love that fresh laundered smell, and teh fresh air! We also use the dryer but i really hate to. And I'm very excited about being able to sun the stains out of Kat's diapers.

OH and Karen, if you smell teh vinegar after you wash, you're using too much. I use about 1/4 cup or so and dont' smell it once they are rinsed and dried.

Sometimes I'll wash with baking soda but usually just Tide or All free and clear

~Roo'sMama~ replied: I would like to have a clothes line this summer. I wanted to put one up last summer but it just never happend. (like so many other things ) But I hate jeans and shirts that haven't been in the dryer. They're too stiff - I've been hanging everything up in my house for a couple months and I hate it. So I'll probably throw them in the dryer after taking them off the line to fluff them up a bit. If my dryer is ever working again, that is.

MyBrownEyedBoy replied: I use the line during the summer for sheets, blankets, and my clothes. I hate when my shirts feel shrunken (I swear, I don't gain that fast.) Aaron doesn't like the "scratchy" feel. But I love sheets dried outside.

3_call_me_mama replied: Karen I found these too
More natural laundering things...

Wonderball

Supposed to be for cleaning clothes without laundry saop or with very littel browse around teh site adn click on teh wonderball links

coasterqueen replied: Wow that's very interesting Carrie. thanks for the link. I showed it to Dh and he says it freaks him out, lol. Very interesting though.

~~*Missi*~~ replied: ummm yes I LOVE LOVE to hang clothes on the line in NY that is summer pretty much only. Its amazing to see how much electric and gas go down!

I don't use any home remedie! I use good ole arm&hammer and good ole SNugglie (love that bear)

MamaJAM replied: I hate line-dried clothing -- it always feels still and stinks of the outdoors. So - I never put stuff outside. For things that I must hand-wash - I dry them in the bathroom over the shower-rod (all year).

I just use laundry detergent...though I use the minimum amount possible to get things clean.

3xsthefun replied: I like to hang clothes out on the line. I had to one summer because our dryer was broke. I acutally liked hanging clothes better then putting them in the dryer.

I really hope to have a line back up when the weather warms back up.

mom21kid2dogs replied: I used to line dry in the summer~mostly sheets & sweaters but the birds always thought of my laundry was their personal poop target. I hate redoing work so I had my husband take the clotheslines out!