Laundry Question

This house husband stuff can be fun....if you make it that way. Here I am listening to some Steven Curtis Chapman with my 19 month old daughter running around and playing. I was doing the clothes for my wife and I. We have a clothes line out back and it got me wondering....do you prefer a clothes line or a dryer? I like them both but for me there is something about using a clothes line over a dryer in general that I just like. Maybe it is the fact of saving money over a dryer, maybe it is the going back to basics and simplicity, heck maybe I am just weird. What do you prefer to use? Lets keep it fun, LOL My CFC thread kinda got us all political and that was not the intention.

I much prefer a clothesline but my wife finds them "too country" so I really don't have the option. But IMHO clothes last longer since they are not subjected to the beating of a dryer. Also, having been raised using a clothesline I actually prefer the feel of clothes dried on a line over a dryer.

On a laundry tangent, I have been making my own laundry soap (I got the push from a B&B thread) and it is outstanding.

Mix:
1c. soap flakes or grated soap (Ivory, Zote, Fels Naptha)
1c. Borax
1c. washing soda

Works like a charm.

Must I say clothes lines are too country for me as well. Dryer for me seeing as how the new neighborhood I live in if I attempted to hang clothes in the back yard.

1. Dogs would get them.
2. Numerous complaints about the clothes line.

Home owners assoc. Is crud.

I love my dryer way too much. It's one bad mama jamma!

SmoovD said:

I much prefer a clothesline but my wife finds them "too country" so I really don't have the option. But IMHO clothes last longer since they are not subjected to the beating of a dryer. Also, having been raised using a clothesline I actually prefer the feel of clothes dried on a line over a dryer.

On a laundry tangent, I have been making my own laundry soap (I got the push from a B&B thread) and it is outstanding.

Mix:
1c. soap flakes or grated soap (Ivory, Zote, Fels Naptha)
1c. Borax
1c. washing soda

Works like a charm.

Click to expand...

Making my own laundry soap? I never thought of that. I am using this huge tub of powder that I get from the Sam's Club for cheap. It works fine just do not breath the dust LOL, it will make you cough. I like using a cloths line because we have the room for one, it is cheap, I like the way the clothes smell, and it saves money on the electric bill. Yeah it is more work but I do not mind that. Where do I get these (soap supplies) to try my hand at my own soap? I was going to try and make my own M&P shave and bath soaps, but I could not justify doing so because VDH @ $1.50 a puck and Dial or Ivory from Sam's is cheap.

Here's a list of different DIY laundry soaps.
http://tipnut.com/10-homemade-laundry-soap-detergent-recipes/

As for line or not, I'm kinda torn, it's quite nostalgic for me and I like the smell, but I'm not a big fan of the "crunch factor".

s1mp13m4n said:

Making my own laundry soap? I never thought of that. I am using this huge tub of powder that I get from the Sam's Club for cheap. It works fine just do not breath the dust LOL, it will make you cough. I like using a cloths line because we have the room for one, it is cheap, I like the way the clothes smell, and it saves money on the electric bill. Yeah it is more work but I do not mind that. Where do I get these (soap supplies) to try my hand at my own soap? I was going to try and make my own M&P shave and bath soaps, but I could not justify doing so because VDH @ $1.50 a puck and Dial or Ivory from Sam's is cheap.

Click to expand...

Zote can be found just about anywhere for $1/bar. Borax is also in most laundry sections for around $4/box. Washing soda has been the trickiest find for me but I found a local mom and pop grocer that stocks it for $2/box. All told one batch of soap costs less than a buck. Usage is 1T for a medium load. 2T for XL loads. And as I posted before, it works very well. As good or better than most brands...the SWMBO has forsaken her much loved Tide. So between cost and performance I find it a no brainer.

Yes, my SWMBO thinks I am a bit odd at times. I don't mind...it keeps her on her toes.

I prefer the dryer for the convenience factor...

Firstly, I try not to wash everything all that often. I generally dont sweat at all and have basically no BO, plus I don't really do a whole lot with my clothes, hence, I will wear a shirt even 2-3 times before washing it. Pants probably 10 times or something. I usually wear undershirts under button ups so I send the button ups out for laundry+press every 3-5 wearings.

Second, as for washing I do 3 loads - white, black, and colors. Occasionally a bucket soak if it's a new and strong colored thing or delicate.

Third, for drying, I never put most of my clothes anywhere near a dryer. I find it completely destroys them. I can literally see and feel the difference. I always hang dry on a rack. Everything's a little crunchy but I find my stuff lasts longer.

I am paying $14.50 for 32.5lbs of laundry powder from Sam's Club so can I do better than that with a home made laundry powder? What I Use

I like adding baking soda to my detergent.

Line dried wins for me!

You shouldn't even need fabric softener if you're line drying, you get the benefit of free, fresh air (depending on local air quality) and IIRC there's a benefit from the sun's UV

I prefer a clothesline over a dryer, mainly to save money and also because I love that outdoor fresh-air smell on my clothes. it's a little ridiculous how some neighborhoods ban the use of clotheslines because it's considered an eyesore.

These guys prefer the clothesline, and occasionally the double clothesline.

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZaeL5tgxbQ&feature=related[/YOUTUBE]

For me I prefer the clothesline or a clothes drying rack. The dryer will destroy the elastic in socks, underwear and any item over a period of time. If possible, I like to hang up items to dry on a line. After the items are dried, I find that 5 minutes in the dryer for sheets and towels fluffs them up nicely before folding and putting them away. I don't like using the dryer much except to fluff up items that have already been dried in the fresh air.

Cheers.

I'm not able to at the moment, but would line dry if I could. It's gentler on the clothes, won't shrink them, and you save a bit on your electric bill. What's not to like?

I've got this aluminum thing that looks like an umbrella. It comes with a plastic tube you sink in the yard. Set it in the tube, open it up, and you have a outdoor clothes line rack that is about 6 ft across. I can leave it up just while it's in use.

I threw out the wimpy plastic tube that it came with, and set a piece of 1 1/2" PVC pipe in a bit of concrete in the ground. The pipe is level with grade, so is well below grass-cutting height. The drying rack is really light, so is no trouble to get out of the garage and put up when the wife wants to dry clothes outdoors. No clothesline up permanently to take up yard space either.

Lots of drying goes on with the electric dryer, but we have a choice. Some things are just better when dried in the sun.

No room outside our apartment for a line, but we have 2 drying racks that get pulled out on a regular basis.

I haven't used a dryer in 8 years. The clotheline is what I use everyweek. If it rains outside, I have a rack that I can bring inside. I use the dryer to put the dirty clothes before I wash them

Seriously, don't you guys have any exercise equipment in the basement?