Laundry

It's hard to believe how much laundry I do a week! It's only 3 people, yet I feel like I wash for an army! I never really enjoyed doing laundry until I started using cloth diapers (which is another subject entirely). Now, however, I LOVE it. I think it boils down to the satisfaction I get from taking something as dirty as a diaper and making it clean and usable. Very gratifying!

Because I do so much laundry, I find it important to find ways to cut back on our energy bill. I grew up with my mother hanging laundry out on the wash line, year round. I haven't had a wash line since getting married (and can't wait until the day we settle down and I can put up a large one). Instead I use the drying racks you can find at Walmart. They are up year round at my house, and almost always covered with laundry. Yes, it does take a little longer to dry, and yes my clothing is a little stiff, but it saves on energy tremendously, especially in the summer (why pay for air conditioning only to run a dryer and heat up the house).

I find I can also take these racks outside on a sunny day to speed up the process. Plus, the sun is a fabulous stain remover and brightener. If I could bottle sunshine, I bet I could make millions!

This is just one way I crunch a little. I've converted my husband to this way of laundering, and he has no complaints (though he was quite resistant at first).