Me and my girlfriend live in a pretty packed apartment building. We live on the top floor and we’ve only got about 500 square feet to work with. The building has washing machines and dryers provided but, of course, they charge around $1.50 to wash or dry your clothes. The washers are decent, but the dryers are horrible. It takes at least three times through it to get anything dry enough to be considered, “Only slightly damp.” That usually comes out to about $6 per load, with around four or five loads a month. That’s somewhere between $24 and $30 a month.

Me, personally, I don’t like spending an extra $30 a month on things that I really don’t think I should have to. My girlfriend started using hangers to string up all of her wet clothes in the bathtub, but we always ran out of space and every time I went into the bathroom, these hooks would get caught on me.

Eventually I said, “Enough!” and we started looking into clothes lines that would work well for our apartment. We didn’t have a lot of space and the only place that we could really string it up would be over the bathtub, so none of the wooden expanding ones would really work and they weren’t big enough any ways. There were a few fancier models that we could have gotten, but the unit was big and we didn’t really need anything that complex.

I finally found the Moerman Retractable Indoor Clothesline from a site I found called urbanclotheslines.com. It was pretty much exactly what we needed! It only cost us about $30, so it was a totally worthwhile investment considering we were spending about that much in a single month any ways.

If you’ve got a similar problem to me, you should check out the options they have at urbanclotheslines.com.

There are so many choices of detergents, softeners, bleaches and more that it can leave you feeling confused about which products will best serve your unique laundry needs.  There are also many tips and tricks out there that promise to give you the sweet-smelling, bright white and softer laundry that we all want.  The laundry product manufacturers keep putting out “new and improved” solutions and we keep buying them. Maybe there is an easier, and more affordable way…

We are all probably guilty of thinking that adding more detergent to the wash will mean cleaner clothes.  While adding dish soap means more suds, adding extra laundry detergent can actually make things worse. Too much soap can wear out your clothes faster and it can also make your washing machine have to work harder which means a shorter life.  Here is a trick to knowing if you are overdoing it on the soap: check your lint trap.  There is a direct correlation between the amount of soap and the amount of lint.  If you are removing lint after every load then try reducing the amount of detergent you are using and you should see an immediate reduction in lint.

Have you noticed how some of our clothes can look washed out or dull?  Oftentimes the culprit is a hard water issue.  If you are like most of us you will throw all your colors and whites into one load now and then.  Unfortunately, the result can be dingy and drab looking laundry. The best brightening agent that we have found is common table salt.  It does not take much, just a big pinch in the wash water with your detergent, making sure to dissolve it as much as possible before adding your clothes, and the difference in the brightness of your colors will amaze you.

How many times have you purchased a fabric softener only to find the scent overpowering or not at all what you were hoping for?  Sometimes a great coupon will mean the difference between brand A and brand B in our house but that can mean some clothes feel less soft than others. The secret to perfectly soft clothes, with less static and for much less money is the humble, but oh so powerful, white vinegar.  Really.  Just a cup in the wash water (no waiting for the rinse cycle) will give you fabulous results.  It also reduces fading in darker clothing.

So, once you have achieved laundry nirvana, it is time to find the perfect clothesline which is another money saving laundry solution.  We all know the amount of energy required to power that dryer so it is only logical that we practice “dryerless” days as often as we can.  Here at Urban Clotheslines the choices of clotheslines are many and you are sure to find the perfect one for your unique space and situation. From rotary styles to retractable lines and from wall-mounted systems to indoor racks of all sizes, you will find the perfect solution to your indoor or outdoor drying needs. &nbs p;We would love to discuss the perfect clothesline for you so please contact us for more information.

If you have never experienced the smell of laundry dried outdoors you are really missing out. Not only is this an eco-friendly way of drying your laundry but it is cheaper and makes everything smell wonderful.

While you might be thinking that an outdoor clothesline will look unsightly there is a perfect solution – a retractable clothesline. What you get with a retractable clothesline is the ability to dry your laundry outdoors (or indoors, there are those that work inside too) and the ability to only use it when needed. These are excellent tools for not only being able to utilize more sustainable living but if you have guests over or simply don’t want to see the clothesline when it is not being used, you simply retract it. Then when you are ready for an inexpensive way to dry your clothes you just extend it out.

These clotheslines allow you to be less dependent on electricity and one of the best features is that you use it when you need to. Any other time you simple make sure it is retracted and no one has to know but you. You get the scent of fresh, sun-dried laundry that no laundry detergent can duplicate. This type of clothesline is also perfect for those in areas that lose power often. This can be because of storms, rolling blackouts and any time you don’t have power. For those that own a washing machine but not a dryer, this is ideal as well.

Have you ever had to take a large comforter or blanket to a commercial laundry service or use a laundry mat simply because something wouldn’t fit in the dryer? Now you no longer have to worry because an outdoor clothesline solves that problem and you only have to see it when you’re using it.

There are so many uses you can find for a clothes line and these are just a few of the reasons that should inspire you to check out the natural way of drying your clothes. Just contact us for more details when you are ready to save money and have natural smelling laundry without changing your yard’s appearance.