Would You Like To See A Clothesline At The White House? Have you ever wondered what it would be like if there was a clothesline at the White House? Well, there used to be, back in the day. That was a much simpler time, when there was no gas or electricity to run clothes dryers, washers, or any other appliances. Laundry was done by hand during those times, and hung on the line to dry. Most of the times, there was a designated “laundry day” for this chore. Often Monday was set aside when homemakers spent the day sorting, washing and hanging clothes on the clothesline to dry. Other times, Saturday was the day to do laundry when the kids were home from school on the weekend to help out. Yes, children were expected to do chores. Of course, when the clothes had hung long enough to dry, mothers and their children took them off the line and placed them into baskets before bringing them into the house to fold and put away. Some clothing required ironing, but that was typically reserved for another day. The tradition of a specific “laundry day” may still be part of the American lifestyle, but something was lost with the advent of the automatic dryer. Today, it is unusual to see parents with their children, working together in the fresh air surrounding a clothesline. That is a shame because this is a ritual that provided very productive family time together. Nevertheless, there is still hope that some will bring this tradition back to some extent. Remember when President Obama declared that they were going to do their part to help the environment? Well, his family installed a kitchen garden on the premises, and they have been encouraging other eco-friendly endeavors since he was elected the president of the United States. He consistently tells the people of the country how they should be more personally responsible for reducing the risk of climate change. However, there seems to be little evidence that he is doing his part. How about placing a clothesline in a visible location on the premises of the White House and using it, at least occasionally. Wouldn’t it be neat to actually see the President himself carrying a basket of wet clothes to the clothesline and hanging the contents on the line? That would surely encourage others to do the same. A video of this event, posted to YouTube is sure to raise awareness among citizens that they should step back into time a bit and reconsider the amount of energy used for drying laundry these days. Considering that six percent of all residential electricity is consumed by the home dryer, 18 percent of Americans use gas for the purpose, a large number of people do their laundry as Laundromats, and the vast amount of laundry done for commercial facilities, it is not hard to see that just by changing the way laundry is dried would save a huge amount of energy. If you would like to see that happen at the White House, you can do something to affect that change. Sign our Project Laundry List petition and it will be delivered to the First Family as well as the Housekeeper of the White House and we will make sure your opinion is heard. Posted by Reese Stratford → August 22, 2013 at 9:04 AM under News and Events
Simple ways on How to Organize your Laundry Room Laundry is, as we all know, seemingly never ending. It is therefore imperative that the laundry room be neat and organized. If space is an issue, then this is simply a must. Here are a few tips and ideas to make laundry fun and manageable. Tips: 1. Place washing detergents and softeners in see through plastic containers. Make a mark on the container with a permanent marker at the level where there is still enough detergent to do at least 2 more loads of washing. Once your detergent has reached the indicated mark, it is time to buy some more. This way you will never run out at inconvenient times. 2. Use plastic pegs. They last longer. 3. Stipulate which day(s) of the week are for laundry. This will save you time and money. 4. Have 3 different baskets: one for whites, one for color and one for dry cleaning. This will save you time when loading the machine. These can even be placed in each child’s room. This way they learn to be responsible for their own dirty laundry. 5. Get the family involved. Draw up a roster for the week. Even very young children can help fold the washing out of the drier. Set up a rewards system. Have each person do a stint of folding and packing away. 6. Keep all stain removing substances and bleaches together in one space. 7. Keep a basket for lone socks. If they do not have a pair, place them in the basket and leave them in the laundry room. This way when the other one shows up, you don’t have to go searching. 8. Fold items that have been tumble dried immediately. This will cut your ironing time in half. Organizing your space: A shelf placed at eye level above your washer and dryer is ideal for storing the detergents and bleaches you use. A long counter top over the top of both machines is a fantastic idea as washing can be folded neatly and stacked into relevant piles to be collected by members of the family when done. A concertina style drying rack attached to the wall is a good place for drying items that cannot be tumble dried. Brackets can be purchased which enable the drier to be placed at eye level above the washing machine. This is a great space saver. A retractable washing line is a wonderful idea if you have the space. It can be used to hang items of clothing that cannot be tumble dried and also for airing bath towels. A stainless steel rod attached to the wall and lined with plastic coat hangers is ideal for hanging drip dry items of clothing and also shirts and dresses that have been ironed. Paint your laundry room a bright and cheerful color. This will lift your spirits and make it a happier room to be in. Remember to get the family involved! Posted by Mary Atkinson → August 19, 2013 at 10:00 AM under Home Living Tips
Introducing Environmentalism to Kids It’s never too early to start getting kids involved with environmentalism. They will be growing up in an age of widespread environmental awareness, and they will soon be filled with questions. Kids can start learning about the environment and how to live in an environmentally friendly way and bring those habits into adulthood. One of the most important things parents can do to make their children more environmentally aware is to practice what they preach to the best of their ability. Children learn such a huge amount of behavior from their parents that parents can have a huge impact simply by modeling certain practices for their children. Children who grow up with recycling, composting, and other green practices will view them as normal. Parents can certainly make these kinds of green living practices fun, turning them into activities that they can enjoy with their children. Making environmentalism fun in general will help instill green habits in kids. Getting kids interested in nature can help them become passionate about the environment later in their lives. There are many fun projects people can do as a family, while also introducing their kids to green practices. Planting a tree is a fun outdoor activity, and it is certainly a beneficial practice. Parents can explain to their kids about the importance of trees, teaching them about science and green living at the same time. Many parents like to do other hands-on arts and crafts projects with their children. Indeed, these projects can foster creativity, as with many other projects where children actually make things. Parents who do arts and crafts projects can use recycled materials and discarded items, and use them to make things with their kids. While it’s important to make sure that all the composite materials are safe to use and won’t simply be used to create things that will be harder to dispose of later, making things with your kids helps teach them the value of all materials. The media we consume, particularly early in life, will always play a role in shaping our perspectives. Parents who want to raise environmentally aware children can show them nature documentaries aimed at children and even children’s films and books with environmental themes. Many famous children’s books and children’s films have green themes, and are entertaining enough that children may be able to absorb the messages even more easily. Parents can watch the films with their children or read the books with them, and then use them as the starting points for discussions with their kids. There are already plenty of ways to make environmentalism fun for children. They will grow up with memories of sharing green living with their parents. Many aspects of modern culture focus too much on getting rid of things in favor of newer items, often regardless of utility. Parents who choose the most environmentally aware option are that much more likely to raise children who will do the same thing throughout their own adult lives. Posted by Ana Steinmetz → August 17, 2013 at 6:32 AM under Environment
