The clothesline was a backyard staple for many years before the dryer became one of life’s greatest luxuries.  Now the dryer is one of life’s necessities.  But if you’re looking to reduce your electric bill and your carbon footprint, consider drying your clothes on a clothesline.  Here are some tips to drying your clothes outside.

Line Height

To maximize your clothesline usage, make sure your line is high enough off the ground to hold sheets and towels without touching the ground.  Approximately 5 ½’ off the ground is a good start.  You do not want it too far off the ground as this makes it difficult to reach for some people.  I will tell you in a minute another trick to keep your items from dragging the ground.

Space

Make sure there is enough space for air to circulate freely around your clothes.  This allows for shorter drying times.  If you are using a terraced, single pole clothesline, consider drying clothes on one day, sheets and towels on a different day. 

Fabric Softener

Ok, I admit it.  I don’t like drying my clothes on the line because it feels like I’m wearing cardboard the next day.  By adding some fabric softener to your wash loads, your clothes will feel softer and smell fresher.  A quick snap or shake out of your clothes before hanging will also prevent as many wrinkles from forming. 

Clothes Pins

Find a medium sized container with a handle that will hold your clothes pins and allow them to be carried easier.  

When to hang your clothes

Try to have your clothes washed and on the line by noon.  This will allow for plenty of direct sun and warm circulating air.  Remove your clothes from the line before the sun goes down and the evening dampness sets in. 

When not to hang your clothes

Avoid hanging your clothes out to dry when humidity is high.  For all you smarty pants out there, I’m not talking about when it’s raining.  I am referring to the dog days of summer when the relative humidity hovers between 80-90%.  It will take a long time to dry and there is not a pleasant “fresh air” smell to your clothes.   

Last thoughts

To keep your long items from dragging the ground, consider an 8 foot long, 2”x2” post, available at any home improvement store or lumber store.  At the very end of the post, insert a screw or nail at a 45 degree angle.  When the weight on the clothesline causes your clothes to drag the ground, raise the line off the ground with your pole.

For fresh towels, consider a tablespoon of bleach in your wash cycle (hot water if they’re not colored towels).  The bleach, along with the direct sunlight, will kill the bacteria that causes them to smell.

Drying your clothes outdoors will give all of your clothes a cleaner, fresher smell, and prolong their life.  You can also reduce your electric bill in the process.  If you want to add a clothesline to your backyard, check out the options at www.urbanclotheslines.com or contact us at www.urbanclotheslines.com/contact .

Whether you’re trying to go green by using more environmentally friendly products, or you’re trying to save money by not wasting cash on bottle after bottle of pricey stain remover from the grocery store, you’ll appreciate these natural ways to clean stains.

• Rubbing alcohol is great for pen ink stains and markers.  You’ll want to blot or rub some on the item and let it sit for about 30 minutes to allow the alcohol to break down the fibers.  Then toss in the washer.
• Mixing vinegar and baking soda (just like that homemade volcano you might have made in the third grade) will break down grease and oily stains.  It will work well on arm pit stains and the ring around the neckline of a dress shirt as well.  Mix them together and scrub onto the stain.  Rinse and repeat until the stain is out, then toss in the washer for a normal cleaning.
• Hydrogen peroxide will work fantastically for pet stains, coffee, and tea and general stains.  Simply put some in a spray bottle and spray when it’s needed.  Blot with a cloth (preferably a micro fiber cloth), rinse and repeat until the stain is gone.  Wash as usual.
• Ice cubes will work perfectly to remove gum and wax from clothes.  The ice will harden the gum or ice, allowing you to simply pick them from the clothing.  Once the hardened pieces are off, you can then use vinegar and baking soda as described above to remove any residual stains.
• Clotheslines in the sun are a great stain remover as well.  The sun acts as a natural whitener, so putting your clothes out to the sun will keep your whites white and remove any small stains you may have.

It’s important to remember to not dry the clothing until you have removed the stain.  Drying will set the stain into the fibers of the fabric, making future stain removal extremely difficult, if not impossible.  If you’re out in public and spill on your shirt, but don’t have these items handy, simply use any type of soap you can find (hand soap from the bathroom is fine), dab it on the stain and let it be.  Don’t rub the stain as you might be rubbing it further into the fabric.

For more information about clotheslines, please contact us today!

Perhaps you’re just thinking about cloth diapering for financial or green reasons, but you’re not sure about how to wash your cloth diapers.  Or perhaps you’re in the midst of cloth diaper baby land, and you’re looking for better ways to thoroughly wash your diapers.  Either way, here are some basic tips to keeping your cloth diapers clean and smelling fresh.

• Use Charlie’s Soap Detergent. This detergent is one of the best laundry soaps for cloth diapers as it contains no enzymes, no brighteners, no dyes, no fragrances, and no softeners—all of which can mean death to an otherwise perfect cloth diaper. You’ll want to wash once with the detergent on a cold cycle, and then once without detergent on a hot cycle. 

• Preserve your diapers using a laundry rack.  There are many varieties to choose from, but the concept is the same.  One of the most common cloth diaper frustrations is having the elastic wear out.  Replacing the elastic isn’t costly, but it is time consuming and if you make a mistake, you might ruin an entire diaper.  Such mistakes can be costly as cloth diapers average $18 per diaper, or more depending on your brand.

• Dry your diapers outside.  The sun provides UV rays which act as a natural disinfectant as well as a natural bleach, getting out those tough stains.  Place your diapers color side down, leaving the inside portion of the diaper face up.  There is no need to use a pin with your diapers unless it is really windy outside.  Usually you can simply fold your diapers upside down on the clothes line, exposing the inner portion, to allow for the most efficient drying.

• Consider investing in a portable washing machine.  The WonderWash will save water and time as it is designed for smaller loads.  Perfect for the cloth diapering parent, it allows you to wash your diapers daily to prevent them from becoming built up with the ammonia odor.  In addition, cloth diapers will pill less and decrease wear on the velcro and elastic when washed in smaller loads.

• If line drying leaves your diapers more rough than your child likes, you can try adding just 1/2 cup of vinegar to your wash cycle.  The vinegar, which also helps to alleviate smells, will help your diapers feel softer after they are line dried.  In addition, if you dry them in the early morning or late in the afternoon when the sun isn’t directly shining overhead, they will dry softer.

Taking good care of your cloth diapers will extend their use, and ensure they are clean and healthy for your child.  If you’re unsure which clothes line would be best for you and your cloth diapering needs, please contact us today for all your options!

A lot of teenagers are packing up and moving out in the upcoming weeks, and their anxious families are wishing them well as they leave the nest and head off to college. With this new phase of a teen’s life comes a lot of new freedoms and responsibilities — including doing their own laundry, most likely for the first time.

The American Cleaning Institute has a web site full of advice that an incoming freshman should consider in order to keep their workspaces and themselves clean. They also suggest students “get personal” when it comes to the laundry room. Here are some selected tips:

• Wash bed sheets at least every two weeks, more if you sweat a lot at night.
• Wash underwear and socks after each wearing. Same goes for bathiing suits, T-shirts, tank tops and camisoles.
• Bath towels should be hung out to dry between uses. [There are a lot of indoor clothes drying rack models perfect for a dorm room.] They should be washed after three or four normal uses — but more frequently if you do sports.
• Bras can be worn up to three times between washes — but give your bra a rest day between wearings so it can regain its shape.
• Jeans can be worn three times between washings, unless they’re obviously dirty.
• Clean stained clothing as soon as possible. A prompt cleaning will extend the garment’s usefullness and is more environmentally-friendly than having to replace the item.

And most importantly, if you don’t know where the local washing machine is, find it!

Contact us for more ideas and advice when it comes to laundry and laundry products.