One of the biggest excuses that I have heard over the years about hanging laundry is the time factor. They loved the smell, but just didn’t have time. Now with kids I can understand that – sometimes there just isn’t time to put the washer on before 6pm let alone hang the laundry. For those who work there is the added time factor of finding time in the morning to put the laundry out early enough that it will dry.
I don’t think I truly appreciated the time factor until this summer when I took two part time jobs. They required some organization on the domestic front that had not been needed for many years, and I am not reknown for being organized at the best of times.
The only way to do laundry was to wash at night after the kids had showered and find time at dawn to hang it out. This did work fine while the kids were on holiday, but was in danger of falling apart when they started back to school. I now have the timing down to a fine art: laundry into washer in late afternoon (when I get back), plonk into basket at 6 next morning, and hang between school runs at 8 each morning. If I am really lucky I can have an extra load into the washer by 6 in the morning and can hang it out at 8 as well.
This is the only way to do the laundry when you have a busy schedule. Think about your daily schedule and see when you need to put the laundry on the line, then work backwards to when it needs to be washed,
A little bit or organization can help.
Kate
February 8, 2008 at 8:41 pm |
I have often hung my clothes out at night well after dark, especially in the summertime. While my clothesline is in full sun for most of the summer, it makes for miserable hanging during the day, so I often start a load around dinner, and then hang the clothes up after washing dishes. The clothes are almost always dry by morning, at which point, I can hang out another load before the sun gets too darn hot to want to be outside!
February 11, 2008 at 2:48 pm |
I have 4 children under 10 and believe me I know about laundry mountains! By doing 2 loads of laundry every day I have kept the laundry tamed. I line dry 98% of my laundry and even on rainy days I get it done. Frequent loads for me = smaller loads. I have actually reduced my electric bill by 50% and my water bill is following! By laundrering daily I am more stringent about what really needs to be washed and my kids have figured it out as well!