Blowing In The Wind

The Clothesline Rally

The majority of the US states have decided to fight back against Home Owners Association bans over clotheslines. Florida, Utah, Maine, Vermont, Colorado, and Hawaii have passed a law that restricts the association from banning clotheslines on their property. On Sunday, October 10, 2010 there was a rally in Concord, New Hampshire to promote the use of clotheslines and express frustration against anti-line laws in their neighborhoods. Joining the rally was Deborah Brensinger, a 55 year old mother of three who is forced to dry her laundry indoors on drying racks throughout the house. This is despite the fact that her neighbors agreed to her clothesline request and that the clothesline cannot be seen from the road. Yet, her Homeowners Association has banned her from drying her clothes outdoors. Hopefully the rest of the states follow the example of New Hampshire and Deborah Brensigner by creating rallies for clothesline drying.  

Shrink, Shrank, Shrunk!

Shrunk your sweater in the dryer? Reshape the sweater while wet. Add 2-3 tablespoons of hair conditioners to a bucket of room temperature water. Let the sweater soak in the mixture for 5 minutes then remove. Lay the sweater on a towel and slowly/gently try to stretch the fibers back into shape. Allow it to dry as is on the towel. Next time use a clothesline to avoid shrinking!

Spend Now, Save Later

A common misconception people have about saving money and energy is that they can change one daily task and save a lot. Sadly, these changes do not form into habits and people are soon back to engaging in energy guzzling behavior. To save money and energy in the long run, you need to be willing to spend money now. An example of this is a clothesline. A current study I read called Energy Saving Facts: Myths and Tips by Shahzeen Attari of Columbia University is a great example of the actual depth of the energy saving movement. She studied how much energy people actually save compared to what they believe they are saving. The most energy that was actually saved came from using a clothesline as opposed to a dryer. Spending a little now on a clothesline will save lots of money and energy in the future.

 

 

Save Your Jeans

Everyone has their favorite pair of jeans they would love to have last forever. With some tips from the director of special projects for Levi Strauss & Company, your jeans have a chance to last a little longer. To keep your jeans in the best shape possible, avoid both the washer and the dryer whenever possible. Washing and drying jeans causes the fibers to enlarge and actually causes shortening and tightening. Also, every time you spill a little something on your jeans, don’t automatically run to the washer. Simply take a cloth and gently wash the spot where you spilled. There is no need to wash your jeans every time something gets on them. When it is time to wash your jeans, soak them in lukewarm water with two tablespoons of mild soap. Finish by hanging them to dry on an indoor clothes rack or an outdoor clothesline. For dark jeans, he also suggests adding 1/8 cup of vinegar to the soaking process to help jeans keep their color. By skipping the washer and dryer, you help to protect those favorite jeans just that much longer!