"Self-sufficiency does not mean 'going back' to the acceptance of a lower standard of living. On the contrary, it is the striving for a higher standard of living, for food that is organically grown and good, for the good life in pleasant surroundings... and for the satisfaction that comes from doing difficult and intricate jobs well and successfully." John Seymour ~ Self Sufficiency 2003

Saturday 4 June 2016

Drying laundry in winter

I haven't used a tumble dryer in absolutely yonks.  Don't even own one.  If the weather isn't clement enough to wash and hang up laundry, I wait until it is.

Our washing line is situated in our back yard close to the washing machine for ease of hanging up, and close to the house for ease of removing from the line.  But that has it's drawbacks.
My winter shaded twirl dry
As you can see from the pic above in winter the sun doesn't reach the washing line.

That's where the beauty of  blogging comes to the fore.

Diana's garden arbour
A while ago, Diana, from Elephants Eye was contemplating what kind of washing line she should install in their new house.  She had received inspiration from another blogger, and this is what Diana erected - a laundry drying arbour.

Yeeeees!!

That gave me an idea :)

Our garage looks like many people's I'm sure.  Plenty big enough, but a wonderful depository for all things non-vehicle.
The new carport - positioned in front of the
shadecloth covered veggie patch
Which meant that my car was standing out in the hot sun in summer.

So, I suggested to RMan that we add a shadecloth covered carport to our property.
It is still close enough to the house to
collect the washing if an unexpected clouodburst
happens by...
The placement of the structure has a two fold application.

Firstly, as a carport lol

But, secondly, it will protect my piquanté pepper plants from frost.

We have positioned it a couple of meters to the north of the shadecloth veggie patch.
Perfect - the old twirl dry is in the  background
 
in the shade , and the new washing carport lines
 are in 
the sun.
As you can see from the pic above, the old twirling washing line is in the shade, but the northern sides of the new carport are perfect for hanging those thicker items which take longer to dry.  There are two horizontal lines - which prevent the longer items from blowing against the car, and also they provide me with twice as much hanging space.

Damp washing is a thing of the past :)

Not as pretty as Diana's - but, thanks for the idea Diana :)

When there is no washing on the new lines you can't even see the extra hidden purpose of this carport.

14 comments:

  1. Dani - you know that me and jam love when people can take stuff and make it even more useable as you did with the carport. we haven't had a clothes dryer since we got here! in spring summer and fall, we hang our clothes on the clothesline. and in winter, we hang the clothes on 2 lines that jambaloney set up in our computer room. yes, there are clothes dangling over our heads when he is working and i am reading blogs...but the added bonus is that by drying the clothes inside during winter, the house smells fresh and lovely (we use apple cider vinegar in our rinse) and the dry, dry house gets humidified.

    and congrats on using Diana's design...i love blogging. i get to see what other's are doing and try it out for us here.

    sending much love, as always. your friend,
    kymber

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    1. kymber - A lady (and guy) after my own heart :) Not sure about hanging wet clothes indoors though, but I do understand your situation...

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  2. Boer maak 'n plan, yass. My line has been patched so many times it droops over the rosemary bush, which makes the sheets smell lovely. Just need to check the odd bee hasn't made its way into the folds.

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    Replies
    1. pqsa - You can purchase new lines from the Co-Op - they're not expensive. But then you won't have rosemary smelling washing... ;)

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    2. The plan is to string the line north-south, as it is in the way of my veggie beds. This involves sinking a pole, so I'm waiting until the ground is a bit softer and looking for other procrastination excuses.

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    3. pqsa - Bwahaha - that is indeed the thief of time and completion of to-do's...

      (If you have someone helping you in the garden, then a (borrowed) koevoet and an empty tin is all that is required to dig the hole - takes about 20 minutes, even in rock hard soil ;) )

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  3. That's the great thing about the internet--the exchange of ideas. So glad you found a solution.
    I still chuckle though---YOUR winter is a far cry from MY winter.
    Hope you have a great week

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    Replies
    1. Sue - LOL I'd love to have some of your winter... Yeah, we have our share of wet winter days (hopefully this year too) but snow covered land only happens here in the higher reaches of the mountains.

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  4. My washing lines are over the herb garden ... so whatever falls or brushes ... smells good. Just have to dodge the purple Hypoestes now it is flowering.
    Looking forward to when the lemon verbena bulks up. Love that smell!
    My last resort is clothes horses behind a sunny window or near the fire.

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    Replies
    1. Diana - I would be worried about slinging my "delicates" over herb bushes - if they blew off the chickens may do their worst to them lol

      I try and plan my washing so that I ensure that everything dries during the day, and I am not left with damp clothing overnight. Otherwise, dining room chairs placed strategically in front of the Rosie are called for. Doesn't happen often though...

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  5. Dani, when we first moved here ,we tried line drying. It just won't work up in the mountains. In spring and summer, the humidity is so high that wet clothes on the line just stay wet and will mildew if you leave them.

    In Fall and Winter, wet clothes freeze on the line and just stay frozen.

    So we use a propane fired drier. I wish we didn't have to, because it's expensive, uses a lot of propane. When the kids wer home it was a major expense. Now, with just the two of us, not so much, but still...

    If I could line dry I certainly would.

    When I was little, my mom line dried our clothes. She put her "delicates" inside pillow cases so no one would see them. That's the Southern Baptist in her.

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    1. Harry - Wow - I can't imagine not being able to dry clothes on a washing line. Must be quite a mission to store the propane to operate a dryer - or can you "multitask" the heat produced by heating your home simultaneously?

      Delicates in a pillowcase? Lol - that would take hours to dry! I'm not so shy - after all everyone wears delicates - and they all need washing... ;)

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  6. A nice solution. :)
    We were having trouble figuring out where to put our clothesline when Cherie got the idea to run it beneath our back deck. Our house is on a hill so our back deck/porch is about 6-7 feet above ground. So we ran the line underneath the deck, where we still get plenty of sunlight and airflow. Works great. But it's difficult for us to dry clothes outside in the winter. On nice days we can but most days we hang them on racks by windows in the bathroom (in the tub) or rely on the energy-sucking drying machine.

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    Replies
    1. Bill - It may not be pretty, but it certainly helps :)

      At least you make the effort to use a clothesline in summer :) Nothing, but nothing, beats the smell of line dried laundry in my book.

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Thank you for taking the time to comment - it makes my day and removes the "loneliness' of sitting at my screen blogging supposedly to myself ;) I try and reply as quickly as possible so please forgive me if sometimes my response is delayed.