I have never really minded doing laundry. I did it once a week and it took me around 6 hours from putting the first load into the washer to putting the last item folded and ironed into the drawer. I have a ritual: wash and dry it all, put in a movie, sit in the middle of the family room floor and fold everything putting clothes in piles by person and article type. Then I do the ironing. About the time I've completed ironing the movie is finishing and the kids come put their piles away.
What a surprise it was to not find a dryer in our house here! There was a washing machine but no dryer. I remembered seeing a clothes rack outside and lines strung up under the carport. As I have come to find out, most people in this town don't own a dryer. Everyone hangs their clothes out to dry. So what used to be a 6 hour job has turned into a 12-15 hour job. This is due in part to the fact that the washing machine only holds half of what my previous machine did. So a new ritual has been born.
On Fri. I check the weather forecast to see what the weekend holds. I pick the best looking day and start first thing in the morning. I have learned that heavy items such as jeans and towels need to be in one of the first loads. When the load is completed I take it out to the line to hang up. It takes me about 10 min. to hang one load of laundry. Things I don't want to fade go under the carport and the rest in the backyard. At first I did not want my underwear hanging out for the neighborhood to see so I have a method of hanging them in the center of the clothes tree so they are hidden by all the other clothes and towels. I have relaxed a bit on this as I have noticed everyone else's underwear is in plain sight. After a few hours things are beginning to dry so I start bringing them in. A bit more ironing is required as things are not fluff dried. The last few loads need to stay out all night as they have not dried before I go to bed.
The winter proved a bit challenging. Some things took days to dry. In the morning the clothes left on the line would be frozen stiff. I have a drying rack I would put by the fire. All evening I would rotate damp things off the line into the house to dry. Things were usually folded and put away still a bit damp. I learned that within the first 30 min. of wearing something, it will finish drying out.
I have adjusted to hanging things out to dry and even enjoy the quietness, and simplicity of the task.
No Worries - Kris
oh Kris, you are one amazing girl!!
ReplyDeleteI love your blogs on every day life!
~Robin
Wow....that sounds like good exercise.....but it does require attention. My family in France didn't have a dryer and followed your routine. I was there for 6 weeks and it rained every day. I learned to wear the same underwear for 2 days in a row and the same jeans for 2 weeks before washing.
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