laundry is up!

I am feeling some serious green guilt. I signed up for the clothesline challenge and never got my gear in place. Yes, I know I've been talking about it for over a year, but I couldn't figure out the best outdoor drying method for our little yard. I wanted to be sure the kids could still play out there!

After my husband saw the show that has him saving electricity, he volunteered to purchase and install the retractable clothesline I had decided on. I also picked up a drying rack in case I couldn't fit a whole load on the line or if I needed to dry some indoors. I can pull the line across the yard when I need it or put it away when I don't. I need to get more clothespins, though.

I've never dried clothes outdoors before, so I actually consulted my go-to book (thanks to Laura) called Home Comforts. It is like the Joy of Cooking for keeping house. There is a page on how to best hang various clothes so as to minimize clip marks or line marks.

I wanted to fess-up and come clean on my slow progress. The original challenge is running for 3 months and I hope to do that and more. Luckily our weather is pretty predictable year-round, so I should be able to line dry most of the time. I need to work the kinks out of the routine so that it becomes second nature.

Are you a clothesline expert? Email me photos of your clothes drying on the line and I'll make a gallery of all the variations.