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Remember clotheslines?

By Joy Bumgardner

Remember that glorious sun-filled fragrance that
came inside on towels and sheets after a day’s
hanging outdoors on a clothesline? When the sun was the “whitener” that now we often add in chemicals to the washing machine?

Remember the fun of clipping clothes to the clothesline as you heard birds singing and watched beautiful clouds overhead? And the fun of taking air-fluffed or windblown clothes from the lines?

Remember when there were no clothes dryers? No additional monthly bills for running these marvels of today?

If you remember these things, lucky you … they’re mostly from many years ago. If not, you might find a clothesline to be a new energy-saving, enjoyable “tool” for laundry day.

While clothes dryers are a marvelous time-saver and a convenience we need regularly, it’s a delight and pleasure to have an outdoor clothesline to dry those wet clothes.

They’re still available in various sizes and capacities – ask at your local hardware store. Air drying saves both energy and money, and clothes dried in the sun and fresh air carry that lovely fragrance back into the house. Besides, hanging clothes outside lets us slow down to enjoy the beautiful world out there.

You have no place for a clothesline? Then tumble clothes in the dryer for five to 10 minutes before hanging them over drying racks. Again, ask for these at your hardware store; you can purchase wood or plastic ones. This saves energy and money, and in dry weather adds beneficial moisture to the air we breathe. (Indoor drying racks are available for $11.99 for small to $33.99 for large.)

If we lessen our use of electricity by drying clothes outdoors when possible, there will be more of it for everyone to share – and so we help to care for the marvelous creation that’s in our hands.

And, there’s that wonderful fragrance in your sheets when you crawl into bed at night and when you wrap up in a soft, fluffy, sweet-smelling towel after a shower.

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