Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Dryer Free Month

I didn't turn on my dryer this winter until November 30.  Thank God I was using it during the Great Vomit, as I think in the space of a week and a half, I washed 12 or more loads of laundry.

At the end of December, I realized certain members of my family were still operating under the delusion that I didn't use my dryer, so I decided to try not using it again for all of January.  After all, I had strung lines in the basement and received a new drying rack for Christmas.

It turned out, other than timing loads and the necessity of washing each and every day, it was no more labor intensive than throwing the clothes in the dryer.  Certain clothes belonged on hangers and the rest required folding, regardless of how they dried.

I did learn to throw in a load every night, or, at the latest, first thing in the morning.  I had to be prompt about hanging up clothes and turning on a fan at night if clothes weren't drying fast enough.  We've had an incredibly mild winter, so between a lack of dryer use and lower heating costs, the gas bill is half of last years'.  If the winter were colder, our basement would be chillier, which might make it difficult for me to keep up.

Now to see how long before I turn it on next...

Until next time, remember, this is not paradise.  It's Purgatory Ranch.