Thread: What kind of cuts are you forced to make?

The cost of using the dryer here is high IMO so i find ways to use it as little as possible.

For towels, rather than dry them in the dryer, they're hung on an indoor clothes line i made from 18-20 gauge metal wire that's wrapped around 'eye' hooks or screws; you might need a 'molly' bolt or similar something to keep the screw/thingies in. They're screwed into the ceiling at either end of the room. Here there's room for two lines.

Newly washed towels are hung up to dry either on the indoor line or wooden foldable dryer that 'sits' on the floor. A fan is used to circulate the air, cuts drying time and lessens chance of mal-odors. When it rains or is very humid, i wait for better weather. No more than 5 or 6 towels are ever drying at the same time; windows 'n doors are open for cross ventilation.

What works for me: buying thinner towels; the ones for $1.75 at WalMart are what's used now; found the thick ones take forever to dry and can mildew on the towel rack so they're no longer purchased.

After shower, towels are hung up vertically upon the shower curtain rod on hangers. Used to use clothes pins but have found the plastic hangers used at WalMart for slacks. Slacks' hangers have little 'pinchers' (for want of a better word) that 'grab' onto the towel edges. After shower, a small 8" box fan is turned on low to dry the towels faster. When the weather is amenable, the windows are kept open.

Things like sweaters are laid across the top of the wooden-doweled floor-based foldable clothes dryer. If you need to dry several sweaters use what works for you; only one or so are dried here at any one time. An 8 inch box fan on the counter is sufficient to keep the air moving here but if you have more than a load or two of clothes to dry you might want to try a larger or higher-wattaged fan; to save on electricity, the fan is kept on low.

Since i've not yet found a better more convenient way, sheets are dried, one at a time, in the dryer; it takes 5-10 min per sheet here which is cheaper than drying them all at the same time. Had to stop hanging clothes to dry outdoors b/c of 'allergies'.

Shirts, slacks, dresses, skirts, are tumbled about 5 min. to get the wrinkles out then hung up on hangers on the indoor line. All this saves me about $10/mo; it all adds up you know )

To save on detergent and fabric softener, i use borax, baking soda and vinegar; measurements are 'eye balled' or about 1/2 cup ea, give 'r take. For really dirty clothes, washing soda is also added--can only find it here in Oxy-clean (sp). Vinegar helps both w/washing and rinse. In the rinse water it softens your clothes and 'cuts' soap.

HTH, yiC