She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands. Proverbs 31

Thursday, May 15, 2008

Frugal Living ~ My New Solar Powered Clothes Dryer

Once again those rising prices have challenged our family to find creative ways to save money. So we decided to make the transition from our old electric clothes dryer to this new model.

With a couple of nails, some sturdy line, a few wooden clothes pin and three wonderful old trees, I created the ultimate clothes dryer. It is so easy to operate and very efficient. The operating manual's only instructions are to be aware of the weather report!



... and I couldn't be happier with it. I find it so relaxing to just take my laundry outdoors while listening to birdsong as I hang each piece. I actually look forward to laundry now. I am going to plant some flowering perennials around those trees to add to the pleasure.

My goal is to plan my laundry days around our weather from now until winter and only use our electric dryer for a 5 minutes fluff on clothing. I'm looking so forward to the impact it will make on our energy expenses!

Live joyfully,
Lea

32 comments:

Vintage Linen Treasures said...

Hi Lea,
What a wonderful "green" idea. It's funny that this tried & true method of doing laundery seems so new. You make it sound so beautiful and peaceful, too. Let us know if you notice a difference in your energy bill.
Patricia :o)
Ps: LOVE the music you're playing on your blog. It's one of my all time fave's.

Julie said...

Good for you. I wish I had more country and less city air to hang clothes out. We do air outside sheets, sleeping bags and quilts, but that's about it. Your yard looks so inviting.

Deb said...

Hi Lea, that's a great idea, maybe I'll have my husband put up a few lines I have the perfect spot. I use to hang clothes on the line when my boys were small, I had a washer but no dryer. It wasn't hard then so it shouldn't be hard now. Do you have the stick to raise the line higher if needed. Thanks for the idea, see you soon. Deb

Bekah said...

oooh! One of these days I'm going to work up the courage to try that. My mom has alwasy had a clothesline but I'm a germ-a-phobe and I always feel lik ethey are getting dirtier when I put them outside...I know its all in my head but someday I shall become..GREEN! : )

Linda said...

Solar powered clothes dryer! How fancy does that sound!! ;)

I'm still not enjoying mine, but that's only because we still only have a balcony to hang the clothes.. and ehmm.. once they're hung, no-one can sit outside anymore.... Should be over when we move to our new house with the little yard..

It does save a LOT of money though!

Greetings from the netherlands! ;)

Katy said...

I LOVE hanging clothes out on the line!!!

~*Marie*~ said...

I love drying outside, even in the winter. I love sleeping on sheets that have been line dried. I save a lot on gas line drying and save on the clothes that don't go into the dryer. Congrats on your new dryer!!!

Paula said...

Yay for solar dryers! I love mine... and the owner's manual was so easy to understand! tee hee

Cora from Hidden Riches said...

Nothing better than laundry blowing in the breeze! And it's free!!!! And it's not as hard on the clothes!

Cora

Anonymous said...

I would like to do that also but we live right next to a busy road...they would probably be covered with road dust in no time...my mom used to have a clothes line and my MIL still dries hers outside....a very good thing to get back to for those who can..

Anonymous said...

I do love my sheets dried on the line. You know lavender would give a nice scent around your trees!

Hey, remember me? I used to be the Pink Magnolia!
Tammy ;)
Come see me sometime at my newest blog venture!♥

junebugmal said...

Lea...
I can remember those days..Hanging
clothes out on the line..Not for
me ..Give me the electric dryer
and some Downy..hehehe
Your yard looks great..sooo big.
take care..Love you to the Moon and back..
Aunt Lynda

Sugarplum Cottage said...

Yes I have one too. I'm gettting ready to make my second batch of laundry soap. I'll try to remember to remove it from the stove before adding the baking soda. Hope you received your bulbs and got them in the ground. Blessings, RoseMarie

Doreen Frost said...

I too have a solar powered clothes dryer! I love that title...how great! There's nothing better than sheets dried on the line.

I love your blog. The arbor is beautiful. Just the other day I was doing a google search for Amish Friendship Bread!!! I use to have the recipe but I seem to have misplaced it. I bought the yeast for it just two days ago...how funny...what a small world.

Blessings to you and yours
Doreen

Beemoosie said...

I think I should do that this summer...hmmm. I really do have the room to do it.
Have a lovely weekend!!

CathyJean said...

Hey, Lea!
I did the same thing last month! Got my "new dryer" strung up between trees too. And, yes it gets you outside more. It's enjoyable! I'm also hoping to see the change in the electric bill!!
I started making my own laundry soap, too. The clothes smell great and are finally "clean". One of the best benefits to that is it costs a lot less then commerical laundry detergents.
Have a great weekend!
Hugz,
Cathy

Annie said...

I love hanging clothes out to dry and they smell sooo good when they come down off the line!

Leaon Mary said...

I love my clothesline too Lea!
Nothing could be better to me than STIFF BLUE JEANS. :)
<*)))>< Lea

naomisnotions said...

I love your new dryer!!! You know I have one of those...but I think it's broken!!! LOL...

Naomi :)

Anonymous said...

Hi Lea!
Your clothesline post inspired me to get back to hanging things out! We were off to a good start in the early spring, but then with the last few weeks of rain & mucky weather, along with lots of busy-ness, we gals gave up. Definitely hoping for cheaper utility bills, but we all LOVE the smell of clothes dried on the line!

Kim :-)

Farmhouse Blessings said...

Best wishes to everyone in using their new dryers!

Deb, I just went shopping in the open air market (the woods) and found a nice 6 foot piece of wood with a V. It made the perfect rod to hold up the center of the clotheslines!

Thanks Tammy! I'm going to plant some lavendar seeds today. What a lovely idea!

Smiles,
Lea

HAIN Holiday_Angel said...

I think your site is awesome and enjoy the Amazing Grace song as well. I am also on the MJF and am known as Holiday Angel. I love quilts, and other linens and am just now learning to sew at age 57! I live in a little house on my son-in-law and daughters place they just recently acquired. It used to be a School House named Rocky Point and the area surrounding it is beautiful. We are in the process of raising chicks, Australorps, and a garden. We have a few other chickens too.
Hope to see much more of your site.
God bless you,
Pauline

Linda - Behind My Red Door said...

Hi Lea,
I had to stop hanging clothes on the line for a few weeks because of spring allergies, but I still do the 5 minute fluff and then hang in them in the heater closet and the family room and wherever I can. Once yo get used to it, there's no going back!

We should let folks know that the sun is a great natural disinfectant so there is no worrying about germs!

Hugs, Linda

More than Survival said...

LOVE our clothes line!!! I use it as much as I can (weather permitting) or I use my HUGE drying racks. In the winter we heat with wood and the clothes dry so fast on the racks next to the stove! $$$$ saved!!!

I enjoy seeing your home... so beautifully decorated! You are an inspiration! I would like to invite you to participate in my new "Tour Tuesday" this next Tuesday! It has been fun!

HEather

Kindra-At Home With K said...

I love your new dryer!! :) Yes with the never ending price increases on everything these days, every little change can help. Plus it saves on energy. I love being "green"!

MEME16 said...

this picture of the clothes line so reminds me of our clothes dryer at the farm when I was a kid- right down to the pictures in the back ground- and of course- we had the farm house- the house where my dad was born in 1910 is still standing strong with the original glass windows- not good to live in now unless it was redone but wonderful to look at--
huggles me, Meme who thanks you for praying for us

Kay-The Rustic Cottage said...

I love your new solar powered clothes dryer!! That's my favorite kind. Don't think the apartment manager would take too kindly to me stringing a line across my porch. I'll look at your pictures and think of how wonderful those line dried clothes smell!

Hugs,
Kay

Something Nice and Pretty said...

Hi Lea,
Your pic brought back memories of my mom, every Monday there was three rows of clothesline in the yard. I can remember running thur the hanging sheets:) I think I'm going to have to try it!

Blessings, Rondell

Linda ★ Parker's General said...

Days of my youth, revisited!
I only wish we could hang out laundry. Our neighbors are so disrespectful. They burn trash and I mean nasty trash. I can't bear to have my clothes or sheets and towels smelling like burning diapers or styrofoam!
I am very happy for you, though.
I love the smell and feel of sheets on the line and I actually enjoy ironing them!

Cathy ~ Tadpoles and Teacups said...

Another bonus to line-dried laundry is that they always smell so fresh and wonderful.(But one hazard--beware of nesting birds overhead! :)

Blessings to you~
Cathy

Julie said...

That's so pretty!
Do you have a trick to making them softer? When we used to hang them outside, years ago when we had a clothesline -- they were always soooooo stiff (they smelled great, though!)
I want a clothesline, too!
I think we'll have to wait until we move to the country, though.
We don't have any trees close enough to do your pretty idea!
Blessings,
Julie

Anonymous said...

i love my clothesline... especially for sheets, they smell so good & remind me of staying at my granmothers during the summer when i was young!