Wednesday, April 18, 2007

Works for me Wednesday: Laundry Tip

Our Spring temperatures have not been consistently warm yet, but yesterday was a beautiful day. It reached the lower 70's and gave off a nice warm breeze. I took that opportunity to hang a few loads of laundry out on my clothesline. Now some may think it's strange that I enjoy doing this so much.

For one, a very important reason, it saves energy and helps keep our electric bill more manageable. Also, while I'm out there, I take the opportunity to breath in the fresh air as well as the clean smell of the clothes themselves. Mostly though, I just enjoy listening to the birds sing and chirp all around me. It gives me the opportunity to think on the gifts God has given to me and praise Him for them. And then, too, as I stand back and look at all the clothes flapping there in the breeze, it makes me feel good. I don't exactly know how to explain it... it's just a sense of accomplishment that I have; knowing that I'm doing it for my family.

Here's a poem I found one day about the family clothesline. Maybe you've seen it before.

The Clothesline Said So Much

"A clothesline was a news forecast to neighbors passing by
There were no secrets you could keep when clothes were hung to dry.

It also was a friendly link, for neighbors always knew
If company had stopped by to spend a night or two.

For then you'd see the fancy sheets and towels on the line;
You'd see the comp'ny tablecloths with their intricate design.

The line announced a baby's birth to folks who lived inside;
As brand new infant clothes were hung so carefully with pride.

The ages of the children could so readily be known;
By watching how the sizes changed, you'd know how much they'd grown.

It also told when illness struck as extra sheets were hung;
Then nightclothes and a bathrobe, too, haphazardly were strung.

It said, "Gone on vacation now!" when the lines hung limp and bare.
It told, "We're back!" when full lines sagged with not an inch to spare.

New folks in town were scorned upon if their wash was dingy gray;
As neighbors raised their brows and looked disgustedly away.

But clotheslines now are of the past for dryers make work less.
Today what goes on inside a home is anybody's guess.

I really miss that way of life... it was a friendly sign;
When neighbors knew each other best by what hung on the line!"

~Author unknown

OK, OK, I got distracted didn't I? This is supposed to be a "Works for me Wednesday" post. Continuing on-- We live in the country and get our water from a Well and have our own septic system. I didn't know, until reading Ann's blog that bleach was harmful for the septic. She mentioned that because of this reason she uses bleach tabs instead of liquid bleach. So I thought that I would give it a try too. That is until I saw Mrs. Stewart's Bluing at the grocery store. As I picked it up and starting reading about it, I learned that it was good for making whites whiter and that it was gentle on fabrics. Now if you know anything about Well water, you know that in order to keep your whites white, you need to have a water softener installed in your home and use some type of whitening agent in your washing machine to keep your whites from turning yellow. In the past, I've always used liquid bleach and if whites got really dingy, I'd grab for a product called Iron Out! Both are very toxic and have to be handled carefully. However, Iron Out does claim that it is safe on septics.

Upon doing more research about Mrs. Stewart's Bluing, I've learned a few more things. I've learned that it's not only is good for whites, but helps brighten colors too. It is non-toxic and biodegradable. One thing it won't do is remove stains. You have to pretreat stains as you normally would.
I only had to dilute 1/4 of a teaspoon in 2 quarts of water before adding it to the wash. At that small amount, I'll have my bottle for quite some time to come.

After trying it out for the first time yesterday, I am extremely happy with it. My whites came out looking as white as the day I bought them. They almost blinded me as I was hanging them in the sunlight and that's no exaggeration either.

The Mrs. Stewart's Bluing website is filled with information on their product and has a list of the many things it can be used for. You might want to check it out before you buy.

For more 'Works for me Wednesday' tips go to: Rocks In My Dryer
Photo courtesy of: Mary Azarian

3 comments:

Lisa said...

I love that poem Debbie!! I am a clotheslines fanatic!! ;o) As you said, it feels so good to see the laundry on the line, blowing in the breeze. I'm waiting for our weather to get warmer and then I'll be back to using the clotheline. Right now I'm using the dryer and hanging things in the loft.

Alyssa said...

I miss hanging clothes on the clothesline. here in town we don't have room for one, and our dog needs space to do his thing and not get his leash all tangled up. :) I still like doing laundry, even if there's no clothesline.

Unknown said...

What a great post! Thanks for sharing some great ideas!

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