Eco Tip: Line Drying Everything!

Eco Tip:  Line Dry More Than Just Diapers

    Summer is here!  Warm breezes and sunny skies make it perfect for line drying cloth diapers.  Many of us know the benefits of line drying cloth diapers such as preserving PUL in AIO or Pocket diapers.  However, many of us over look the benefits of sun drying our everyday clothes.  And one of the great things about the warmer weather is the softer and nicer the clothes seem to feel.
    Line drying clothes is an easy way to help cut the electric bills during the summer months.  A few different sites quote the savings around $156(1) a year or about $25(2) a month for electric dryers.  The lower your electric bill the lower your family’s carbon foot print is.  Its a great way to get outside and get some sunshine especially with a continual rise of  Vitamin D deficiency.  The summer months are especially great because the warm weather keeps clothes from getting stiff and they will feel just as soft as if they were in the dryer.  Another good reason is that clothes last longer think of all that lint, which is a sign of the fabric being worn down. 

Here are some tips to get the best results when line drying:

1.  hang the colored clothes inside out to help maintain clothes
2.  shake the wrinkles out and smooth as many as you can with your hands.  Reduces any need for ironing
3.  hang heavy jeans folded over then half way through drying flip and shack out wrinkles to optimize drying and helping to prevent stiffness

A helpful hint when line drying sheets fold over and allow to blow in the breeze like a sail to promote even drying.  Another good hint is if you want to hang out your “intimate” items hang them in between two layers of regular clothes creating a few walls to hide them behind.(3)

In our house, to help us remember to hang and dry our darker clothes inside-out we just inside them out when we take them off.  Its also better for the clothes to be washed that way.  We also try to wash most of, if not all our clothes in cold water.  This will help maintain your clothes and fabrics longer.  65% of Americans use hot water or warm water to wash clothes(2) lowing that percentage could help the environment as well as your personal pocket book. Cold water cleans most clothes just as well but if you plan to use warm or hot water save it for visibly dirty items.  Its even better to use cold water when cleaning cloth diapers, make sure to do a good soak ahead of time, especially with PUL which gets worn down from the rough hot water and then being heated in a hot dryer.

These are just a few of the many reasons that hang drying clothes can be great for you and your family.    

(1)http://gogreeninyourhome.com/how-to-save-electricity/save-money-doing-laundry-drying-clothes/

(2)http://www.laundrylist.org/en/line-drying

(3)http://www.momadvice.com/money/line_drying_clothing.aspx

Eco Tips for Around the House

Eco Tips for Around the House – These are some simple steps that we have taken around our home to try to do our small part in helping the environment. There are so many simple things you can do that can make such a big difference. Try one and then slowly add another when you feel ready!

Cloth instead of paper towels - I used to go through so many paper towels in one day. About five years ago, I decided to stop buying paper towels. I took all our old towels and cut them up into 12 x 12 inch squares. Another option is going to your local dollar store. Our local store has two washcloths for one dollar…a great deal. I just use them for whatever I would use a paper towel and then through them in the washing machine.

Cloth Napkins instead of paper – Another easy step to take is to use cloth napkins instead of paper napkins. I think cloth looks nicer and cleans up messy hands and mouths easier. You can buy them or make them yourself. Once they are dirty, just through them in the washing machine.

Rechargeable batteries – We finally made the decision to use rechargeable batteries and it has been very easy. When you have kids around the house, it seems like you are always using batteries. Every toy seems to needs at minimum four batteries. We use eneloop brand, that we buy at Costco. This particular link is from Amazon, http://www.amazon.com/eneloop-Starter-Blue-Power-Pack/dp/B000WPJIME. It comes with the charger and the batteries are already charged! Once you go to rechargeable batteries, you’ll wonder why you didn’t do it sooner!

Reuseable glass food storage containers – I try to never use plastic bags, unless absolutely necessary. Whenever I need a container for storage or lunches, I use a reuseable glass food storage container. This to me was a simple, yet very effective step.

Buying products from environmentally friendly companies - When I am purchasing anything from toilet paper, kitchen cleaner, or even shoes…I try to look for companies that are earth friendly. One of my favorite brands is Method from Target. This link lists all the products at Target that are eco friendly….. http://sites.target.com/site/en/corporate/page.jsp?contentId=PRD03-004397.

Shopping at thrift stores, Ebay, garage sales, etc. – I love going to thrift stores and being able to buy lots of clothing for not a lot of money. Reusing clothing is a great way to help the environment and have fun while doing it.

Buying in bulk whenever possible – Buying in bulk and transferring the items to a reusable smaller container is another easy way to help the environment. Buying items that are designed for singular use are always more expensive and simply a waste.

These are just a few ideas for you to try around your home. There are so many great websites out there that can help you on your way to helping the environment. Using cloth diapers is a great first step…now onto the next!!

by Elizabeth of Catchick6 Creations
http://www.etsy.com/shop/Catchick6Creations
http://www.catchick6creations.com/