What in the world has AuburnChick done, you might be asking yourself.
Well, something that’s been sitting in the back of my mind for a while is the desire to start hanging my clothes out to dry. This idea was sparked during a conversation with my friend Bea (remember the gal I made this blanket for some time back?). She’s a pretty modern kind of lady, even though she doesn’t know how to use the computer. I was surprised to learn that she hangs her clothes to dry in her garage.
What a shock! This woman can afford for someone to come in, clean her house, and do her laundry for her. Instead, she chooses to line dry her dirties in her three-car garage and has done so for many years.
So, the idea sat in my head.
With my recent foray into substitute teaching and the realization that my budget needs an overhaul, I thought that this might be a good way to save on the electric bill, which has steadily climbed over the last few months.
I would hang the clothes in the backyard, but I have three mischevious little ones that would LOVE the opportunity to have some fun.
Pele...conserving energy for the next adventure
See the impish look in Molly's eyes?
The smile masks Aubie's grand plans, which AuburnChick will soon discover.
With this in mind, I headed out in search of something I could use inside. I went to Bed, Bath, and Beyond only to discover that they do not carry clotheslines! Can you believe it? It’s a home store! But, one of the employees was kind enough to steer me in the direction of Home Depot, which was conveniently located next door. I headed over and walked down all of the aisles.
I’ve gotta tell you…they need huge signs that say “Clotheslines — Here” cause it was hard to find them! I started getting strange looks as I got near the lumber section. What on earth would a 5’2″ woman be planning to build…was the look written on all of the guys’ faces.
Hold ‘yer horses, cowboys. I just need a little rope, and I’ll be out of your way.
I found what I needed without having to ask for help. The one I got is a retractable line that will reach as far as 40’. Not bad for $9.99. I grabbed one and stopped at Target on the way home to buy some clothespins.
I excitedly asked Mr. AuburnChick to install it for me. Keep in mind that this was a few hours after our marathon garage-cleaning session. He was not amused.
How dare I enter College Football Zone and ask him to pull himself away from the television to hang up something he had no interest in using.
He did it anyway.
I’m the boss.
Here are close-ups of what each side looks like…
This is the side from which you pull out the line. When you’re done using it, you can fold it flush to the wall.
That’s on the other side of the garage. You pull the line from the other end and hook it over.
Pretty neat, eh?
And then you get this…
I love it so much that I’m going to buy one or two more and install them a few inches apart. There’s not near enough room on only one line (my garage is only 20′ wide) for more than one load at a time. Plus, for the price, you really can’t beat it! I just need to purchase more hangers and hangers with clips for pants and shorts.
Now, I will admit that I feel like I’m stepping back in time. Oh sure, I know that lots of people hang out their clothes, but I truly think that in this day and age, convenience and speed are the norm. Hanging the clothes out certainly is neither, as Soccer Chick has grumpily pointed out.
I don’t care.
I’m the boss.
Plus, I pay the electric bill.
We’ll do things my way and live with one foot in the 1800’s and the other in 2008, where I can blog from the garage while watching my children hang their clothes to dry.
Welcome to AuburnChick’s world, where you get the best of both worlds.
Filed under: This-n-That | Tagged: line drying, retractable clotheslines | 2 Comments »
AuburnChick's Adventures 