It’s hardly earth shattering, but oh it was so good to do, and it smelled totally wonderfully breath catching freshened with spring scented air. Yes, I’ve turned into a fresh air frugalista, and started to use that clothesline that the former owners left us. You can’t beat the cost, FREE a few minutes of fresh air to hang the laundry, and a few hours of watching it gently twirl out there in the backyard and the laundry is air dried and fragrant, ready to be gathered up and inhaled. Makes me wonder why more of us don’t do this, think of the electricity and money we would save.
The weather was more suited to the young, or those who thought to insulate themselves properly when I went out to hang up the laundry. Nippy, as in nip it in the bud if you thought the disappearing snow would hasten the spring like temperatures. I have forgotten how cold, wet fingers can get while they hang up clothes fresh from the washer, but it was worth it. The afternoon was sunny, and delightful, still with underlying cool, but a slight breeze.
You can tell it’s spring that’s coming along, there are kids playing in the driveways, sounds of laughter and skateboards, warbles of birdsong caught on a sunbeam. Neighbours are stirring from their winter dens, rakes are taken out of hibernation, and hello’s are exchanged.
I haven’t hung up laundry on a line since I was very young….but I have not forgotten how to do it. Sheets doubled over so they don’t hang on the grass, and always allocate 3 of the new eco friendly bamboo clothespins per sheet. Socks doubled up, two per pin, shirts hung upside down, pants from the waistband, it’s all coming back to me now. And skivvies, well nothing would convince me to hang them outside, not for all the fresh air in the world, it’s inside with those babies.
The scent, the glorious fresh air, no chemical in the world can duplicate the smell of line dried laundry scent. I’ve missed that for so many years, we haven’t had a laundry line for decades.
It’s spring, it’s sunny, it’s warming up soon. We’re hoping that all of the snow will disappear from the lawn, and my husband can finish raking those last little snow covered patches it certainly needs a good working over. We took 38 black plastic bags of yard waste to the dump, during their yard waste recycling period, it was originally a big bump in the backyard, but fir needles and branches will take forever to breakdown, and we have yet to build a proper composter. Some day soon I hope to have some sort of system that will accommodate our yard waste.
I’ve planted my hardier bulbs in pots for now, some dahlia, a fern, a peony, two colors of bleeding heart. Of course I need some containers around the house for color. They go outside during the sunny days, and perch inside the garage on the potting bench situated in the window on snowy days.
Happy Sunday.
Jen @ Muddy Boot Dreams
I can smell the freshness you describe it so well. Hanging the laundry outdoors is definitely a perk of not living in a condo. :)
ReplyDeleteHi,
ReplyDeleteI hear it's quite rare for people in the US, and I guess now, Canada to hang their clothes out. Here it's very common, and in fact mine are out right now.
We have a combi washer, drier and I only ever dry in extreme circumstances i.e. I need something dried asap.
The only thing I hate about drying outdoors is when towels are stiff as a board... Eeek the feel against my nails goes through me!
I've been lucky and have had clotheslines in all 3 places I've lived. We did have to put them in at this house.
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Lorilee
I love the smell of laundry that has been dried outside. I try to get mine out all the time. Even in winter (especially this one) I put a drying rack on the deck for that fresh air smell.
ReplyDeleteSimple pleasures - there is a lovely satisfaction in watching sheets gently moving with the breeze... and the smell is gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteJen girl you are so lucky ! I really LOVE the smell of fresh air dried laundry .. but our problem is one of extreme allergies .. pollen on the laundry is just to hard to take .. but that smell .. is so heavenly, so I can well appreciate how much it means to you after living in the condo so long .. this is so exciting for you!
ReplyDeleteWhen we bought his house .. our very first house .. it was hard to really feel it because we had always lived in military quarters except in Holland .. nothing was really ours .. and we knew we would move soon. This little bungalow is heaven to us .. we are so lucky too : )
Enjoy it all and bury your face in that laundry and smell it for all it is worth girl .. sens some of that smell over here too ? LOL
Joy
PS ... I will beat you with a big raccoon HAT for that remark girl !!! hahaha
ReplyDeleteJoy
I'd like a clothesline, but apartment living doesn't allow it. I know that smell, though! It is heavenly.
ReplyDeleteThere is nothing so sweet smelling as line dried clothes. I hung towels out the other day when it was summer. I mean sunny and hot. We had summer for 5 days and now it's spring again. Flurries today. Oh well. I love getting out and raking the debris from the yard in spring. And there is lots of it with all the fir, pine, spruce and maples we have. Have fun!
ReplyDeleteI loved hanging out the clothes to dry when we lived at our vacation house in Florida. Here, between the dogs and the big sappy trees that hang over my yard, it has been impossible. But it is definitely the best way to go. Thanks for posting abo
ReplyDeleteI'm aching to buy some bulbs and plant them, even if only in my pots. I'm just so afraid that the deer are going to gobble them up before I can enjoy them.
ReplyDeleteWe don't have a clothesline installed outside...yet. It captures the feeling of lazy, summer days for me.
There's something about the sight of laundry on the line that just makes me happy. Can you believe some communities actually ban clotheslines? what is this world coming to. Glad to hear you've potted up a few flowers to have during summer while you make plans for your garden.
ReplyDeleteAh. the lost are of hanging clothes. You brought back fond memories of momma hanging up clothes after she had washed them in the wringer washing machine.
ReplyDeleteSounds wonderful...the smell of laudry dried outside. I haven't done it for years....
ReplyDeleteYou are so right there is nothing to compare to the fresh smell of laundry dried outside.
ReplyDeleteTwo socks and one cloths pin..here in the states I learned one clothespin per sock at the toe..and about five per sheet..I didn't want to be responsible for washing the sheets again if they blew off the line.
ReplyDeleteWe do not have a clothesline here..I have often thought I might like one. I suppose I could string up something between two trees. I love the smell of laundry dried on the line:)
Jen you sound very happy in your new house. Every spring I can't wait to get outside to hang laundry on the line. I love the smell of it when I bring it back indoors.
ReplyDeleteThe air is usually so humid here in Florida but today it was dry and the air was so fresh. I was playing with tiny clothespins today! haha! ♥
ReplyDeleteOh now I miss that smell! Our old house had a clothesline, and I only used it for sheets. But what a pleasure it was! No clotheslines allowed here in our neighborhood, darn it!
ReplyDeleteI loved hanging out clothes as a kid and did it for my mom...the scent of the fresh air on the clothes is amazing...
ReplyDeleteYou are so right. There is nothing like the smell of laundry that has been hung to dry outside. I wish we could do that here, but unfortunately that is a townhouse no no.
ReplyDelete