We've almost made it. The August monthly challenge, No Dryer Month, is over after next week. And as I plan to share with you the September challenge in the coming days, I thought now would be a good time to check in and ask: How is no dryer month going?
Us? We've loved it. mostly. There have definitely been a few humid and rainy days that I have wished I could just pop things in the dryer. And we've had a couple toddler meltdowns over blankies that aren't dry for nap time, but other than that I don't miss my dryer much at all. In fact, I really hope to continue not to use it, at least not on a regular basis, after this month is over.
So, for all you fabulous people who took the challenge with us, please take a moment to leave a comment and let us know how it's going!
I would love to know what kind of a difference it made to your electricity bill if any. Not using your dryer for a whole month must make a huge difference! Good for you for doing it.
ReplyDeleteI have loved it and have no plans of ever using my drier again. I started ironing towels to lesson the crunch (I do use vinegar in the rinse but still...). Then I liked how pretty and flat my kitchen towels looked when I ironed them and now I am basically ironing everything but the floor rags/dog towels!! I used to not buy things if they would require ironing so this is huge for me! Since we got rid of clothes (basically with the kids we worked to cut it down to two weeks worth of shirts and shorts and have 4 church outfits) I feel really good about making each thing look its best. It is a small thing and extra work but makes me feel like I accomplished something tangible. :)
ReplyDeleteHi, where i live (romania, in europe) we don t have dryers, they just don t exist, so no one is using a dryer and everything is just fine. So it is possible to live without one:)
ReplyDeleteI am thinking about giving up my microwave as you are, it is taking too much space in my kitchen, i rarely use it and it's not that healthy to heat food in it. Thanks for the idea and great blog btw!
I am from Romania too and I was just about to make the same comment, haha!
DeleteFirst, I LOVE this blog and look forward to reading it each day! I have taken the "no dryer challenge"... I did have to cheat 3 times this month, but those were "emergencies"! Hanging my clothes on the line has become a peaceful and relaxing activity for me! I actually like to look out the back window and see the clothes hanging! Thanks for all you do!
ReplyDeleteLes :)
Well, I blew the challenge half way through the month. I'm not a huge fan of stiff towels and cloths...I even used vinegar. Any ways, I love your blogs and I've learned so much from you! I can't wait to see what the next challenge is!
ReplyDeleteCan you please tell me the brand of your drying rack. And where can I get it? It seem really good.
ReplyDeleteThis is the drying rack I have, although I got mine on sale so I didn't pay this much! http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/browse/3/HouseHome/Laundry/IndoorOutdoorDryers/PRDOVR~0428835P/For+Living+Clothes+Dryer.jsp?locale=en
DeleteI like it, but when I want it to hold a full load of laundry I have to put some stuff on hangers and hang the hangers on it.
Putting clothes on the line has become routine for me. I start a load at night, in the morning I put it on the line and after dinner I drink my wine and fold the clothes off the line. I only have one kiddo who is in cloth diapers so that works out to 1 load of laundry most days of the week. My hubby has even put a few loads on the line!
ReplyDeleteI must admit three times I needed my diapers dry NOW so they got tossed in the dryer.
I tweaked the No Dryer Month to be Dryer Less month. Reducing my clothing choices really helped. I created a work uniform. I have 4 quick drying polo type shirts for M-Th and a work approved T-shirt (school colors) and 4 pairs of capris with capri jeans on Friday until cool weather. The shirts I hang dry. I threw out all my old ratty towels and just kept 4 good towels. 2 bath sheet towels and 2 regular towels for wrapping my hair. I've even purged the undies! As a result, I have less to dry. I hang up (inside) what I can and then put the rest in dryer and wait until the dryer is full to dry. I have reduced laundry to just 2 nights a week. My husband does his own laundry since his new tighty whities came out bright pink many years ago and his favorite wool shirt shrunk in the wash. He has been a laundry minimalist for years. Your blog has simplified my life in so many ways.
ReplyDeleteHi! I'm also really enjoying your blog! Please post the info about where you got your dryer racks when you can. Summer in South Florida is too wet to rely on the great outdoors, but we could maybe swing "November No Dryer Challenge" (November is the official end of Hurricane Season!). Thanks!
ReplyDeleteHi Cristina! This is the drying rack I have, although I got mine on sale so I didn't pay this much! http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/browse/3/HouseHome/Laundry/IndoorOutdoorDryers/PRDOVR~0428835P/For+Living+Clothes+Dryer.jsp?locale=en
DeleteI like it, but when I want it to hold a full load of laundry I have to put some stuff on hangers and hang the hangers on it.
I would love to hear you talk about microwaves some time. The only thing I have ever had one for was to heat rice packs during a particularily hard stretch in life. Then my Toddler managed to punch enough buttons and burn his toys he was pretending were food inside. (Yes it was code locked, yes he got it running)
ReplyDeleteI have no desire to have one but i really miss the hot packs some days...
I didn't really even try the Dryer Challenge. I don't have enough space on my lime to do much :(
Check out Kelly's previous post for "Day 13: Ditching the Microwave" :)
DeleteI have been keeping track of every load of laundry done, and which loads were line dried and dryer dried. I admit to being lazy on it lately, but at least I am giving it a shot! I am going to continue to give it a shot next month, too. Perhaps it will get a little easier- it's been SO humid around here. I just want to say again how much I enjoy your blog. I really look forward to posts every day!
ReplyDeleteIt's been awesome. I purchased a drying rack for inside my apartment and I've LOVED using it. The only thing I dried this whole month was the sheets, because to be honest with you, I have NO room anywhere to dry those. But every load I don't dry saves me one whole dollar, and to me the savings is way worth it. Thanks for making me think about it, and kicking my butt in gear! :)
ReplyDeleteI cheated one day! last week i got so excited finally being able to catch up on laundry that i washed too many loads and ran out of places to dry things. i had clothes and linens hanging outside and inside on everything! even chairs and open doors had a shirt or two on them and so for the last load (because i didn't realize my hanging space issue until the last load was ready to dry) i popped it into the dryer. :(
ReplyDeletehehe Joylicia...I giggled while reading this because that is totally something that could happen to me. I love a good laundry-catch-up day! :)
DeleteFor our household I committed to using the dryer as little as possible - considering it is the middle of winter in Tasmania(Aus)and has rained for the last 10 days! I am happy to say I have used it once to finish off a sheet and have worked at being more organised washing more regularly instead of leaving it all until the weekend. Unfortunately I have broken my leg and ankle and now my husband has to pick up the slack. I am loving your blog and got the Radical book to read and once I am up and about again want to start working through our house (and our lives). Thanks!
ReplyDeleteThat's too bad about breaking your leg and ankle! I hope you heal quickly, and it is such a blessing your husband is there to help with the household duties while you are recovering.
DeleteWell, I had to break down and use the dryer one day last week after we came back from a 5-day vacation. Other than that, it's worked out for the most part. I'm going to try to see if I can keep it up through September as well!
ReplyDeleteWell, my dryer broke prior to the beginning of the challenge, so I got a head start. I had already been putting clothes on the line, but still using the dryer at times. We have done fairly well without it, except when the laundry piles up and there are no places left to hang wet clothes. I have to admit- I do miss the dryer a little bit.
ReplyDeleteI was born and raised in rural Philippines were most households don't have dryers, washing machines, microwave, dishwasher, and other things that you are trying to get rid of :-) Saturday mornings were bonding time for me and my sister as we sat across each other, talking while handwashing our clothes. Now I live in a dormitory so washing machine is a necessity. But we have clotheslines on the rooftop and drying my clothes there reminds me of home :-)
ReplyDeleteSince I don't have a dryer, it's been going well:). One exception, I needed a rug dry fast, so I used the building's dryer.
ReplyDeleteIeva
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ReplyDeleteI didn't do a 'no dryer' month but increased greatly the amount of laundry I hang out. The only exception has been a few items we needed quickly. I'm now at 10 loads of laundry and only used the dryer for 10 minutes. In September I'm going to try to eliminate the dryer completely. I've been trying to simplify/reorganize my life too. Your blog has inspired me.
ReplyDeleteThis was definitely a less dryer month for us. I'm trying to talk the hubby into getting a drying rack, but he's resisting because he doesn't like the crunchiness of his no dryer jeans. (I'm still trying to figure out just the right amount of laundry detergent, but the vinegar rinses are definitely helping.) The only things I have used my dryer for this month are small things (undies/socks/sports bras) that I just don't have the extra space to hang, and don't want an unexpected guest to stop by and see, and bath towels. I tried hanging my bath towels, and even after nearly 12 hours, they were still sopping wet. This is something I will definitely keep up for our everyday clothes though, and I'll keep working on the hubby to get a rack. :) Thanks for the wonderful ideas and inspiration! I've started writing about mine and hubby's journey on my blog as well. So far we have made it almost the whole month with our microwave unplugged and stored (hadn't used it in ages before that), and the hubby hasn't asked for it once. Hopefully in a couple more months he will give in and let me donate it. :)
ReplyDeleteBrittny
bsnovelwritingblog.blogspot.com
We have a heated towel rack for our towels which runs on a timer so it is only on for 2 hrs before we get up in the morning which means not only dry towels but also warm ones when we get out of the shower :) It is another "thing" but makes a world of difference to how damp our bathroom is. Just a thought!
DeleteThat is definitely something we've talked about getting when we get a house, but right now we are in an apartment with a tiny bathroom. Thanks for the great suggestion though. I wouldn't have thought to use a heated towel rack for drying towels too. :)
DeleteBrittny
bsnovelwritingblog.blogspot.com
I've had to use the dryer about 6 times total, almost completely because of the toddler meltdowns you mentioned (naptime accidents make for late washloads) and once because it was a really busy week and I had no time to do laundry except really late at night (much to the chagrin of my MIL).
ReplyDeleteOur dryer broke a week ago, so I inadvertently joined the No Dryer challenge. Question, socks? I feel ridiculous pinning up individual socks. How do ya'll handle them?
ReplyDeleteI pin up individual socks.
DeleteMe too. I think they're pretty cute looking hanging there in all their silly ridiculousness :)
DeleteI never pin anything, not even socks, I just hang them in the middle/at the heal. The only things I have started pinning are sheets on the spider-cloth-line (http://src.discounto.de/pics/product/2716/31700_Vileda-Aluminium-Waeschespinne_xxl.jpg), because they started flying away.
DeleteI didn't do the challenge because the only thing we ever dry in the dryer are towels, and sheets in the winter even though they dry much faster if they freeze first, so sometimes they are line dried even then. Nothing else ever goes in the dryer.
I never used to put towels in the dryer until I got married. My husband need soft towels :-) the rough kind are good for blood circulation and exfoliation...
The only socks that fall off and should probably be pinned are the sneaker kind because they are so short... But I'll probably have to start pinning socks once the baby arrives, those are bound to fall off...
Thanks for the responses. It's hard not to feel ridiculous, when I'm the only one in the neighborhood with a clothesline. Who knows, maybe all the cute socks wafting in the breeze will start a trend here?
DeleteI am washing for 6 people and I got a little thing with clips attached for all the socks. I put it at the end of the clothesline and put pairs of socks next to each other so when I take them off I fold them up. If I don't have many socks I clip up underwear or rags or anything else small.
Deletehttp://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B003KTL5B6/ref=mp_s_a_1?qid=1346194235&sr=8-6
if you pin up socks that match then when you take them off the line they are ready to fold and put away. no more hunting for the mate!!!
ReplyDeleteGood point. I hadn't thought of pinning them to their mates.
DeleteI have used the dryer maybe twice this month? Once for sheets/mattress cover and once for a load of "heavies" - towels and my husbands cargo shorts. I usually wash towels with the regular clothes but they do get so crunchy, and we are even used to no fabric softener! But a drying rack is on my shopping list. I have been hanging things here and there all over my apartment, but it's worth the dollar saved per load!
ReplyDeleteI've really enjoyed no dryer month. However, I am still having crunchy towel issues and by crunchy I mean sandpaper. When you use them it's like drying yourself with a pumice stone. I've cut down the soap (homemade liquid) to just 1 TBS, added vinegar as a softener and doubled the towels over the line so they dry slower, with no success. So I have conceded to using the dryer for our towels and I'm ok with that. I plan to keep up with line drying clothes beyond this month. I enjoy the quiet time in the morning as I am hanging clothes on the line outside and I really love how fresh everything smells. Not sure it's saving us much money considering that almost all of our appliances including the washer and dryer and tankless water heater are all gas and our gas bill is usually only around $20 with $13 being the base fee. So how much can you really cut out of $7 that's powering everything in your house except the lights and fridge. Nevertheless, I love the simplicity of line drying clothes, I mean how poetic does a line full of whites look on a summer day? It makes me want to put daisies in my hair and skip.
ReplyDeleteI haven't even made it to hang drying towels, as when I did try they were still soaked almost 12 hours later, but for the crunchiness I've found that some of my clothes just hold a lot of soap (probably a lot of soap from before I started reducing the amount of soap in each load). I've started doing 2 vinegar rinse cycles on my clothes, and the ones I pulled off hangers this morning felt as soft as if I had pulled them out of the dryer- except they still had all the integrity of hang drying. I think I'm just going to have to do that until I get all of the lingering soap residue out of my clothes.
DeleteBrittny
Bsnovelwritingblog.blogspot.com
My husband hates line-dried towels, so I can't do it completely, but I've always been one to hang-dry my clothes...they last longer and keep their shape and feel better. We have a drying rack for the winter months anyway, and I always tell myself I will hang clothes out on those really cold winter days (you know, -15, no clouds, and sunny!) but I rarely do. They just take a little longer indoors but we don't use our basement that much anyway, so they're not in the way.
ReplyDeleteyea... well... I loved it until two loads got rained on and had to be re-hung yesterday. Especially since we missed taking them off the line by about 20 minutes!
ReplyDeleteI love your laundry line/line dryer. (I saw the link, I'm going to try and locate one similar in the US). We have lines outside and in our basement. But sometimes it's tough to trek two small kids downstairs, and it takes too long to hang the laundry for me to comfortably leave them upstairs by themselves, so it would be nice to have lines up here so I could just go grab the wet laundry (We're on the 2nd floor our laundry is in the basement) and bring it right upstairs.
Ashlee
I have not used my dryer one single time all month...the only times I miss it are when I have a lot of laundry to do, but if I do one load a day and stay on it, it's fine! I may never go back, at least not until it starts raining here!
ReplyDeleteI can't seem to get rid of the crunchy towels even with less detergent and vinegar-- hard water, perhaps? I have been doing no dryer with the exception of towels since your Imperfect Homemaking post, but have gone back to using the dryer since the wildfires have made the air so smoky in Idaho and I don't want my clothes to smell like campfire! I love line-drying and have been doing it on days when the air doesn't smell smoky. I failed, but oh well! Thanks for the inspiration and challenge! Can't wait to see what September's challenge is!
ReplyDelete-Sandy C
I've used the dryer 5 times I think. 4 times from lack of planning/running late and once due to a tummy bug in the middle of the night. My husband built a clothesline and I will continue to mostly hang things and only dry occasionally. Thanks for the challenge!
ReplyDeleteOur dryer runs on natural gas. Just got out gas bill which covered most of August. We typically average about 14 ccf (cubic feet of gas) per non-winter month. For August we only used 9 ccf! So I'd say that's a pretty significant reduction thanks to no dryer month. Now, gas only costs 64 cents per cff so we're only savings of $3.20, but it's the principle of the matter , right? :)
ReplyDeleteAwesome!
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