The Lost Art of Making Do

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Make do - v. to use what you already have, to manage to get along with the means available.

It seems that in this hyperconsumerism driven culture, we've lost the art of making do. Probably the last time we as a society collectively practiced making do was during the Great Depression and World War II. It was a survival skill that was quickly forgotten amongst the disposable world we live in today. Don't get me wrong. There are still people out there who know a thing or two about making do, mostly out of necessity. But the majority of our society has fallen into the mindset of discarding and buying new. Using something until it has no use left in it is a foreign concept.

We are bombarded with commercials that tell us what we need to buy. Products are manufactured with disposal in mind. Big tech companies make it hard to repair their products, thus it becomes easier if you have the funds just to purchase new. Most things these days are manufactured to appear to become obsolete within a limited time, manipulating the consumer to buy the latest computer/phone/shoes, etc. And many items are manufactured for single usage.

The clothing industry is a good example. Except for the rare knee patch on a kid's worn pair of jeans, most people no longer mend clothing or have the skill to do so. Unfortunately, most clothing doesn't even get to that stage before it's discarded or donated. Fast fashion has created a highly wasteful market. While I think it is important to donate and shop used, the used market has been overwhelmed as well. What we need to go back to is using up, mending, repairing. That is where the impact is going to make the biggest difference to the environment and to the current market.

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This past week I made a realization about making do when it comes to food. Money is tight right now. Really tight. I've been keeping us fed by making do and using up food staples I already have on hand. I'm amazed at how much food I have even though it doesn't feel like it. We get so accustomed to being able to make our weekly or monthly grocery shopping trip and when it doesn't happen we feel like we are lacking. In truth, most of us here in the U.S. have plenty in our pantries that we can use up before truly going hungry. We may be eating lots of boring rice, dried beans, and pasta, but we are not going hungry. When you are hit with hard times a well-stocked pantry and the ability to make do are a life saver.

How can making do improve our lives? What if we learned to appreciate the fine wear of our shoes, the slight pull of a thread on our sweater, the miles displayed on our car's odometer, the harmless chip on our coffee mug? What if we saw the beauty in how much use an item still holds instead of allowing ourselves to be pulled in by the desire for something new? What if we learn truly be grateful for what we already have by using it up or wearing it out?

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Making do can make a big impact on our environment. We'll buy less stuff, which in turn means fewer resources will be used up and less pollution created during the manufacture of new items, as well as less of an impact from discarded items. Our money will go further and we can spend it on things that are truly fulfilling, like time with friends and family, traveling, or pursuing the things that feed our souls. It pairs nicely with minimalism in that we aren't going out and filling our homes with more unneeded stuff. And I suspect it encourages greater respect toward our possessions that lead us to care for them better so they will last longer.

Do you have a story of making do? Was it by choice or for survival?

5 Things to Buy At The Thrift Store (and a couple you should avoid)

Shopping at the thrift store for me is part necessity, part adventure. I always feel like I'm on a treasure hunt. If I find something I need without paying full price for new, I am a happy camper. We have a thrift superstore nearby that I can spend a good two hours exploring, much to my son's frustration. I go there often and I also donate things that I no longer have a use for. It's always amusing when I see something familiar on the shelves.

It's even better when I can make it on one of their super discount days. Certain days of the year they mark everything in the store down by 50% and they mark down certain color-coded tags throughout the year. Most thrift stores also give military and senior discounts. I am so used to thrift store prices that when I go to a store like Target I'm usually in sticker shock. You want how much for a new pair of shorts?

Thrifting also has the added benefit of helping the planet. It saves a lot of usable merchandise from going to the landfill and puts a dent into the big problem of fast fashion, which has a lot of big environmental and humanitarian problems. If you'd like to read more about the perils of fast fashion, you can do so here.

As a long time thrifter, I want to share the five things I buy at the thrift store as well as a couple I don't, and the reasons why.

1. Picture frames and framed art

As a photographer, I'm always looking for nice wood picture frames for prints. Sometimes they have a less than attractive print already in them or need a paint job, but I have found some really beautiful frames that needed no attention at all at the fraction of the price you would buy new. 

While I would classify most of the art as cheesy or quaint, there are treasures to be found, so if you are looking to decorate some blank walls or change up your looks, the thrift store is a great place to go. You can also take a canvas that someone painted with an amateurish portrait, slap some gesso on it, and paint your own masterpiece. 

2. Clothing

While I purchase most of my clothing used, the big deals are for formal wear or designer jeans. You can save a bundle on prom dresses, cocktail dressed, and other formal wear that was likely only worn once. I've seen some beautiful wedding gowns as well. Designer jeans are another item that is expensive to purchase new and can easily run $100 or more. While I look for fit, comfort, and lack of wear over brand, I have picked up a pair of designer jeans for $12. That's quite a big markdown. I generally spend $5-7 for a pair of jeans at the thrift store. 

3. Books

Any more I skip buying books for the library, but occasionally there is a book I'd love to have on my shelves or I stumble across a cheap paperback I'd like to read that I can later pass on. I've also found popular titles of children's books in like new condition. 

4. Kitchen Items

Dishes seem to be another item besides clothing that people donate in large quantities. If you are ever in need of coffee mugs, the shelves are usually lined with them. My son's favorite mug, an obvious Colorado souvenir someone decided to part with, came from thrifting. I've also found canning jars in excellent condition, nice looking wine glasses, table linens, and occasionally a rare treasure like a cast iron skillet or Le Creuset pan will show up. Avoid any old pottery or imported items that may contain lead.

5. Furniture

The quality can vary, but you can save a bundle buying furniture at a thrift store. I tend to look for older wood pieces like end tables, small hutches, or chairs. As I've downsized, I've gotten rid of large furniture pieces like the two tiered corner office desk that took up half of any room and blocked a window. My current desk is an old vintage metal desk that is maybe 3'x1'. I spray painted the legs black and the sturdy top that golden yellow color that is so popular right now. I'm typing this blog post at my little desk right now. 

What do I avoid buying?

Most used shoes are a big no for me, unless they look new/hardly worn. I have read that shoes adapt to the wearer's feet, so they can be painful for someone else to wear. They can also harbor bacteria, especially shoes like flip flops or sandals. I have accepted used dress shoes from friends that I trust, but I doubt I would buy them from a thrift store. In fact, the only shoes I have ever purchased from the thrift store were a like new pair of North Face waterproof boots I wear in the winter when I'm doing chores and a pair of like new kid's shoes for my son when he was smaller. 

I also don't buy underwear or swimsuit bottoms because, well, it's gross. You never know how the previous owner viewed personal hygiene. 

Stuffed animals, pillows, and upholstered items that may carry bed bugs. Apparently, those suckers can hide for up to a year. I really don't want to bring home what appears to be a steal to find out I've instead got a problem on my hands.

Big no's are any items that may be a safety hazard, like iffy looking lamps or electronic items that might be fire hazards, old cribs, infant car seats, etc. 

The bottom line, thrift store shopping is a lot of fun and can save you a ton of money if you know what you are looking for and what to avoid. You can feel good not only about your pocketbook but about recycling and reusing items that still have a lot of use in them. 

Let's go shopping!

What I Have Learned While Walking my Son to School

The drop-off and pick-up line at my son's school is a winding nightmare of tired parents and car exhaust. I get that some don't live a comfortable walking distance and some are in a rush to or from work. For some, it may be physically impossible for them to walk their kids to and/or from school. But even those that live a reasonable walking distance to the school seem to drive instead. I pass the same two or three parents on foot every morning when I walk my son to school.

I've gained a lot from walking my son to school. Not only do we get to spend precious time together, but we are also moving our bodies. It sets a positive tone for our day. We talk about things he's interested in. We act silly We observe what's going on around us. He holds my hand, a precious act I know he may soon grow out of. And when we get to the school I can give him an unhurried goodbye because I don't have a line of cars behind me, impatiently waiting to drop their kids off. I think it's very important to set a positive tone for the day for our kids to help them succeed, and taking the time to walk him to school does just that.

I stop and get to know the crossing guards on the way back home. Now that my schedule has changed and I mostly work from home, having that adult contact is awesome. But even when I was walking back home to hop in the car and drive to work, I enjoyed slowing down and talking to these very important people keeping our children safe. I wouldn't want their job. People driving through stop signs, on their cell phones, just totally unaware of their surroundings, driving too fast. They put up with a lot.

Walking him to school allows me to observe our neighborhood in a way I don't have time for when I am driving. I can pick up on which kids are struggling at home. I get to see the delight in the kids walking home when the unharvested kumquat tree is full of ripe fruit. I can actually look into the eyes of other walking parents and give them a warm greeting. Occasionally we may get chased by the chihuahua that regularly escapes her backyard. She's an annoying little ankle biter. We get to really know our neighborhood.

I see a lot of newer neighborhoods building schools where it is just plain unsafe for kids to walk to school. The schools are built around buses and cars. This, to me, is sad. It's a missed opportunity for community and parent/child connections, for slowing down and really seeing your neighborhood.

If you have the opportunity, walk your kid to school. Slow down your mornings. Bond with your child. Get some exercise. Observe your neighborhood with fresh eyes. Not to mention the environmental impact that you will be making by not starting up your car.

GreenWorks 12 AMP 20 Inch 3 in 1 Electric Lawn Mower

Mowing the lawn is one of those chores I put off as long as possible, especially with hot south Texas summers. The ex left behind a stinky old gas mower that lasted for about a year. I'm not very mechanically inclined, so when I looked around for a replacement I wanted something easy to maintain. I also wanted something more environmentally friendly. With those two specifications in mind, and a set budget of less than $200, I began to scour the Internet for advice. I finally settled on the GeenWorks 12 AMP model, which I ordered off of Amazon.

It's always exciting when you receive a big box from Amazon, even if you already know it's contents. This was no exception. It was also the first time I picked out and purchased a lawnmower without a husband, so it also felt like an act of independence.  There was some assembly required, but it was fairly simple and mostly involved attaching the handle.

This particular GreenWorks model has several features that I like. It has large, 10 inch rear tires, which helps with maneuverability and prevents grass from clumping up at the rear. While I usually keep mine set at the same mowing height, it has 7 height adjustment positions. It comes with a rear bag and can be set to mulch, side discharge, or collected in the rear bag. The cutting deck is a sturdy 20 inches made of steel and the 12 AMP motor continues to be powerful enough to put up with my abuse, even after over two years of use. Did I mention that I often procrastinate on mowing the lawn? The back yard can quickly become an overgrown mess when I don't keep up with it. My GreenWorks electric mower has had no problems getting through the mess. The back yard is also full of rocks. I've hit a few and winced, but it hasn't bothered the cutting quality of the mower. 

The biggest hassle with a corded electric mower is, of course, dealing with the cord. If you work your way out from the outlet, you will find it easier to manage. My biggest issue is the side yard. It is a bit of a stretch from any of my outside outlets. I have to have a fairly long cord to reach everything, which really was only a big issue when my dog was going through his puppy chewing phase and chewed up my long extension cord, thankfully when it was unplugged. 

Overall, I am very happy with my GreenWorks lawn mower. I have since purchased a GreenWorks corded electric hedger, which I am also very happy with, and I am looking into purchasing a weed trimmer from them as well. Like I said, wrestling with the cord is the only down side, but it is such a minor issue I definitely recommend this mower for small to medium lawns. 

Things You Can Live Without

I've finally picked up the book No Impact Man, by Colin Beavan, and started reading it. It is an entertaining read and Beavan brings up some thought provoking points. Every one of us can, and should, decrease our impact on our environment, but how far can we take it? What can we live without to lower that impact? Over the past 3-4 years, as I have worked to build a financially secure life for me and my boys, I have learned a thing or two about what is necessity and what our family can live without. I also know it takes continued tweaking to refine this simple life of ours.

My goals are twofold: 1. lower our impact on the environment. 2. Build a simple life that allows more time for being a family together. Both of these work beautifully together. The bottom line for achieving both goals is to buy/own less stuff. Economically, environmentally, and, yeah, spiritually, it makes sense for my family and the life I am building to think carefully about where our money goes, how much stuff we bring into our lives, and how much of it is disposable or stuff that actually enriches our lives for the long haul.

In case you haven't read my last post, I recently ditched my microwave. But there are other things that are in the typical household that you won't find in mine either.

Paper Towels

The ex loved using paper towels. I used to tell him he needed to plant a forest for all the trees he was killing off. I used to buy a roll of recycled towels every now and then to keep on hand, but eventually found myself no longer using them at all. We dry our hands on a hand towel. I have plenty of reusable rags for large clean up jobs and washing windows. It is a small expense off our grocery budget as well. 

If you would like to make your own reusable paper towels there are many tutorials out there, including this one. You can also purchase them through Etsy vendors.

Television

My students, and some adults, freak out when I tell them I don't have a TV, and haven't had one in years! These days it is easy to watch a movie on the computer or tablet. We do subscribe to Netflix. But my kids aren't exposed to all those exploitative commercials selling the latest gadgets and cereal jam packed with sugar. We also aren't sitting in front of a screen for hours. One of the common questions I get asked is what do we do if we don't have TV. I have to laugh at this one. Uhm, read a book. Go outside. Move your body and/or your mind. I have four children (two grown) who love to read and who appreciate the outdoors. My youngest son couldn't think of anything to put on his Christmas list this past December because he hadn't been inundated with what he should want. He just turned six. I think this is amazing and good.

A Cabinet Full of Toxic Chemicals

The cleaning and laundry isle at the grocery store is full of items sold to make our homes sparkle and our laundry smell fresh. But the truth is they often contain ingredients that are harmful and are packaged in throw away containers that pile up in the landfill. Plus, you don't need five different kinds of cleaners to keep your home clean. I mainly use one cleaner I mix up in a reusable spray bottle consisting of a few squirts of castile soap and 10-20 drops of essential oils. Lately I have been using cinnamon, tea tree, lavender, and rosemary oils. I use this on the kitchen counters, bathroom sinks, even in the toilet. As for my laundry, I have been mixing up my own borax free laundry detergent for some time now. 

*Note* I can not link to my post for the laundry detergent because it has been deleted and/or lost in cyberspace. Not sure why or how, but I will put it up on the blog again when I can. 

Coffee Filters/ Disposable Coffee Cups

This includes cups obtained through stops at your local Starbucks. I make my own coffee using a coffee press, no filters needed, and drink in my favorite coffee mug before I even leave the house. Sometimes I will fill a glass jar with coffee and warm it up at work. My go to travel mug needs replaced, so there is no consuming on the go right now, but I have gotten into the relaxing routine of getting up early and savoring my coffee before the rush to get out the door happens. It's a much better way to set the day than by juggling hot coffee on the way to work and spilling it on my lap. My compute these days is only a short 7 minutes anyhow. 

There are other things I just have never seen the necessity in, like dryer sheets for instance, and plastic water bottles. And there are things I don't use often. Disposable razors are one of them. I rarely shave. My legs get neglected all winter. Then there are the things I may have to get used to going without, like my dryer that is on it's last bit of life. It is going on 14 years old and when it dies I'm not sure I am gong to replace it. I have my clothes line. I'll just have to readjust how I do laundry. Now, the washer is another thing. If it dies, it is getting replaced...somehow. 

My point is, you can live a simpler life and there are many things you just chuck into your cart that you can live without if you just think it through for a moment. That list of things may be different for you than it is for me and my family, but it is important to take the time to eliminate these things from your life to make room for a simpler, happier, less cluttered life and decrease your impact on our beautiful planet.

The Ethics of What You Eat; Thoughts on Healthy, Sustainable Eating

I have been mulling over this post for a while now. With so much at stake and so much wrong with our food system in the US, food choices are important to the health of our bodies as well as the health of our environment. I have friends who are vegan and friends who are outright carnivores. Each has his or her own reasons for eating the way they do based on history and personal beliefs. I am not out to preach to the choir or entice anyone to drastically change their diet. I'm just asking that we think about what we put in our mouths and its impact on the larger picture.

It's not that vegans are crazy extremists or meat eaters are evil (though you'd think so according to the memes floating around Facebook). It's that we have become disconnected from our food sources. The modern hunter is no longer motivated by his family's hungry stomachs. Those living in cities no longer buy their food from open markets directly from the farmers. City governments put strict ordinances in place that have limited gardening and raising small livestock. Family farms have been overrun by by larger corporate farms. Sustainable farming has been replaced with chemicals and genetically engineered crops militantly pushed on us by companies like the ominous Monsanto.

I eat animal products. I will probably continue to do so, but with intention and care. In one scene from the classic Lion King, Simba's father is explaining the circle of life to him. As we eat the antelope, one day we become the grass that they eat. Of course, I don't think an antelope is going to be munching on me anytime soon. I'm not going to die on the African savanna that I know of. But I do think, as many native cultures used to do, we should acknowledge where our food comes from and be grateful for the life that sustains us.

As Luckily, here in Texas I can still buy raw milk straight from the farmer. He also sells eggs, though it is my goal to own a small flock of chickens. I buy organic and local when I can. San Antonio is also in the middle of the food revolution, with at least three large vibrant farmers markets and many smaller ones. I have purchased local pork, ground buffalo, grass fed beef and local cheeses from the Saturday market at the Pearl Brewery. It is more expensive and I can't always afford it. And that is perhaps the biggest obstacle for access to local, sustainable food for the lower class.

One of the biggest threats to our diet and our society's neglect of its health is the convenience factor. I am guilty of this myself. It is more convenient to go shopping at the local supermarket, throw some premixed, over packaged meal into our carts, take it home and throw it in the microwave than grow the ingredients in your back yard and cook them up yourself. But you also loose control of what goes into your food, how its grown, and how fresh it is.

Of course, we are also a society in love with advertising. And we buy all the weird new food products regardless of how unhealthy they are. Our supermarkets are filled with isle after isle of unhealthy eye candy. But I heard a little tip on keeping grocery shopping healthy by shopping mainly on the perimeter of the store. Think about it. What is on the perimeter? Fresh produce, the meat counter, dairy, the bakery. Individual ingredients instead of prepackaged "meals".

I feel like I am rambling all over the place on this issue, but it is big and it impacts every one of us. We are all aware of how diet contributes to overall health. We know that high chemical use is not only bad for us and the food we eat but also for the environment as a whole. We have been aware of them for a long time, yet continue to give our power over to food manufacturers and chemical companies. We continue with our convenience foods despite many ingredients causing cancer and diabetes, among other health concerns.

But there is one simple answer to taking down this system of ill health and replacing it with sustainability. Buy or grow real ingredients. Whether you are vegan, vegetarian, or all out carnivore, know where your food comes from. Encourage urban homesteading. Buy organic when you can. Avoid prepackaged. Avoid fast food restaurants. Slow down with your food. Enjoy it, appreciate it, know it. What you put in your mouth really does make a difference.

Book Review: Bringing It To The Table: On Farming and Food

Wendell Berry is one of my favorite writers, as well as someone who I look up to. If I could sit down to dinner with any one person living today, it would either be the Dali Lama or Wendell Berry. I own several of Berry's books of poetry and essays, but this is one that I have overlooked until now. I was researching organic gardening at the library yesterday when I ran across Bringing It To The Table: On Farming and Food in the library collection. Again, Mr. Berry impresses me with his wisdom, this time about our modern food system and what is wrong with it.

Anyone interested in sustainable farming and the future of our food system (which should be everybody) needs to read this impressive book. In fact, I think it should be required reading in high school agriculture programs and agriculture colleges. While many of these issues are just now becoming widely discussed, Berry has been talking about these issues for years and sadly few were listening. His very profound essay, Agriculture Solutions for Agriculture Problems, talks about the problems with factory farming and industrial agriculture. He describes the system as a failure and outlines its weaknesses in a dependency on chemical fertilizers, an economic and industrial organization, and an absolute dependence of most of the population on this organization with no back up system. In other words, if the system fails the general population will have no knowledge or land to grow their own food. He originally published this article in 1978, yet our society is only now taking note of these problems.

Wendell Berry

The book is divided into three sections: farming, farmers, and food. He defends the traditional family farm and condemns factory farming. He tells the stories of old school farmers Lancie Clippinger and Elmer Lapp, as well as many others affected by the dominance of the factory farm. The book ends with the essay, The Pleasures of Eating. Here he talks about the disconnect between the consumer and the food he eats. He discusses the politics and ethics of food and eating and outlines seven things anyone can do to eat responsibly, including preparing your own food and buying locally. While many of us who are aware of the problems of our industrial agriculture system have heard these seven actions before, the general population still blindly consumes the food on their grocery shelves.All you have to do is visit your local grocery chain and glance into the carts of the people filing back and forth down the isles grabbing items simply because they want them, not because they are good for them. Carts filled with overly processed foods, foods grown in large mono crops fed diets of chemical fertilizers and dusted in harmful pesticides.

It is time, for our own health and the health of our food system, that we finally start listening to Wendell Berry.

10 Things You Can (And Probably Should) Live Without

Shutterstock image by Tischenko Irina

Not everyone will agree with this list, and that's ok. I'm not here to make you feel bad about your choices, only to think about ways to simplify your life, save money, prioritize your time, and decrease your environmental impact on our planet. We all hold onto little luxuries that we don't want to give up (mine happens to be that one morning cup of coffee with real half and half and two teaspoons of sugar). We all can do better in the small daily choices we make. Over time small things can have a big impact. And if you have anything else to add to the list, feel free to leave me a comment below. I would love to hear your thoughts. Plus, there is probably something in my daily life I should give up that hasn't even occurred to me yet :)

10 Things You Can Live Without:

1. Paper Towels. It is just as easy to reach for a reusable cloth towel and you save a bit on your grocery bill. I use worn out bath towels, dish towels, and cotton bed sheets cut down to size so I am recycling and not spending money on anything special. And if you hang them outside on a line to dry, the energy it takes to wash them is minimal.
2. TV. Yes, you can live without it. I haven't had a television in my home in years. I find them to be huge time wasters. Now don't get me wrong. I can fall into other time waste traps like Facebook, but I just don't miss having a television around and I feel like my kids have benefited from it. If we want to watch a movie at home we do so on the computer. No big deal. I was also quite happy not to have to deal with all the added expense and hype about the switch to digital TV.
3. Soda. Very rarely do I buy soda. Soda is simply just not good for you. It increases your chances of obesity and diabetes. I have taken to drinking water with a slice of lemon or homemade flavored water such as the spa water recipe I posted a few days ago: Cucumber Spa Water
4. Fast food. It usually constitutes a major emergency or poor planning if I stop at a fast food restaurant, or quite usually both. But we all know fast food is not healthy for us and not just because it is usually full of calories and high in sodium and sugar. Its not good for our well being to eat on the run and the conditions fast food is prepared under can be horrid.
5. Anything prepackaged for convenience. It really doesn't take that much more of your time to buy larger sizes and then divide in reusable containers. It saves your wallet and its better for the environment.
6. Credit cards. We are no doubt a nation of debt. I, too, have fallen into that trap and am digging my way out of it. Make a point of carrying a set amount of cash with you for emergency purchases and simply use your bank issued ATM card for everything else. No spending money you don't have and no debt owed at high interests rates. No handing our money over to a system just about everyone agrees is corrupt.
7. Buying New. You can save a lot of money going to thrift stores and garage sales, or even by getting things for free off of networks like freecycle.org. I buy all my jeans for about $7-9 a piece at our local thrift store and they usually have plenty of wear. I recently got a table for free that I painted with paint I bought at the Habitat for Humanity ReStore for under $3. Garage and yard sales are great places to find used furniture and baby items. I usually avoid buying shoes unless they look hardly worn and avoid things like swimwear and intimate items. 
8. Your Morning Stop at Starbucks. Starbucks is a treat for me, a very rare occasion. Instead, I save money and time by using my little one cup coffee press and making my own. I love my coffee press and it is so easy to use. I heat up a mug of water in the microwave, add my coffee grounds to the press, pour in the water, and get breakfast ready for the boys while it brews. Simple. I could cut back on the sugar and half and half but I just haven't been able to learn to drink it black.
9. Paper plates, plastic silverware and cups. Buy reusable and you'll do less damage to the environment and save money over time.
10. Regrets. We all make mistakes but we can't dwell on them or let them eat us up. We spend more than we should. We say things we shouldn't. But they are lessons to be learned. We need to stop being so hard on ourselves, myself included.

Benefits of Hanging Your Laundry Out To Dry

I enjoy hanging my laundry out on the line, but there are many benefits I gain from it as well. I have a small back yard so I only have one retractable line purchased from Amazon.com that stretches from the back of the house to the fence, but it is usually just enough for one load of clothes.

One of the most obvious benefits of hanging your clothes out to dry is its effect on your wallet. Depending on your dryer wattage and the amount of laundry you do a year you can save anywhere between $120-$250 per year on electricity costs.

Of course, it is also good for the environment. The less electricity you use, the smaller your carbon footprint.

Your laundry smells fresher.

The sun kills bacteria and germs naturally and even helps make whites whiter!

Clothes last longer. The harsh heat and pounding from the dryer wears out fabric and weakens elastic.

Hanging your clothes out gets you outside in the sun and moving.

Clothes dryers are fire hazards. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, there are an estimated annual 15,500 fires, 10 deaths and 10 injuries due to clothes dryer fires. Improperly installed vents contribute to several hundred people a year exposed to carbon monoxide poisoning.

One of the biggest complaints about hanging your clothes out to dry is stiff towels. To avoid this, simply add about 1/4 cup white vinegar to your wash load. I also get more room on my line and avoid clothespin marks on my shirts by hanging them on hangers first. When you take them off the line they are all ready to hang in the closet! I also fold the laundry as I take it down. Why handle each item more than I have to? Saves time and keeps me outside a little bit longer.