Laundry Challenge Update

This is probably the perfect week for an update on my laundry challenges.

First, there was the Dryer Challenge.  I've been over a year without one, and it's only weeks like this that I consider getting another.  Well, it's a passing thought, anyway, because I know the sun will shine again soon.  Right now, however, I have a huge, menacing pile of laundry just waiting for that sunshiny day.  The dirty socks keep trying to crawl out of the hamper and into the hallway...

Yes, I manage to dry laundry indoors all winter.  But now, with the temp too low for a/c and too high for heat, the laundry just sort of hangs there, plotting a coup and feigning boredom.  I use a fan, which helps a lot, but it still takes at least 12 hours for stuff to dry.  Fortunately, weeks like this are few and far between.

Then there was the Washer Challenge.  Things are going surprisingly well on that front.  I don't know if I'd mentioned the lint problem I was having.   I thought it was just my brand of washing machine, but after asking around, I found a lot of people have that problem. The solution, of course, is to use a dryer, or a case of duct tape.  Not an option here.  The lint from the towels was pretty annoying, dusting the living room overnight when I'd hang a load to dry by the wood burner.

Once I started hand washing all of our laundry, my lint problem disappeared!  Even the towels are lint free.  A major plus for hand washing, in my book.

Another thing I noticed is that my line dried laundry is no longer "crunchy".  In fact, my family thought I'd been using fabric softener, since everything felt so fluffy and soft.  It could be that hand washing uses less detergent, or that the rinse is more efficient. Or it could be that the "convenience" of a washer means you need a dryer for lint removal, and fabric softener for comfy clothes.  Most likely a conspiracy, cooked up by bored towels and lonely socks.

All things considered, I'm pretty happy with the Laundry Challenge.  Of course the current challenge - keeping that growing pile from spilling out of the laundry room for another day - is something else entirely. If no one hears from me for a week or more, you can safely assume I was overthrown and am being held prisoner by an army of dirty socks.