Robin wrote to me and asked,

In your post on housekeeping, you mentioned that you do full loads of laundry, and you also said that you wash cloth diapers 2-3 times per week. Do you have full loads of diapers 2-3 times per week, or do you wash small loads? I am new to cloth diapering, and I am unsure what to do. I only have one child in diapers, so if I wait until I have a pretty full load, it will be at least a week, and the diapers will be very smelly. But, I don't like to do too many small loads because of the waste in running the washer for a small load. Can you tell me what you do?

Hi, Robin! Thanks for asking! I do usually have a full load of diapers after 3 days. I'm sure it depends on how frequently the baby/child needs changed, and my boys have always needed changed frequently. :)

When I had two in diapers, I had a completely full load every 2 days. Since we observe a day of rest each week (Sabbath), I washed diapers 4 times a week -- usually including both Thursday and Friday, even though I didn't have a full load on Friday. That way, I didn't have to wash them on Sabbath and I didn't run out of clean diapers.

I don't like to wait longer than 3 days simply because of the smell. Another thing I take into consideration is the weather. I prefer line-drying my diapers since the sun keeps them so fresh. If I have to do a slightly smaller load on one day, because rain is predicted for the next day, I usually go ahead and wash.

I try to conserve water, etc. but I guess using cloth diapers and hanging them out to dry is saving money, even if I have to wash a smaller load every week. I love cloth diapers, anyway, and my youngest gets a rash from disposables, so I guess I don't really have a choice, either. :)

Robolepa wrote to me and said: 

My grandmother was an Italian immigrant. When she would hang the laundry out to dry she would only hang up the darks. The whites she would lay on the grass in the sun. She said the sun shining on the grass released oxygen, which in turn removed stains. Her whites were always whiter than white, and you can't argue with her reasoning. Have you ever heard of this before?

No, I haven't heard of that before! I would be afraid that my grass isn't clean enough, but maybe this summer when the lawn is thick (and it hasn't been freshly mowed!) I'll try it on my cloth diapers. :)

Here is a handy "gadget" that has saved us a lot of money through our frugal years. (We're still in them, by the way.) This folding wooden clothes rack was a bridal shower gift, and it stands in our living room all winter (and often in the spring and fall, as well!).

Unlike many of the things I thought I "needed" when we got married, this clothes rack has been used countless times. If our heat is blowing, there is likely clothes drying over the vent. Not only does it save dryer costs, it puts much-needed moisture in the air!

During the coldest months, a load dries in less than 24 hours. In the spring or fall, when the heat isn't used as much, the clothes takes about 24 hours to dry. Longer than 24 hours concerns me, because of mold. Thankfully, if the clothes would take that long to dry in the house, it usually means it's a nice day outside, and I can use my clothesline!

I do prefer my outdoor clothesline. It's nice to be able to wash several loads in one day, and bring in soft, sun-kissed clothes or diapers. But for me, this wooden rack is a winter-time must-have!

Do note that your location, humidity, and outdoor temperatures will determine how well this will work for you!

For more: See Jennifer's page about drying her clothes indoors!

Dawn wrote,

It's one of my New Year's resolutions to be better at housework and that means decluttering. I am not the problem but my husband has papers scattered through out the house of his drawings that he draws or articles. I don't know how many times I pick them up into a neat pile and the next day everything is scattered all over! He does the same thing with clothes! It's like telling a child to not throw their clothing on the floor cuz it's still clean! LOL Goodness! ;-) I still love him though.. ;-)

Dawn, I just want to encourage you in your quest for tidiness. :)

When Joshua and I were first married, he would (daily) throw his dirty clothes on the bedroom floor. When I went to tidy up the room, I had to pick up the clothes (and turn all his socks right-side-out before laundering them!) and put them in the basket. I really resented what to me was just plain thoughtlessness and laziness!

Then I read in a book (can't remember what one) that I needed to just forget about it. So every day when I picked up the clothes, I put them in the basket and told myself that I was forgetting I ever did it! The day moved along, and I stopped feeling resentful about it. It took me just a few seconds to pick up the clothes. I wasn't going to let that little bit of time ruin my whole day or turn into a complaint!

At some point, I decided to put a laundry basket right beside where the clothes always seemed to land. Then they started landing in the laundry basket. Yay!

One time, I re-arranged our bedroom, and I moved the basket. The next day, the clothes ended up on the floor, right where the basket used to be! After a few days of that, I moved the basket back.

I tend to be a perfectionist, and Joshua tends to not even notice the smaller details, like inside-out socks or an over-flowing trash can. When I maintain a cheerful attitude and practice a little "forgetting", we complement each other just perfectly!

And sometimes, eventually, one or both of us changes... and the annoying habits disappear. For the record, Joshua now turns his socks right-side-out and puts them in the laundry basket. He says that I nicely asked him to and he had no idea that they shouldn't be left inside-out. Joshua also says that "disappearing" baskets make it harder to comply.

Carey wrote,

"I wanted to thank you for all of your posting on line drying clothes for me! It has been very helpful. I also made a more concentrated version of "the homemade laundry detergent" and I'm having trouble with it not washing out fat based stains on my boys' shirts. Have you noticed this, do you have to do a lot of pretreating?"

Read more for my reply!

"Also, I tried the chicken and stuffing recipe over the weekend with leftover turkey from Thanksgiving and it turned out wonderful! It was so easy to put together, and I loved being able to just pull it out of the fridge the next day and pop it in the oven! I tried to review it on your site and couldn't figure out how to do it."

Carey, I'm so glad you liked the chicken and stuffing casserole! Thanks for asking about leaving a review of the recipe! It's very simple to do (as simple as leaving a comment on the website) but it requires a username and password. The "About" page on this website contains detailed instructions for reviewing a recipe!

A couple weeks ago, Carey wrote to me and asked:

I was wondering if you could talk a little bit more about line drying your clothes. I am just beginning to do this and I'm sure there are more efficient ways than I am using. Do you line dry through the winter as well?

Hanging my laundry outside to dry is something I really enjoy doing! It's such a great "excuse" for me to take the children outside for some fresh air, even when the weather is chilly. Sometimes when I am busy with all the work in the house, I think, "Oh, I should just throw the laundry in the dryer; I don't have time to take the children out and hang it up."

Frugality almost always wins, and I find myself out at the clothesline, breathing fresh air and hearing Yehoshua (2) laugh and play. Somehow, being outside, peacefully hanging up clothes, helps me forget about all the work that waits back in the house. And quite often Yehoshua and I stay out there playing, even after the clothes is all hung. ;)

So, here are all the details on exactly how I line-dry our laundry! Thanks for asking, Carey! :)

Through a series of links, I was directed to a web page all about making homemade laundry soap! I made a batch the next day, and have been using it for a few weeks now. Read more for my recipe and review of my homemade laundry soap!

A number of people have emailed me with questions regarding my cloth diapering method. (I had written an article about it a couple years ago.) I am certainly not a cloth-diaper-expert, but I have used cloth diapers for over 2 years now, with good success. My diapers are clean and white and fresh-smelling, and my children have been rash-free and dry (well, most of the time ;D). So if you're one of the ones who wanted more details, or if cloth diapers interest you, read on!