Laundry Lines

I love hanging clothes out to dry -- sheets & linens smell especially nice this way. And it's a nice way to save money & energy, skipping use of the dryer. But people (who shall remain nameless; but they know who they are!) complain when I line dry jeans & towels, complaining that they are too stiff & scratchy when dried this way.


I have two ways I cheat and (unless they read this!) the complainers are none the wiser.

First, line dry the items (while they are away & can't see) and then I either:

* put them on "air" in the dryer for just two minutes, to add the "fluff" magic

or

* hand "fluff" by rubbing each item, relaxing the fibers (just crumple and rub the jeans or towel on itself) and then fold them.

It may add time to your day, but it saves you money -- and the arguments *wink*

Image credits: Laundry Hanging Out to Dry, photographic print by Nina Leen.

How To Remove Grass Stains

More from that vintage Eddy's Bread booklet; this time, removing grass stains from white fabric:

Truths About Fruit Tree Seedlings

From a vintage issue of The Workbasket, the truths about getting fruits from fruit trees: don't get seedlings (unless you can wait years!), get grafted fruit trees.

Pennsylvania Dutch Shoo-fly Pie Recipe

This recipe for Pennsylvania Dutch Shoo-fly pie was found in Pot Luck.

Keeping Clothes Damp While Ironing

I fell in love with this vintage figural elephant clothes sprinkler bottle, so I looked for other vintage clothes sprinklers (even saved the search at eBay). Such fun ways to keep from being ironing bored!

Retro Recipes For Marriage

In contrast to the many products inspired by or incorporating vintage & retro images of female domesticity that only really offer humor, Secret Recipes for the Modern Wife: All the Dishes You’ll Need to Make from the Day You Say “I Do” Until Death (or Divorce) Do You Part, by Nava Atlas, offers some wisdom with the chuckles. Read my review here!