So Fresh, So Clean (so green)

Well, you know I am hanging my clothes out to dry (I blogged about it last summer here), as the weather permits. Which is quite often here in the Keys. I believe we get an average of only 40” of rain a year, which isn't very much, and we have very fair weather, no ice or snow ever. I began making my own laundry detergent again, and rather than rinsing with fabric softener, I put a little plain white vinegar in the rinse cycle. I have been doing the vinegar rinse for a couple of years now. I find it especially effective with my husband's dirty clothes when he does construction work. Our clothes are sun and wind dried, clean an fragrance free(except when I use a little Doc Bronner’s lavender castille soap rather than my own concoction).

Nobody in my home is hyper-allergic, and I actually like the smell of some detergents and fabric softeners. It’s just that I also like things to be natural, simple and clean whenever possible, and think it’s important to cut down on strong or harsh chemicals.

This lack of fragrance really hit home last week when we were preparing for the church rummage sale. A lady generously gave us all of the items she didn’t sell at her own yard sale, and there was an abundance of good stuff. Since the Lord takes such good care of us, wouldn’t you just know there were some nice, gently used clothes in our daughter’s size, and right when we need them! The clothes and other items from this kind lady were so clean and in such good condition they didn’t even need to be washed before we used them. However, because we are not used to all of the fragrances that commercial laundry products have anymore - the scent was so powerful! I dare say it bothered me a little bit!

So my lesson in this:
Once you get used to going a little greener, you don't even miss the old way you did things, and even get to preferring your new habits.
Here are the detergent recipes, if you're interested. I use recipe #6 with Fels-Naptha soap.

Keys Composter Project

Since we’ve moved I didn’t want to waste any time getting on those little projects that I wanted to do badly at our old home, but put off due to my procrastination problem. Composting is something I really wanted to get back into. I am not an avid gardener, more of a dabbler, I have a few outdoor containers that I have been nurturing and a some beloved houseplants. So the compost will be put to good use. In addition to my personal use, the church has two fair sized planters out front that I would love to plant with something attractive and inviting.

I did a bit of googling and using this as my guide, I got a composting bin started. Of course I enlisted the help of my faithful partner, Big Daddy. He was not thrilled about me doing this, fearing a foul smell and attracting pests. It seems simple enough, and so far does not smell. I haven’t composted in quite awhile, and when I did I was accustomed to using lots of leaf and grassy mulch in an outdoor heap or pile. This will be a bit different. I was also interested to read that I can use washed-up seaweed or sea grass down here. I keep a large, old, plastic coffee can near my kitchen sink. I place my kitchen composting scraps in it and once a day, I send the kids to empty it in the bin, or do it myself.

Portable Outdoor Clothes Dryer Project

This is not such a novel idea, people have been using these kinds clothes drying contraptions for years. My dilemma, if you can even call it that, is three-fold. First, I wanted to air dry my clothes outdoors to save money and resources. Secondly, I didn’t want to have to walk up and down 19 steps every time rain threatened, which is fairly often. Lastly, I also was a little shy about drying our unmentionables in our dear buddy Fred’s* front yard. See, his front yard is our back yard. I’m funny about that, bashful I suppose. I asked Big Daddy if my idea would work, and he thought so, so here is what we did. We went to the local hardware/home improvement store and bought: 1 five gallon bucket, one outdoor ‘umbrella-style’ clothes dryer, one bag of quick-set concrete and one PVC pipe (only slightly larger than the base of the clothes dryer). Now I will be able to dry my clothes right on my sunny back deck which is next to the washer and super convenient. I can keep the unmentionables discreetly on the house side, and in the interior of the dryer. I can remove the clothes dryer when not in use, and replace it with my beach umbrella, and have some shade. I can move the base around if I need to, or rather Big Daddy or Adam can, since it weighs about 70 pounds!

1. What you will need

2. Drill hole in the bottom of the PVC pipe and place a piece of metal or wood to anchor it to the bottom of the bucket.

3. Mix concrete and pour in bucket

4. Let cure for 24-48 hours

5. Assemble clothes dryer and place in bucket and use!

There are 2 sections of pole from the clothes dryer assembly that I don’t need to use, you can see them on the deck in front of the bucket. When the dryer is anchored in the bucket, you probably won’t need them unless you are tall!
Edited to add:
I used it for the first time today. It is a windy day and it blew over, so I will have to find a way to make it more secure. I am thinking of using bungee cord or a ratchet tie down and

keeping it in the corner, and anchoring it to the deck railing and around the dryer pole. Any suggestions?