Monday, November 29, 2010

Rackin' 'Em Up

There's been a bit of discussion floating from blog to blog lately about ways to dry laundry in the winter time without using a gas or electric dryer.

Thought I'd share a little piece of hardware (can something made of wood be called hardware?) I have in my house and wouldn't let go of for anything.

This is a little shelf and pull-out rack thingamabob that is mounted on the wall in our bathroom high over the toilet. I paid just under $50 dollars (including shipping) for it about thirteen years ago and at the time wondered if I would get that much use out of it. Well, I have. Many times over. Constantly. All the time.

My hubby wears wool socks because his feet sweat . . . and cotton socks get damp and clammy and ishy on him. He also has BIG feet. Which means the biggest socks we can find for him tend to shrink and not fit his BIG feet after washing and drying. Putting his socks in the automatic dryer is definitely a no-no.

So after washing they get stretched out by my little hands and put on this drying rack where they air dry . . . and don't shrink.

I also use the rack many times during the week for various other wet items. It's so handy being permanently mounted on the wall and folds into a very compact, unobtrusive size when not in use. It won't hold a week's worth of laundry (for sure) but holds a week's number of socks with no problem.

12 comments:

Susan said...

That is just the coolest gizmo I have ever seen! I have regular racks and have to stack and lean and undo, and redo. What a great invention. I tend to drape laundry on anything out of kitten range to dry it. Makes for a mess, but it's cheap!!

Jane @ Hard Work Homestead said...

Those are very cute. Lehmans sells an amish made one that sells for $69. I am not sure why I never thought of them before. I guess I wouldn't know where to mount it. Now my wheels are turning.

Sue said...

I have the same rack and I love it. I bought it a couple years ago and have used it almost daily--kitchen dishcloths, etc. I never stained mine--yours looks nice that way.

The Apple Pie Gal said...

Now that is a smart thingeemabob! I'm thinking undergarments that aren't supposed to go to the dryer but somehow always do and then end up not holding what they are supposed to. :)

Erin said...

That is cool! I'm going to have hubby build me a pvc thingie I can put all our wool socks on - they dry quickly when slipped over something and held open, I learned my lesson long ago about using clothespins on wet wool LOL!

Lorie said...

Yep, I think that was a great find. You have certainly gotten your money out of it. Looks like you have a nice white Thanksgiving. Glad your daughter could make it even if it was cut short. Your garden looks lovely even under the cover of snow.
Happy Leftovers!

Mama Pea said...

Susan - My bestest of best folding racks is a wooden one I bought a thousand years ago at a farm auction. It stands almost 5' tall when unfolded and you would be AMAZED at how much I can hang on it. (I got it for $7!) I don't think they make 'em like that anymore.

Jane - You can find a place for one, I just know it!

Sue - Yes, it would be perfect in a kitchen. No room in my tiny kitchen now but maybe when we get the remodeling done. (That'll be right after we win the lottery.)

APG - Right! All those "unmentionables" that "end up not holding (UP!) what they are supposed to." :o)

Erin - Get a patent on it when he builds it. We all need something like that!

Lorie - Thanks, Lorie. I like the looks of the "sleeping" garden, too.

Leigh said...

Oh! Now that's clever!

Ways to dry laundry remind me of the time we were had no washer or dryer and were so broke we had to wash clothes in the bathtub. To dry socks and underwear, I would hang them from the ceiling fan and turn it on. Medium speed worked well. :)

Mama Pea said...

Leigh - Just goes to show that where's there's a will, there's a way. I guess we've all had to do things like that . . . not that I'd want to go back to some of them, but it didn't kill us, did it? ;o)

Jenyfer Matthews said...

I had to start line drying things when I moved to the Middle East - when things will dry in an hour it doesn't make sense to use an electric dryer! I have a great drying rack that holds a lot - BUT it stands in my room most of the time and isn't a beautiful thing. I do like line drying however. The clothes seem to last longer that way.

Mama Pea said...

Jen - So do you iron garments after they line dry? Mine always require a LOT more ironing after being line dried.

Jenyfer Matthews said...

Ironing? What's that???

I iron a few things - mostly the front button-bit of hubby's work shirts and a few of my own blouses. For the most part I find that a shirt looks about the same after it's been worn for an hour whether it has been ironed or not! Good thing hubby agrees with me :)