Best painless "stretching things" budget tips?

[Kycha]

Can someone comment how they have room and time to air dry everything? I really do want to use our dryer less, but it takes me forever to do laundry as it is! Also we're not allowed to hang anything outside at our condo, so I have two of those stand-up drying racks. Time and space saving tips to make air drying truly "painless"?

Well, I dry my stuff outside, when I can. On a really good day, my clothes can be dry in less than an hour. And DH hooked up a clothes line in the garage for when I need to dry inside. But, before he did that, I had 1 really big, metal drying rack(IKEA) that could hold a couple loads of laundry. I would just set it up in the bathroom before bedtime. By morning, my clothes were usually dry.

 

[minnie1928]

Can someone comment how they have room and time to air dry everything? I really do want to use our dryer less, but it takes me forever to do laundry as it is! Also we're not allowed to hang anything outside at our condo, so I have two of those stand-up drying racks. Time and space saving tips to make air drying truly "painless"?

I too don't have a ton of space, but I've found that if I only do one load per day (or less if I'm lucky!) that I can usually fit it all on my drying rack or on hangers. Then I take it all down the next day before my next load is ready to be hung.

 

[mrsbornkuntry]

Can someone comment how they have room and time to air dry everything? I really do want to use our dryer less, but it takes me forever to do laundry as it is! Also we're not allowed to hang anything outside at our condo, so I have two of those stand-up drying racks. Time and space saving tips to make air drying truly "painless"?

I don't know how many loads you do at a time, but this is what works for me. I wash one load, put things everything I can on the drying rack except shirts. I hang the shirt on plastic hangers on my shower curtain rod. Then I put another load in the washer. When it's done, I throw the clothes on the rack in the dryer to damp dry/fluff, then put the clothes in the washer on the rack.

 

[Grumpy's Gal]

I fry up hamburger for taco meat and add in a can of black beans.

It makes the meat go further and the beans are a good source of protein. if ground turkey is on sale, I mix in half ground turkey to cut the fat content down.

 

[travelbug]

Can someone comment how they have room and time to air dry everything? I really do want to use our dryer less, but it takes me forever to do laundry as it is! Also we're not allowed to hang anything outside at our condo, so I have two of those stand-up drying racks. Time and space saving tips to make air drying truly "painless"?

I put washed clothes on hangers which I hang on a couple doorsills or on the shower door frame. Works great!

 

[semo233]

I use the dryer rack for towels and other heavy items...sometimes light stuff too. I let them dry as much as I can and then finish them in the dryer. Sometimes, the dryer for 10 min is all they need to get soft again, sometimes they need to dry a little too. I figure, it saves me about 30 minutes a load in drying time.
Hand the clothes overnight and throw them in the dryer in the morning. Your drying rack can be put away for the daytime when someone might stop by, but you are still saving on dryer time.
We have a pool and end up with tons of towels. I put a dryer rack in our mainfloor shower for wet pool towels to dry also. It is all but invisible to any guests.

 

[bookgirl]

Can someone comment how they have room and time to air dry everything? I really do want to use our dryer less, but it takes me forever to do laundry as it is! Also we're not allowed to hang anything outside at our condo, so I have two of those stand-up drying racks. Time and space saving tips to make air drying truly "painless"?

I air dry some stuff mostly just puting it on hangers then using the doorsills, then just throw it in the dryer to take out the stiffness. I can't use an outdoor line...the whole back yard is covered in trees, with lot's of birds if you get my drift. But even indoor drying is fine.

Well except underwear, it always goes through the drying cycle, cause I can't stand the texture of air dried undies. Let's face it crunchy underwear is NEVER pretty, even when it's clean.

 

[Goofygirl17]

I know this has been mentioned before (probably several times) but I think it's worth repeating.

CVS accepts Rite Aid and other pharmacies coupons for gift cards. My CVS has taken a new/transferred rx coupon for existing prescriptions. I haven't paid for anything in CVS for a few months. I search online for a pharmacy coupon before I go pick up our new or renewed rx and use it. I also check the flyer for deals with extra care bucks although I haven't mastered the art yet and then use my gift card to buy the item. I have also then used the ecb to purchase something else immediately afterward.

This has saved me a lot of money lately. I haven't paid for sunblock all summer!

HTH!
Goofygirl

 

[MEM]

Can someone comment how they have room and time to air dry everything? I really do want to use our dryer less, but it takes me forever to do laundry as it is! Also we're not allowed to hang anything outside at our condo, so I have two of those stand-up drying racks. Time and space saving tips to make air drying truly "painless"?

Each of my bedrooms has over-the-door hangers on the closet doors (looks like a right angle) and I hang my damp laundry on plastic hangers on those over the door gadgets. Takes no time at all - I do laundry after work and the clothes are dry in the morning. I rarely have to iron and the clothes seem to last longer.

I do put sheets, towels and underpants in the dryer.

 

[MEM]

I fry up hamburger for taco meat and add in a can of black beans.

It makes the meat go further and the beans are a good source of protein. if ground turkey is on sale, I mix in half ground turkey to cut the fat content down.

You can also mix cooked brown rice in with your ground turkey - once seasoned, its hard to tell the rice from the meat.

 

[big_red_s]

I hate paying fees and I fight them on each and every bill.

It's like a second job but I fight for every penny. The cable companies & phone companies are the big offender but also all the other utilities, credit card and banks.

Sometimes all you have to do is call and ask them to remove the "fee".

Remember, if you pay a fee once, you agree to pay it forever.

Believe it or not you'll save hundreds if not thousands of dollars every year.

The average American pays $1,000 a year in fees.

I also call my credit card banks every six months or so and ask them to lower my interest.
They'll do it.

 

[minnie1928]

Sometimes, the dryer for 10 min is all they need to get soft again, sometimes they need to dry a little too. I figure, it saves me about 30 minutes a load in drying time.

Just to add to this, if you're only running things through the dryer to soften them then you don't need to run heat...you can just run them on fluff and that will do the trick.

 

[princessbride6205]

Wow, thanks for all the responses to my air drying question! I think I need a few more hangers, but other than that, I'll give it a try.

 

[pampam]

I love this thread.

 

[pampam]

I make my own Downey Wrinkle spray and refill the bottle! Costs me PENNIES and works great! No more ironing for me

fill bottle almost to the top with water,add a couple of T fabric softener and a couple T alcohol

You can also stuff a bounce sheet into the bottle with water and a couple T alcohol!

This stuff has cut my ironing time down to bare bones! I don't even have to waste electricity by putting things in the dryer for a few minutes to iron themselves!

I'm going over this old thread for some new ideas. How do you use this spray? Do you spray your clothes after you bring them in from the clothesline?

 

[semo233]

I have grown to love my drying rack! I just went and bought another for pool towels. I put the drying rack in the mainfloor bathroom in the shower. You cannot see it unless you put your head in the shower and it is really big! This seems to be the most convenient place to put the towel rack so that I don't end up with wet towels all over the place.

I have gathered so many great ideas from this thread......I have been a fan from almost day one! Thanks for all the tips! Keep it coming!

 

[semo233]

BUMP

 

[Mouseless2Long]

Another bump. So many great ideas here!

 

[momminnie]

I'd like the starbucks drinks recipe also,please. I love coffee drinks. Thanks.

 

[pampam]

I can't remember if this has been posted , so please forgive me it this is a repeat. To put a stop to body odour, rub on a cut potato. I keep a small potato with a potato scraper in the bathroom. After washing, I freshly peel a portion of the potato and rub it on. I couldn't believe this would work when I heard about it, but gave it a try and was amazed. Before this I was using expensive high end deodorant, but this really works.