Right To Hang

I read an article today about the issue of hanging clothing out to dry. I was going to post a like, but I can't seem to find it, so please stick with me.

The article was talking about people who live in this country, the US, who are being sued because they hang their laundry out to dry.

Seriously.

Now, I know that clothing hanging from lines is not the most beautiful sight in the world. No one needs to see your underwear flapping in the breeze. But I hardly feel it can be compared to couches on porches or rusty cars on the lawn.

This is not uncommon, apparently. There are quite a few states, including (I think) New Jersey, my home state, with laws against hanging clothes out.

I just don't understand people. Do they not understand the benefits of hanging the clothes out to dry, the savings in cost and energy? Or do they understand them but feel that any benefit is outweighed by how ugly it is?

I happen to think clothes hanging on lines can be quite poetic, and think these people should get lives that include something other than telling other people what they can or can't do.

Water Works

I read somewhere that most electricity used during laundry goes into heating the water.

So I started washing everything in cold water. Guess what? My clothes still get clean! The only time I use warm or hot is when I am washing something that's been peed on.

Not that it's laundry related, but I've also started taking shorter showers, and turning down the heat while I was in there. This is the biggest sacrifice for me, because I usually turn up the water as hot as it will go - in our house, that's not too dangerous, but will still leave my skin red. No more. These days I'm doing just warm. I'm thinking that in a few weeks I won't even notice.