Air Dry Clothing - A Story
 

So I visited my parents... and had a confusing conversation with my mother...

In my apartment, I have two roommates (3 bedroom apartment). A close friend and my girlfriend. They use the washing machine and dryer. I use the washing machine and put everything on hangers.

So my mother was explaining to my how I'm "technically" paying more. Why? Because my roommates use the dryer, and we split utilities evenly - I'm paying for their dryer time.

Okay, I can buy that - but it really doesn't bother me. Our electric bills are lower over all - so out of pocket expenses are, in fact, lower. As I just as easily could use the dry - but choose not to - I wouldn't ask to pay less on utilities...


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I'm not changing my laundry habit, but I'm curious if I really am crazy on this issue...

You may be paying part of their shares, but you are paying less overall. I guess your mom wants you to stick it to them by increasing your bill, :p

I don't think she's thinking about sticking it to them so much as she feels I'm sticking it to myself :p

Less overall - for everyone... And less pollution from the NG power plant down the road :p

Someone should drop a nuke on that powerplant and help save the environment!

I'd prolly have similar issues if I told my mother things.

Well you could get one of those meters that shows usage of electric devices, and actually calculate how much electric they use. But it might just create a bad situation b/t you and the roommates.

Danronian: Might not be able to do that. At least with the kill-a-watt, you can only meter up to around 1500 watts. It can't handle anything higher than that. I noticed that clothes driers don't even LIST energy use. With the two heating coils you are probably looking at at least 2-3kw, and the tumbler motor is another 1-2 probably. Hanging your laundry? 0. If all of California learned this, they could probably avoid future brownouts. Then again, isn't it illegal to hang dry your clothes in a lot of places?

trebuchet03: You aren't nuts. You are actually on your way to becoming a great dad by the sounds of it. All you need is the kid now. The father always makes sacrafices so that the rest of the family can live like royalty. I think it is built into our jeans... err, genes. You know what I means.

My take on it? I would try to explain the situation to your GF... you have more invested (mentally) in her, depending on how serious the two of you are. Your other roommate is temporary. From my own experience, it doesn't pay to try to change peoples' minds when you live with them on a short time basis. Nothing good will usually come from it.

You could point out the benefits to hang drying your clothes though. They DO last longer and don't have fading/shrinking problems like when you use an electric/gas drier. That is what I would do, if you think that it is worth it.

Well, either we're both nuts, or okay :p And I have no plans on kids, for a long long while :D

I'm not trying to convert anyone :D But with my girlfriend (we've been together for almost 3 years now), I'm more hoping that when she sees how easy it is for me - she'll, at the very least, partially air dry :) Really, I never get angry at an under performing dryer, my clothing dries faster AND doesn't wear as fast :D A three fold win for me :p

I'd need to buy something to do that - I have a Kill-a-Watt, but as Erdrick said, it likely can't handle the load. Plus, I'm fairly certain my dryer is 220 - with a 40A breaker o.0

Although, I've always wanted to get an inductance loop ammeter sensor thinger :D

Unplug the fridge and shut most things off and then just go watch the meter spin before the dryer is started, then once the dryer has started, them stop the dryer and measure again, then with the dryer again. The dryer is the difference...

Some people just don't like the feel of line dried clothes, they complain that they are stiff.
I line dry all our laundry either outside or in the basement and then put them in the regular clothes drier for a few minutes to sort of fluff them up, cant cost more than a few pennies per load. also in the winter time it adds much needed humidity to the air in the house.

Fluffing them up for a few minutes is a good idea. I have clothes lines going from one wll to the other in our small laundry room, which also houses the heater. Anyways, I use them whenever possible but my wife complains about 'rough' towels. I think I will put them in the dryer for a few minutes from now on. Who knows, might get me lucky as well ;)