WASHING and drying – it’s the bane of every grownup’s life.
And that includes Catherine Lofthouse, 43, from Loughborough, who has one of the most cheapskate hacks we’ve seen yet – drying her clothes in the RAIN.
“My neighbours think I’m a laundry lout but my lazy housework hack has saved hundreds for me to go on holiday,” she said.
Catherine made a pledge when the weather got colder and wetter to not use her tumble dryer and save some cash.
So she hangs it on the line – and lets the RAIN wash it.
“I hang my washing out on the line and leave it out there until it’s dry, even if it takes ages,” the mum to Alex, 11, William, nine, and Robin, four, said.
“It must get on my neighbours’ nerves seeing our soggy undies and sodden socks hanging there for days on end, even in the rain, but once it’s out, I’m not bringing it back in until it’s ready to be folded and put away.
“It was worse at my old house, as all the gardens there opened up onto each other and there was a public footpath running right past without even a hedge or a fence to hide the laundry from view.
“Even with the very wet winter we’ve had, I think I’ve only needed to use the dryer three times and every time I’ve not put it on, I’ve saved about £1.50, so that’s a right result.”
She estimates she’s saved around £200 which she intends to spend on an Easter break to Northumberland.
“With three active boys, I’ve always got mounds of muddy kit, unending amounts of underwear and big bundles of bedding to get clean and dry,” she said. “We have at least five loads of laundry in an average week, so if I’m saving £7.50 per week over the whole winter, that adds up to almost £200, enough to cover an Easter break away.
“I do try to check the weather forecast and time my line-drying for days when it’s going to be breezy. But obviously the great British weather can be unpredictable, so there’s been loads of times when the washing has got soaked in the rain and then takes even longer to dry out. I’ve been lucky that it’s been a mild winter this year, as even though it’s been rainy, it’s not been freezing cold.
“I think the longest I’ve had the same load of laundry out on the line for was a week, after I did a couple of loads of bedding and then it rained steadily for several days and nights. It did eventually get dry though, despite the damp conditions.”
And she doesn’t care what neighbours think of her, saying she’ll do it again next winter.
“It’s not just a matter of saving cash, it’s also about saving time,” she said. “I have too much to do to keep running in and out every time the weather turns, hanging washing out, bringing it back in and then putting it back out again.
“I must have saved hours by using my approach. I also think that it’s actually better for the clothes to have an extra rinse through with the rain, as a build-up of laundry detergent on fabric can cause them to smell funny and irritate sensitive skin.
Of course, the tumble dryer is one of the household appliances that uses the most amount of electricity, which is why a lot of people have turned to dehumidifiers or heated airers to dry their laundry. I do have a dehumidifier, but ideally I’d rather not use any electricity at all, to save my pocket and the planet.
Here are some tips to help you clean your home like a pro:
I’ve had some funny looks from people walking down the road and even the postman, when he’s come into the garden to deliver the mail and finds me hanging out the washing even though the weather is grim and grey. He must think I’m a bit bonkers when I’m out there in all weathers and to be honest, I would have thought the same before I gave it a try, but now I’ll never look back.
“With the cost of living crisis in full swing, if you can pocket the pennies one laundry load at a time, what’s not to love about that?”
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