Sunday, September 28, 2008

'racking my brains

I've been drying clothes outside all summer. It's wonderful, low tech, environmentally sensible, and free. I don't own a dryer and don't see one in the budget any time soon. For six months in the year, that's fine. However, the change of seasons always signals the dread of schlepping baskets of heavy, wet laundry to the 'mat. This is not enjoyable at all when it's raining, icy or snowy in winter.

I've been looking for a solution all summer, and found these aesthetically wonderful racks in England.


You can't get them here though, they don't ship to the US. Lehman's has these, not quite as lovely, but pretty nice overall:



but the cheap (poor) side of me says I'm darned if I'm going to spend close to $100 if I can make it myself. Trip to the hardware store for inspiration yielded this utterly brilliant invention, for about $15.

Okay, not as aethetically pleasing as wood would be, but a quick project. Using the foam sleeves over the pipes will be great for drying knits too. PVC is a bit less rigid than wood but in 4 or 5 foot lengths it is fine for all but the heaviest of wet towels.

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