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COOL Committee Urges Washers to Go NaturalBy COOL Committee
Community Submission
11:05AM / Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Karen Bucky of Longview Terrace lets nature do the work of drying her sheets.Top, the COOL Commitee's line-up at Sundays@Six. |
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — The COOL Committee is urging residents to let it all hang out — their clothes, that is.
The town's CO2 Lowering Committee has launched a "Dry Naturally" campaign to promote line-drying clothing as an environmentally and wallet friendly alternative to using an electric dryer. The initiative is part of the group's efforts to help the residents reduce the town's greenhouse gas emissions to 10 percent below the 2000 amount by next year.
Operating a dryer accounts for approximately 10 percent of the average household's electricity costs, or almost $130 annually. To promote drying naturally, the COOL Committee has partnered with the Aubuchon Hardware in Williamstown to create a coupon for $5 off a household's clothesline purchase of $10 or more. The coupon can be used not only toward a clothesline, but also pulleys, drying racks or umbrella-style outdoor lines.
COOL Committee members have been distributing coupons at the downtown's Sundays@Six event and displaying a clothesline setup at their table. With their penguin mascot, they have been encouraging youngsters to decorate wooden clothespins to use on their new clotheslines.
The committee has created an information sheet about drying naturally that can be picked up at Aubuchon or the Milne Public Library, along with the coupon. The COOL Committee is also collecting pictures of people with their clotheslines. You can e-mail your picture to coolwilliamstown@yahoo.com.
The COOL Committee penguin (Laura Bentz) shares information with Colleen Martin and her boys. |
"Our action plan says that we want to get 25 households to begin line drying four loads of laundry a week throughout the summer, but we think we can do better than that," said Wendy Penner of the COOL Committee.
Many people line try their clothes year-round as it saves energy as well as wear and tear on clothing. Williamstown resident and COOL Committee member Laura Bentz is a big proponent of drying naturally. She spent time in Finland where, she said, no one she knew owned a clothes dryer.
The COOL Committee is also promoting the free home energy audit available through Mass Save (1-866-527-7283 or MassSave.com), and generous incentives that make it more affordable to enhance household energy efficiency. |
Your Comments
iBerkshires.com welcomes critical, respectful dialogue. Name-calling, personal attacks, libel, slander or foul language is not allowed. All comments are reviewed before posting and will be deleted or edited as necessary. Comments are closed for this article. If you would like to contribute information on this article, e-mail us at info@iBerkshires.com |
| iv,e been line drying for years as well as my family before me .they just smell better ,even in the winter. sure we have a dryer but we don,t use it unless we need to .try it out people you my like it | | from: dan | on: 07-22-2009 12:00AM
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I built a twelve line clothesline, made with pressure treated T's sunk into concrete. It can hold about four complete loads of wash at a time. When not in use, it's nearly invisible, as it is painted black.
There's nothing like the smell of fresh line-dried laundry, one of Nature's little perks. Towels are more absorbent, sheets are softer (and softer and softer), and the sun helps to keep whites white. I keep a drying rack for personal items or things that might like to stay in the shade.
It takes a little extra effort to hang out your washing - but it's good exercise, and the rewards are more than just the saving of a little $$.
One tip - lay off the fabric softener - add a bit of borax to the wash instead. Or my grandmother's tip, a bit of white vinegar.
| | from: love it | on: 07-23-2009 12:00AM
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Dear Love it-
I like your comment. Send us a picture of your line if you can, and we will show it off for you!
You can send it to coolwilliamstown@yahoo.com
| | from: Wendy Penner | on: 07-23-2009 12:00AM
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