My efforts at frugal living

[Kaleva]

4. Took your advice about the clothes lines in the basement.

Spent some time down in the basement looking to where I could put up clotheslines and one corner near the washer and dryer will work. Cleaned out the area and found a roll of 30' of 14-3 wire in the garage which I removed the sheathing from. Tomorrow, I'll hand twine the three wires together after cutting them to the lengths I need. I should be able to string up 4 rows of wire at a length 6' each about an inch to 2 inches below the joists using material I have on hand so that they'll be below the joists but still high enough that I'm not hitting them with my head as I walk below them. The only thing I'll have to buy is the clothes pins as everything else I have already.

The basement has a musty smell to it but I'll continue to clean it as best as it can be. I've read today on line how some have used charcoal briquets put in nylons hung from the basement ceiling or containers filled with white vinegar placed around the basement to absorb odors. I like the white vinegar idea as when it needs to be replaced, I can use the old vinegar to cycle thru the washing machine to clean that, to put into sink traps to help keep them cleaned out and/or to kill weeds in my walkway. Basically, I'll be getting two uses out of the vinegar. Frugal and efficient living!

Edit: To clean sink traps with vinegar, get it to a boil on the stove (be aware your house is going to smell very strongly for vinegar so have the windows open) and pour a few cups in each drain. Let it sit for a few hours at least so the vinegar can do its job dissolving gunk in the traps. For cleaning a top load washing machine, first take the drain hose and lay it down as low as possible so that as much water as can be will drain out of the pump. Place the drain hose back to where it should be and then fill the washing machine with hot water at the small load setting along and add a gallon of vinegar. Allow the washer to go thru the wash cycle but shut it off before it begins to drain. Let it sit overnight and then turn the washer on so it can drain and go thru the rinse and spin cycle. Run the washer again with fresh hot water at full load to flush out remaining residue and vinegar.