it's been a little over a week and a half since i got here, and settling in has been going well. in other small everyday news, i'm rediscovering the joys of having my own washing machine in the apartment.
of course, there is no dryer as locals overwhelmingly use clotheslines in lieu of expending the extra space and electricity. (or is there another explanation?) as much as i miss the unmistakably warm, softly scented feel of just-tumbled clothes, i'm taking advantage of the sans-dryer life these days. i brought mostly cotton/wash-and-go pieces, which hopefully will be both practical and budget-friendly.
this is a good thing, because as fastidious as i am about my sartorial obsessions, i'm also a lazy person who usually would throw most things in the machine and dryer, and everything else would get sent to the dry-cleaners. now, everything gets hung up to dry, and i'm getting in the habit of gently hand-washing and hang-drying some of the more delicate pieces (like the houndstooth print shirt i got from local boutique Ling in Tianzifang). ironically, not having a dryer is almost more convenient; i don't have to worry about accidentally shrinking something or ruining it, and there are fewer wrinkled clothes to deal with! it's nice when small inconveniences turn out to be the opposite. freshly laundered clothes on a clothesline also lend a homey air - it's a gloomy, rainy day today, but my bedroom is a little cheerier because of them.
p.s.: i've been tooling around a bit with my blog html, and finally added a nifty 'reply to' button for easier discussion and cross-commenting. hopefully this will make things much easier for everyone to join in on the conversation! let me know what you think! :-)
Yay! Aren't those Hope tops the best for traveling? They dry so quickly!
ReplyDelete@Amanda good eye! i love my Hope tops - they're also quite reasonably priced, especially when they're on sale :)
ReplyDeleteI can't understand how americans live without a whasing machine!! I lived for a year in CA and it was hard to find an apartment with one. In spain every apartment has one, also a line for clothes drying. Not many people has dryers, space and money issues, also we don't find it so important. I think clothes last longer if you dry them hanged. I hate wash by hand but spain whasing machines has so many programs you always can find one for delicate pieces, even wool. I only take my jackets and silk shirts to the dry cleaners : )
ReplyDelete@lunaday this is mostly an urban thing in the US - for instance, in NYC, people often use laundromats or get their laundry done and delivered someplace else if their apartment building doesn't have laundry facilities. in an ideal world, everyone would have their own washing machine, whether they're renting or own their place! i'm really enjoying the hygienic and budget-friendly perks of wash my clothes in the sanctity of my own home! ;-)
ReplyDeleteGlad to know you're settling in!
ReplyDeleteI think dryers are handy if you live somewhere with cold weather and drying clothes might be tricky on damp day, but otherwise they seem quite bad for clothes. I love the smell of clothes that's been dried in warm, open air - but you must be careful not to leavr it out for too long or they get too dry and "crispy"!
ReplyDelete@lin i think a lot of major brands like j.crew and alternative apparel make clothes (esp cotton basics) that are designed to withstand high-heat dryers because dryers are so prevalent in the states. it is nice to be able to air-dry jeans and other more delicate pieces the proper way, though!
ReplyDeleteYay! I'm glad to hear you're settling in well! What a luxury to have your own washer...No more saving quarters and overloading the machines at the laundromat. Air drying your clothes might also make them last longer. However, air dried towels...not such a good thing. :)
ReplyDeleteI wanna steal pretty much everything on your clothesline!
ReplyDeleteI'm fortunate to have a washer and dryer in my apartment (especially in NYC), but I only really use the dryer for gym clothes, PJs, that sort of thing. I'll also stick clothes in there on the lowest setting so they aren't exposed to so much heat. Otherwise I find a drying rack works.
ReplyDeleteWe don't have a dryer at the moment, and I don't miss it either. Like you said - less worrying about accidentally shrinking things :)
ReplyDelete@jennifer i know! i'm sure my clothes will thank me for taking that much better care of them this year :)
ReplyDelete@Prêt à Porter P this seems to be the consensus here! :) i wouldn't mind having a dryer for bedsheets and bulky towels, though.
ReplyDeleteI'm still trying to get used to living without a dryer especially when it comes to drying big things like bed linens. It's annoying to have to factor in air drying into my schedule if I want to wear something right away (plus this humidity doesn't help!) but it is more cost effective and eco friendly.
ReplyDelete-Sam
This reply button is a genius idea. Could you please tell me how you did it?
ReplyDeleteIt's good to know that not having a dryer is actually working out for you (and that you're settling in as well!). I'm the same way when it comes to laundry -- most of my clothes go in the washer and dryer, with more delicate items being left out to hang dry. But I should probably take better care; I find that my items that are constantly thrown in the washer/dryer wear out faster.
ReplyDeleteAlso, the reply button is very convenient!
@Tashrin it's an easy html fix that i found through a blogger resource website: http://www.spiceupyourblog.com/2010/03/reply-button-option-blogger-comments.html. really easy to set up! :)
ReplyDeleteI don't really understand dryers - when I used them at college they seemed to shrink everything. Drip dry works best for me. Love the houndstooth shirt - I just bought some cartoonish large houndstooth Wolfords and am looking forward to wearing them.
ReplyDelete@miss sophie
ReplyDeleteThank you so much. :)
@unironed isn't houndstooth great? i love how graphic and iconic it is. and how it can swing both matronly and punk depending on how you wear it ;-)
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