Household Energy Savers

Laundry is one chore that can run the electric bill sky-high. But with a few tweaks, you can be doing your laundry for much less. If you aren't of a mind to hand-wash your clothing, you are not alone. But when it comes to drying your clothes, don't forget about Mother Nature. Rinse the clothes with one or two cups of vinegar before hanging them in the sun upside down to keep them from losing their shape. Vinegar keeps the clothes from becoming too stiff. To remove most of the wrinkles, simply shake out each article of clothing with a snap before hanging.

An umbrella clothesline only takes up a small amount of space and can be folded and removed after clothes are dry. Retractable clotheslines work well, also, as long as you have two buildings or posts close enough so that the clothesline can stretch to both. After drying the clothes, simply retract the line and it's as if the line was never there.