I played a little game with myself, in the weeks I set up all these pictures to post. I would think of a concept from around my house, that had picture possibilities, and then see how many I could find.
A Where's Waldo of sorts.
This is actually the first topic to enter my mind.
And starting out, you wouldn't think 'drying rack' would generate a lot of pictures. But at my house, apparently there are seven. Six of those seven have pictures, the first one is long gone - no pictures.
1. When my kids were little, I had a playpen. I think someone gave it to me. I never put a child in it. But it made the BEST drying rack for quilts and comforters. The top bar was heavily padded in plastic. So the wet quilt/comforter never touched metal. Air circulated on both sides of the quilt/comforter and it dried very nicely. Long gone, no picture, but easy to understand.
2. This is the current replacement for the playpen. Those are dirty clothes baskets from all over the house. They are the same size exactly. Three in a row handle a long item, like this quilted pad for middle's college bed. Four set in corners, handle a large quilt or comforter. I flip the item about once a day. And I leave it drying for many days. Middle's roommate did not let a comforter dry long enough, put in in a plastic bag, and yes, it molded. And that brings up another topic. I put things like college bedding in a closet or stuffed animals in the attic - in CLEAR garage bags so there is no mistaking what they are. A friend had three antique quilts hit the garbage, never to be seen again, by putting them in a traditional black garbage bag. They were family quilts. No, she never got over it.
3. I take that mold thing seriously. It happens easily. When I have tossed a comforter in the dryer, and it is mostly dry, but still damp in places, the kitchen chairs are my remedy. I line up as many as four chairs and hang the comforter over them. Does not take up nearly as much room as the dirty clothes baskets from #2. But since the comforters are mostly dry, they can go on wood chairs without ruining the finish. (this is middle's college comforter, I was taking these pictures right after she moved home this past spring).
4. These traditional drying racks are an important fixture in our garage each summer. Once upon a time, we only needed one rack. If we just have one kid at home, we fill two easily. If we have two or more kids at home, we get out all four (
see my garage pictures from last week). Someone swims nearly every day, all summer. Each person has their own towels (unique colors and prints). The minute we walk in the door, from the pool, everything goes on the racks for the next day. These things stay fresh smelling and feeling because they dry in the big open garage (3 bays) and do not need washed very often. We use zip ties to hold the rack firmly upright, so they do not fold/collapse as towels are pulled on and off (if you look closely at the near top corners of the racks, you can see the zip ties in figure 8's, holding the racks firmly). These racks are stored in the attic when the pool closes each year.
5. This is the rod above my washer and dryer. As you can see, it is full of empty hangers all the live long time. Because it is wooden, it is the perfect place to dry the random small items.
6. This one also comes from the laundry room. This is my hanger drying area. The two white zip cases at the end are important. One holds Halloween Costumes. The other holds dress up dresses. I love that the white cases take up a lot of room. It forces me to keep the other end clutter controlled. The day this picture was taken, not much clutter control happening. Often there are 6-8 shirts, all on hangers, spaced with room between them, air drying.
7. My mother gave this drying rack to me. It does not fit (well) in my bathtub. Honestly, I almost GoodWilled it. I figured out a practical solution. When the hand washed item is drippy wet, I prop the rack as best I can in the tub (first picture). As soon as the drips are done, and someone needs the tub, I tip the rack on its side and put it over the vent, near the window. The item stays there for several days. The fan on our air system is always on, so a steady breeze comes up from that vent. When the rack is not in use, it lives in the upright position over the vent (because seriously, where on earth else would someone store it?).
I started out thinking I had three topics for this picture post, and then kept thinking of them until I hit 7.
And just when I thought I was done, I thought of an eighth drying 'rack':
I have no idea what this basket was originally (it came on the truck from my husband's mother's house). But it is the perfect size and shape to hold a pair of shoes or boots upside down over the laundry vent (because air is always coming out of that vent, too, and the insides of the boot get nice and dry). This picture shows slippers, but youngest's running gear is the current upside-down resident of this basket. This basket is actually metal, which would normally be a problem with wet things. But it is coated with some type of rubber which is perfect.
