>> Can I compost recalled peanut butter? Only if “your compost reaches and maintains a temperature of 135 degrees for several days,” according to Umbra, advice columnist at Grist. Chances that salmonella from less heated composters will make it back into your mouth is remote, but not a risk worth taking.
>> Is my clothesline legal? Maybe, if you belong to a homeowners or condo-owners associations or are a renter. Read the L.A. Times article to find out how line-drying enthusiasts are skirting around no-dry rules — and be conscious about your neighbor’s needs too. Says one guy unhappy about his neighbor’s clotheslines: “I’ll invite my friends out onto the patio only to be greeted by Dora the Explorer footie pajamas and old-lady bras. Ewww.”
Photo by clemente
We used racks indoors when we lived in an apartment. Now that we have a house, we still have the racks, plus a retracting clothesline on our covered patio. The neighbors can’t see the clothes on the line, so that’s not an issue.
The only problem is that when it’s cold and damp, the laundry doesn’t dry completely. On those days we wind up using the dryer for a few minutes just to make sure nothing mildews.
Comment by KateNonymous — February 9, 2009 @ 11:02 am
Oh, and we intentionally moved to an area that did not have an HOA.
Comment by KateNonymous — February 9, 2009 @ 11:02 am
I’m not sure I could ever live in an HOA b/c of the weird restrictions so many of them seem to come up with :)
Comment by Siel — February 9, 2009 @ 6:42 pm
I know! The clothesline is only one thing. And sometimes it’s not even the HOA. I have friends in Santa Clarita who do not have an HOA–but apparently there are city regulations on how long you can have your garage door open. And Glendale’s bizarre attitude toward xeriscaping is another example.
It seems like it would be really easy to find a house you liked, buy it, and only later find out that there are restrictions that get in the way of your values.
Comment by KateNonymous — February 10, 2009 @ 8:52 am