The Kamloops Chapter of the BC Sustainable Energy Association (BCSEA), in partnership with BC Hydro Power Smart and the Kamloops Home Hardware Building Centre, is thrilled to launch The Solar Laundry Project!  We’re encouraging folks to “Put a little sunshine in your shorts” by rethinking laundry drying habits. The main initiative of the project is a give-away of 12 free clotheslines every week for 8 weeks, starting June 9^th.  You can visit www.bcsea.org/kamloops and enter online to win your free clothesline, an $85 value!

Why are we doing this, you might ask? Because we think it makes good sense! Electric clothes dryers are the most energy-intensive of any household appliance – and it’s often unnecessary to use them, especially in BC’s Southern Interior.  Kamloops naturally enjoys perfect drying weather, and using a clothesline can allow residents to reduce their annual energy bills by $50 – and that’s based on hanging clothes outside only half the time!  Sun drying your  clothes  reduces wear and tear on them, naturally disinfects them, and eliminates the need to go near the dreaded lint filter!  You’ll also get that “fresh breeze” scent as a thank you bonus, direct from Mother Nature – no chemicals required.

To kick-start The Solar Laundry Project, the City of Kamloops has joined countless other conservation-minded municipalities around the world in proclaiming June 2^nd to 8^th as International Clothesline Week. The project fits perfectly with the intent of the City’s Sustainability Plan which commits the City to encouraging and facilitating the increased use of clean, alternative energy sources in Kamloops, in order to reduce community energy use 20% by 2020, compared to 2010 levels.

Cheryl Kabloona, chair of the Kamloops BCSEA Chapter, says “We’ve all heard about rules and bylaws that prevent us from using clotheslines, but in fact, the City of Kamloops doesn’t have a bylaw like that.  Strata bylaws or building schemes in the newer neighbourhoods might apply to you although they’re rarely enforced.  If this is a concern, remember that we can all hang clothes to dry indoors.  I’ve been doing that for years.  I tumble wet clothes without heat for a couple of minutes and then hang them on hangers over the bathtub.  By the next morning, they’re dry and ready to go!”

Save energy, save money, and help save the planet this summer by using a clothesline. It’s so easy!

The BC Sustainable Energy Association is a non-profit organization that works with British Columbians to build a clean, renewable energy future.  To learn more about it, please visit www.bcsea.org.