When in Rome, do as the Romans

We all know the saying "when in Rome, do as the Romans." I'm operating under this theory while we're in Oz.

For example, when we were apartment hunting an internal washer and dryer connection wasn't guaranteed. It was on my "must have" list, but in hindsight maybe it didn't need to be. Since the weather is generally sunny and warm (or warm enough) year round here, most ppl hang their clothes to dry outside. I just couldn't comprehend this.

It turns out some Council's (neighborhood associations, homeowners associations or local government) require an internal dryer because they don't want clothes hanging outside people's homes. Some don't give a hoot so there are clothes lines in courtyards, on balconies, etc. Aussies seem to love their clotheslines!

These "Romans" don't much care for dryer sheets. I haven't figured this one out completely, but an American friend here said Aussies just don't understand or comprehend the need for dryer sheets. In the US, particularly in the winter, dryer sheets or fabric softener are essential for preventing static. Is Australia static-free?

Fabric softener options at Woolies; notice only *1* choice of dryer sheets among all those fabric softeners!

40 sheets for $6.69AUD (about $5USD)

For the first few weeks I washed and dried all of our clothes in the dryer. After the American friend said she also had a hard initial transition to the clothesline but has since embraced it, I figured it was worth a try.

Double drying rack in the laundry room

Two more drying racks in the kids bathroom

Would you look at that?!? As long as its not wet outside, our clothes dry just fine on our laundry racks (inside the house). After they've air dried I give them a little fluff in the dryer to soften them up a bit. Rainy days with extra moisture and humidity in the air are a different story; I'm still working on figuring out the best strategy for drying clothes on the racks in yucky weather.

As we wind down summer and roll into autumn it has been quite rainy and humid. Some days (weeks?) are like that, even in Australia...