Bringing Back The Clothes Line: No Dryer Needed!

When I was little, my best friend's family never dried their clothes in their dryer but on a clothes line or indoor rack next to the radiators. In my house, we did use a dryer. I never understood their reasoning until now. Why use all that electricity or gas when you can just hang your clothes out in the sun (or partial sun in my case)? This is how it's been done for thousands of years before the industrial revolution, so why change? According to the US Dept of Energy an electric dryer can use between 1800-5000 watts of power. That's a lot of electricity! Even if you supplement your dryer usage by hanging stuff out half the time, you'd be saving a bunch of money and resources. So that's what we've decided to do. It's even catching on among our fellow eco-villagers - every time I walk by the line, it's got someone else's clothes on it! Thanks to Rhett and Amy at Greentime for the inspiration!

P.S. Check out Project Laundry List for more info on communities coming together to end laundry line bans. Isn't that nutty? Drying clothes on a line is illegal in a lot of places!

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• clothes
• line
• laundry
• electricity
• conservation
• energy
• green
• san
• mateo
• ryanishungry

[crazychrisva]

how come your washer is outdoors. The pipes can freeze.

I am from the east though so we have to worry about these things.

[RyanIsHungry]

our washer was in a little laundry room, but this was in San Francisco where it never really gets below 40 degrees.

[wl03bu]

I don't have the attention span to worry about clothes I set out to dry. I just put up 2 lines over my bed in my room. No need to worry about bugs or rain. It takes a long time to dry, but realistically I dont' take stuff down until I need to wear the stuff or I need to dry more clothes. I only use the dryer for big things like bed sheets.

[RyanIsHungry]

i've also adopted that attitude now that it's cold where we live. i just hang stuff up and wait a couple days to put it all away. it's a good plan for rainy/snowy/cold days.

[noremote]

At my laundromat, whenever I have to dry my clothes, it always takes at least an hour and a half. I am researching old fashioned methods. An outdoor clothesline is out of the question since my apartments backyard is all shade.

[RyanIsHungry]

the clothes line in this video was also in the shade a majority of the day. as long as you have good air flow in that area, your clothes will get dry. it might take a little longer, but give it a go, i bet you'll be surprised. good luck!

[NYGHTCRUZER]

here in brooklyn ny, everyone has clotheslines attatched to giant iron ladders in the backyards, ours is four stroies high.

we use the clothesline all year round

[dhearndon]

I love hanging clothes outside to dry even if its in the 50's. I want to save money so bad on my electric bill. My grandma had her washer and dryer on her front porch forever it seems cause she lived in a very small 2 bedroom-1 bath house. She lives in south Mississippi where it rarely gets too cold to freeze. I grew up hanging clothes on the line and they smell so fresh too.

[Turtlepig22]

My jerk brother broke our dryer so I hope this works out.

[angelhatesyou75217]

I'm going to sneak my clothes outside since I'm in an apartment and hope they dry fast (Texas so they should)

[PLISKEN12]

u should use hangers u'll accomodate more.

[SustenanceNCovering]

Throwing clothes in the dryer takes some effort. Hanging clothes on a line takes a little more effort. Dryers are near about the stupidist so called modern convience they got.

[BlackNMedBlaze]

Do you use washing machines? And what is your reason for not using dryers? I dont use dryers I use washing machines only.

[spyralspyder]

My jeans dry in about 8 hours ..... on my shower rod.....because I ran out of clothes and washed them with dishwashing detergent.... caus' the laundry room closed at 10!.... Works for me! (There are't even any windows in my bathroom!)

[chevkoch]

I'm never using a dryer. Out of the washing machine I put the laundry on a clothes horse which in summertime I put near the opened door to my balcony, inside my apartment. During winter or colder, rainy weather when windows can't stay opened for longer periods, I just vent the room regularly. Takes 1-2 days to dry stuff. Plan ahead a bit, hang it up and forget about it.. Enjoy nature taking care of the drying, saving energy and money.

[bluefogtree]

i dont know why people dont do this more, especially in the summer! honestly, my clothes dry just as fast as outside, as they do in the dryer, but that's probably because i dont live in a very humid climate...