In the Spring and Summer (and for as long as I can in the Fall) I like to line dry my clothes. I do this for a couple of different reasons:
1. It's saves money in electricity both by not running the dryer much (or at all) and by not heating up the house whilst running my dryer so I don't have to run the air conditioner as often.
2. I like to do things "old school".
3. It is surprisingly efficient.
4. For those of you like me who iron some clothes still...an article of clothing which has been line dried has a texture to it much like it has been starched. This makes for a crisp, clean, just ironed look.
5. Line dried towels are much more absorbent!
6. I just LIKE IT!
I know, I know. You are already laughing at me and rolling your eyes. Well, be that as it may...I have a few tips for those of you who may be woman enough to give it a try one day.
Tips:
1. Don't hang your shirts by the shoulders. It leaves a bump and looks funny. Always hang shirts by the shirt tails, one clothespin on each side.
2. Be sure to wipe down the line before you hang your clothes. Dust piles up on the line and will transfer to your newly cleaned clothes. NOT fun!
3. If you want to "cheat" a little and cut down on the ironing, you can put the clothes from the washer into the dryer for about 3 minutes THEN hang them to finish drying. This will help smooth them out and limit or even eliminate the wrinkles.
4. If you have more than one line (which I do not), hang your unmentionables in the middle surrounded by your shirts, pants, towels or sheets. That way no one has to gawk at your tidy (or not so) whites! LOL!
5. You can use white vinegar (or nothing at all) instead of costly fabric softener because line dried clothes create little to no static!!
6. If you hang your clothes in an area where it gets lots of direct sunlight, you may want to hang your dark clothes inside-out to prevent fading.
Ok, well now that you have read my blog about the lost art of line drying clothes perhaps you will give it a try. If not, feel free to laugh at me, shake your head and wonder what in the world is wrong with me. I don't mind!! : )
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5 comments:
This is a great post! I cloth diapered Gabby, and have done so off and on with Jeremiah and Mattea. Line drying was a MUST for us because the sun acts like a natural deodorizer and disinfectant for the diapers! It really extends the life of them and like you said about your towels, really boosts the absorbency. There are SO many pros to line drying ;)
Line dried towels do work better, but I prefer my undies to be soft and not crispy, I would perish of heat stroke if I line dried as this is a family of 7 and I do A LOT of laundry... Plus Spike bought me a energy effincent w/d my clothes pretty much come out of my washer spun dry... true story... So my drier runs very little... :) Happy Hanging...
OMG! I haven't line dried clothes since I was a kid. I have been dying to make my kids hang out the laundry while they are home this summer though...hehehe...too bad our HOA says NO to clothes lines. I totally agree that there is nothing better than the smell of freshly dried clothes in the spring.
@Cheryl - We are thinking about cloth diapers for the next baby (if we are blessed to have another). Line drying would be PERFECT for that! What a great idea! Thanks for the info on the deodorizing effects too!
@Jen - I agree...line drying for your family of 7 could get very daunting very fast!
@Rebecca - having the children do the line drying sounds EVEN BETTER!! LOL!
Laugh at you, no way. I'm a line dryer too. I refuse to run my dryer in the Summer. Why pay for heat when it's free!
We have a HOA too and I use a retractable pole ..... just put it in the shed when I'm done with it!
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