Want to start a debate? Bring up the subject of drying laundry on clotheslines

Health-care reform is an important and hotly debated national issue these days. While certainly not as pressing as health care, the subject of hanging laundry out to dry is something many people seem just as passionate about.

Consider the comments to our June 2009 post "Are Clotheslines Making a Comeback? 'Right-to-Dry Movement' Promotes Their Use" and those in response to The New York Times' recent engaging online debate "Rethinking Laundry in the 21st Century."

Right-to-dry-ers tout clotheslines and the like as tried-and-true energy savers that leave laundry smelling great. Some folks are skeptical about the practice, wondering whether line drying will leave their clothes feeling crunchy and questioning the added time it might take to dry their laundry. Those opposed to clotheslines feel they muck up their neighborhoods.

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, the average American household uses about 11,000 kilowatt hours of electricity annually, with the typical electric clothes dryer consuming about 900 kWh—around what the average washing machine uses and slightly less than a typical refrigerator does.

If you're not ready to dry your laundry on a clothesline or on racks, follow these steps to cut back on dryer-related energy use:
• Use an automatic cycle for drying. This cycle will call on the dryer's moisture sensor, which automatically turns off the machine when the laundry is done. The sensor will work even if you select the less or more dry option.
• Remove the lint from the filter after every load. Built-up lint can reduce air circulation and make your dryer run longer. What's more, lint can clog the dryer vent, where it poses a significant fire hazard.
• Dry lightweight laundry in one load and heavier items, like towels and jeans, in another.—Kimberly Janeway | e-mail | Twitter | Forums | Facebook

Essential information: Give us your thoughts on clotheslines and line drying by posting a comment below. And if you're in the market for new laundry or other appliances, read about the U.S. Department of Energy's $300 million State Energy Efficient Appliance Rebate Program, otherwise known as cash for clunkers for appliances.

Comments

[Megan]

We dry most of our clothes on a line, but the line's in my laundry room. No worries about the neighbor's dislike, having to run in & out w/ laundry, or hurring to get laundry before a rain shower!

[Ed]

I use a rack upstairs in the warmest part of the room especially for line drying active clothing. Line drying does make your clothes "crispy" so I don't recommend them for work clothes. But it doesn't matter for the everyday T-shirts, underwear, socks. The "crispiness" is gone within a few minutes of wearing those clothes. An added bonus for line drying your clothes indoor is that it helps cool the room especially in the summer.

[Joan Robinson]

I have been line drying my clothes for many years. I love the smell, especially the bedding. As far as stiff towels, after you dry yourself once, it doesn't matter anymore. I have saved so much energy and money by line drying my clothes. I usually hang them early on Saturday morning and am finished by mid morning. I don't hang underwear outside, I save that for the laundry room where I hang clothes in the winter. I miss the wonderful smell in the winter, but still save energy.

[Ru]

I've been married 26 years and have never owned a dryer. I have a clothes line in the back yard and lines and racks in the basement. The wind and sun are free and it is good exercise. Even in the winter on windy days I can still hang some items outside and be able to dry them in a days time. There is nothing offensive hanging on my line and if people don't like it they can keep their eyes in their own yard.

[Margaret]

I dry my clothes on a line about six months of the year. Why pay to use precious energy when the sun can do it faster and more cheaply? By the time the second load is ready to hang, the first is dry; I can do four loads and have them folded well before noon. Things dry smoother and I don't have to worry about rushing to get it out of the dryer before the wrinkles set. And I love the look of clean sheets flapping in the sun! We decided AGAINST buying a house in a gated community largely because of this!

[Eileen Gorman]

I think it's ludicrous that people are complaining about people drying their laundry on a clothesline. What's next, complaining about people mowing their lawn?

[MB]

Due to a very shady yard,I don't hang laundry up outside to dry, although my neighbors wouldn't care. I use my dryer for large or heavy items, but I dry most of my laundry on folding wooden racks. My laundry area is in a basement room shared with the furnace, and in winter the heat drys everything overnight. In warm weather the drying racks can be moved to a sunny indoor spot. This works so well, I see no need to use the dryer very often. My utility bills have gone down since I started this and I think the clothes last longer when not machine dryed so often. Also, the dryer itself lasts longer because it isn't working so hard. That's what i call frugal!

[jon]

After 22 years of marriage, we have yet to buy a dryer. We have a rack and line in the basement and a line in the yard. Reasons for no dryer....we don't need one, energy savings, fresh smell, exercise and fresh air even in winter, crunchiness not a problem.

[C Kerr]

To avoid "crispy" laundry from line drying, just run it through your dryer for the last little bit of drying. I usually only line dry heavier things like towels, jeans, and etc, then I throw them in with other laundry to finish drying and to soften up.