Line dried laundry is an almost perfect example of green living for a lot of reasons. My personal top reason to line dry is sadly not related to green living, it’s the incredible fresh scent of line dried linens - a smell that captures summer like nothing else. Project Laundry List has provided a great Top Ten list of reasons to line dry, including the ways that it lowers your impact on the planet, outlined below.
Project Laundry List has been covered quite extensively on Re-nest, they are a non-profit that aims to block bans against laundry lines, as well as promote air-drying and cold-water laundry washing. Their list of Top Ten reasons to line dry is copied below, but their site is also well worth checking out for comprehensive information on greening your laundry.
- Save money (more than $25/month off electric bill for many households).
- Clothes last longer. Where do you think lint comes from?
- Clothes and linens smell better without adding possibly toxic chemicals to your body and the environment.
- Conserve energy and the environment, while reducing climate change.
- It is moderate physical activity which you can do in or outside. You can even lose weight!
- Sunlight bleaches and disinfects.
- Indoor racks can humidify in dry winter weather.
- Clothes dryer and washing machine fires account for about 17,700 structure fires, 15 deaths, and 360 injuries annually. The yearly national fire loss for clothes dryer fires in structures is estimated at $194 million. See a diagram of the critical danger zones of the dryer.
- It is fun! And can be an outdoor experience that is meditative and community-building. It may also help you avoid depression.
- Demonstrates that small steps can make a difference. You don't have to wait for the government to take action!
Photo: Laura Marchbanks
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11. Line drying sheets and towels builds instant forts for toddlers.
I love line drying BUT would somebody please tell my why my towels always end up crunchy and stiff after being dried on the clothesline?? What can I do to prevent this?
"1.Save money (more than $25/month off electric bill for many households)."
What??!! How much drying are people doing? My total electricity bill is $30 in the winter! (1,300 sf house)
Thanks Trish1980. I'll give the vinegar a try.
Here in New Zealand it is very much a line-drying society. I've never owned a dryer and most people I know don't own one, or if they do, will only use it as a last resort. I'm completely bewildered by people who, on a beautiful day, will throw their jeans in the dryer. WHY???
@ violetveil: depends on where you live, how much your electric bill will be. In the summer, our bill is ~$50, in the winter close to ~$100/month. We have a 950sf condo. ALL electric, no gas option. We are stuck with terribly inefficient windows that cannot be replaced except by more terribly inefficient windows..... we live in the Pac NW, so it's not about extremes in temps, either. Just is what it is... You're lucky!
We also have a "no line drying" rule here. I need to read up on the Project Laundry website in order to figure out how best to approach changing this. I know part of it may have something to do with our "neighbors" in the complex over the fence. I've hung things up on a drying rack, and had them yell at me that they didn't want to "see" my laundry...I now keep it on my patio, and, unfortunately, direct sunlight doesn't happen there.
I grew up with a clothesline, and just figured everybody did that. I miss it alot. I love how yummy line dried clothes smell!
I also second the use of Vinegar in laundry. Best invention ever!!
I LOVE line-dried laundry, especially stiff & crunchy towels! However, I don't line-dry often because it's a real allergy bath for our clothing, and worse, bed linens.
I don't know how particulate allergens are; perhaps running the laundry through the last dryer cycle (with or without heat) would be enough to shake them out? Anyone?