Day 31: Hanging Clothes Out on the Line

What: Drying clothes outside.

Why: Hanging clothes out on the line is becoming a lost “art.” There is something to be said about taking clothes off the line and having the fresh air smell trump the smell of a dryer sheet. There are also many benefits to drying your clothes outside:

1. Clothes last longer – think about how much lint your dryer catches. Those are lost fabric fibers rom your clothing. Straps can get stretched out because they get wrapped around another piece of clothing. Zippers can snag your favorite sweater. Dryers do more damage to our clothes than you think.

2. Saves money! Electric dryers are one of the most expensive energy units out there. Statistics say you can save around $120/year by drying your clothes outside.

3. Reduces wrinkles. If your clothes are properly hung, they will not have wrinkles. If you do have wrinkles or they are stiff, throw them in the dryer for 5 minutes and the wrinkles will be gone or add some fabric softener to the washing cycle.

4. No more static cling! Dryers cause clothes to rub together, causing static electricity.

5. It is a workout! It may not be the marathon workout you were hoping for, but there is something to be said about getting outside and doing manual labor – even with hanging clothes out on the line.

6. Sun. The sun is a natural disinfectant and also bleaches clothes – no need for bleach!

7. Safer. Dryers can cause fires believe it or not.

8. Community. Hanging clothes on the line brings you out into your backyard where you may see your neighbors and share a friendly conversation.

How:
1. Find two trees or two poles that you can hang clothesline-line between. You can use two eye hooks if attaching line between two trees.

2. Clean line before each time you hang your clothes.

3. Shake clothes out to get to desired hanging look (prevents wrinkles).

4. Hang clothes with clothespins – you can buy wooden or plastic clothespins.

5. Let the wind and sun do it’s work. A good breeze is more important than the sun. Make sure it is not too windy; otherwise your neighbors will be coming over with your lost laundry.

6. Make sure clothes are completely dry before folding. You can always throw them in the dryer to put the finishing touches on the drying and also to fluff up your towels or sheets.

7. Enjoy the fresh air smell when you climb into bed in your line-dried sheets. There is nothing like it!

Confession of the Day: I grew up with my mom drying our clothes out on the line. I can still remember those Saturdays when my sheets smelled fresh off the line when I climbed into bed that night. Who would’ve thought that would’ve left such an impression. When my husband and I moved onto a small city lot, we had two trees that were set up perfectly to hang clothesline. My husband attached two eye hooks and he tied two lines in between. Those spring and summer days I always looked forward to, when I could hang our bedding, towels, sheets, and clothes out on the line. Yes, it was more time consuming, but I found much enjoyment in it. Living with less may not always mean cutting back on how much time we spend on something – it means spending time on the things that are important to us.

What do you like about hanging clothes out on the line?