Ideal Bite

I started line-drying our laundry just a couple months ago. I found a rack at Ikea for $17 that holds one load. Now, instead of spending an entire weekend morning doing laundry, I do a load whenever I want. I save $1.25 every load, since we have a communal coin-operated laundry in our building. We use the rack in hubby's office/workout room, so the clean laundry smell even helps the smell in that room, and in the winter it will help alleviate our dry air somewhat. Also glad to hear I'm not the only one who finds hanging the clothes relaxing. There's something about the orderliness and quiet of it that I actually enjoy. There is no downside about this for me, I wish I'd started doing it sooner, but honestly, as an apartment-dweller the thought never even occurred to me, until we went to Rome in April and saw that everyone lives in apartments and everyone line-dries their laundry.

I'm also into the zen of line drying, and there ain't nothin' like that line-dried smell. Just hoping the heating element doesn't give out...

one other advantage of line-drying: almost no ironing! if you give your clothes a good flap before you hang them straight, you eliminate almost all of the wrinkles. clothes drying racks are great!

try as they might, there is NO dryer sheet ever made that will compare to the smell of laundry that has been hanging outside and drying in the sun! I LOVE THAT SMELL!!!! Fresh air dried laundry is the BEST! I grew up in a household that only had a washing machine and now that I am an adult we only use our dryer when absolutely necessary, which if you manage to plan well enough with kids is hardly ever! I know that you can get recycled clothes pins from: www.clotheslineshop.com They are a bit pricy (as tend to be a few recycled items) but they are plastic and seem to be holding up better than my wooden ones did in the extreme sun. They also have a wide mouth so they will accomidate heavy fabrics like blankets and towels with no problem. So, in my opinion they have been well worth the investment. A note about the business - they ship internationally (great for me, and they were reasonable with the international shipping) and they are a small family run business which is always great to support I think, Like I said, a bit pricy tp start maybe, but this time I think it was worth the price. I use them almost daily.

We find it very relaxing too. Also, we have a gas dryer, and in one month (the month I started line drying) our gas bill dropped from $75 to $16. Talk about an incentive!

Too bad I live in an area where this would be practical in about 3 months out of the year. I've always wanted to do more line-drying, but even the few things I hang up in my apartment to dry take over a day and a half to stop being wet...

You may or may not know that there are millions of Americans not allowed to hang their clothes. That is why Project Laundry List (www.laundrylist.org) has become a beacon of hope for clothesline enthusiasts around the world. Millions have bought into the post-1945 GE myth that we would be liberated from the drudgery of housework if we only sat behind a desk to earn utility bill, maintainence, and capital investment money to keep our dryers running, despite the fact that they obsolesce every twelve to eighteen years and cost hundreds of dollars to replace.

(Sorry if this is a double post!) I tried line drying, but my clothes came out all stiff and feeling rough, but they're soft and supple coming out of the dryer. Is there something I'm missing? I used a fabric softener in the wash (though now I just use vinegar).

I would love to hang my clothes outside but have steered away from this to my allergies. I always read that if you have allergies you shouldn't do this as the pollen will attach to your clothes - increasing your exposure and then spreading the pollen indoors; in addition exposing items like your sheets that wouldn't normally be exposed to pollen. Does anyone know if this is in fact true or perhaps have other suggestions? I suppose I could hang-dry indoors but space contraints and lack of the zen-feel are deterrents.

(only somewhat tongue-in-cheek) I like the existence of no-outside-drying bans: they're an instant tip-off to the fact that people who'd live in those places don't get it about global warming, the environment, and/or real community. If they won't let you hang laundry, there are probably a lot of other beneficial things they also won't let you do!