Ideal Bite

Turned off by shrinkage?

Submitted by tmeronek on Tue, 06/10/2008 - 1:33am.

The Bite:

When you're talking laundry, it's usually the dryer, not the water that does it. Keep your clothes their optimal size and shape by line-drying, since dryers shrink the lifespan of your clothes and use a whole lotta energy.

The Benefits:

Less damage to the goods. Repeated drying at high-temps can reduce fabric strength by 25% or more, and the tumbling action of the dryer (not the heat, believe it or not) causes shrinkage.
Enlarging your bank account. You can save up to $135 per year on electricity bills by forgoing the machine. (And if you don't have your own dryer, you'll spend a lot less time searching under couch cushions for quarters.)
It's softer on the earth. Except for fridges and washing machines, dryers use more energy annually than other major household appliances. (And summer sun-drying gets it done in a jif.)
Less shocking. Line-drying clothes means less static cling.

Personally Speaking:

During the hot, dry summer Jenifer spent in Poland, it took just 10 minutes for most of her clothes to dry on the line...too bad the average washing cycle ran for over an hour.

Wanna Try:

Abundant Earth Drying Racks - five indoor drying rack options made with sustainably harvested wood or wood scraps ($30 and up).
Whitney Design Retractable Dryer - 8-foot indoor/outdoor clothesline that easily retracts ($10).
Your local hardware or bed-and-bath store should have plenty of options too.