Laundry getting you down? Hang it up.
Posted by VictoriaJul 13
Lovely laundry.
I have clothes that I have had for a decade or longer and they are still in great shape. (I bought a black turtleneck sweater in 1995 and I finally parted with it in the spring of 2009.) I owe most of their long lives to the fact that I rarely use a clothes dryer. Almost everything I own gets hung out or up to dry. It started as a money saver in college and is now a much-loved ritual.
Pin 'em up!
Hanging your clothes to dry in the summer sun can transform a dull task (ugh, laundry) into a pleasurable mini-break. It goes like this: Pin your wet clothes up on the line. (I sometimes hang things in categories for kicks. A row of underpants all together look pretty cute!) Now, pull up a chair and watch ‘em dance in the breeze. Done.
Why is there an old bike helmet on the line?
It’s very pretty and colorful AND it gets you out of the laundry room or laundromat quicker and into the sunshine. And heck, on a sunny day your clothes are dry in no time and come off the line crisp and smelling fresh. Most of the time I don’t even need to iron them. The whole experience takes me back to my childhood when clotheslines were in the backyard of every home.
It's having a second life as a perfect peg holder!
If you don’t have yard space, an indoor drying rack or retractable indoor line is a great solution. In all of my old apartments, I would just set up a rack in a sunny part of the flat and let the rays do the work. This set up is also brilliant in the wintertime as it puts moisture into the dry air. Got Sheets? Throw them over the shower curtain rod.
Sweet Smelling.
Save some energy, save your clothes and enjoy the sight of flapping shirts blowing in the breeze. It’s a win, win…umm win.
PS-Hey, did you know? Last year Toronto Hydro had a free clothesline campaign, and gave away 75,000 clotheslines to homeowners to help conserve electricity? Do any other cities out there have similar campaigns? Love to hear from you!
11 comments
Comment by joanne at frutto della passione on July 13, 2009 at 8:34 am
Ever since I moved to Italy (1994) I have lived without a dryer – two reasons 1) they are quite rare here because 2) electricity is really, really expensive here.
I have a pulley system clothes line in the bathroom over the tube and a portable one that I can hang from the radiator that gets moved around as needed. However, I miss how soft and fluffy towels feel when the come out of a dryer!
Comment by Julie on July 13, 2009 at 9:18 am
Use some vinegar in the rinse cycle for softer ‘fluffier’ line dried towels, also a breeze helps things from getting too stiff! We love our clothes line!!
Comment by Monica on July 13, 2009 at 11:02 am
I LOVE doing laundry! It is my “chore” of choice! I have 2 drying racks and I just got a retractable line for the backyard. Thanks for all the laundry tips everyone.
Comment by hinna on July 13, 2009 at 11:06 am
yyaaaaaaay! love the clothes line!
ps – miss seeing your colourful laundry on the line, was alway so beautifully arranged…
Comment by sarah on July 13, 2009 at 1:00 pm
what is that lovely green dress, vic?
i’ve also heard a half cup of baking soda added to your wash will help soften things that are line dried
i can’t wait to have my own laundry line…
Comment by Victoria on July 13, 2009 at 4:11 pm
Thanks for the great info everyone! Vic
Comment by Jody on July 13, 2009 at 4:54 pm
I have only recently fallen in love with the clothes line & now find hanging the clothes as soothing as working in the garden. Recently started using “soapnuts” to wash with and they give the clothes a lovely touch of soft when hung to dry.
Comment by Carole Adilman on July 14, 2009 at 4:21 pm
There is nothing more inviting than getting into bed with sheets that have been dried outside. There is no dryer sheet that can compare to the fresh scent of clothes that have been hung ourside and blown in the wind, and sometimes even rained on!
Comment by hinna on July 17, 2009 at 8:19 am
cakes, that lovely green dress is (i believe) the same as the red dress i have from HM, they had them in navy and black too… that colour looks incredible on you miss vic!!
Comment by Jojo on July 18, 2009 at 1:52 pm
I’d give my right breast fro a clothes line. I’d give both for a backyard.
Comment by Mary Q Contrarie on August 1, 2009 at 2:18 pm
Jojo,
I don’t have a backyard either but I can air dry my laundry using a clothes drying rack. I love it. I get that outdoorsy smell be simply not using the dryer. AND I save a boat load of money!