I started doing this because my heating element went out in my dryer, but I think i will continue to do this when the weather is nice. I notice that my clothes smell much nicer, I am a smoker and even though I use dryer sheets sometimes they still smell like smoke. But now that I hang them outside they get aired out completely and smell completely fresh. My comforter lasts longer with a fresh smell also by hanging it outside to dry. Also I know I am helpign conserve energy (green living) and save on my electric bill a bit. Next month I should know exactly how much is in savings by doing this.
How about you?
[question posted by taface412]
responses and comments:
I used to love hanging my clothes on the line when I lived in my house. Unfortunately I live in an apartment now and am unable to do this. I agree that everything smelled fresh and clean. Comforters, sheets and towels came out so nice. I really miss my clothes line. Although it was more work to hang the clothes out I never minded because it got me outside and made my clothes smell great. [Oceanblueeyes]
Whenever I laundry's piled up and I don;t have time to do it, I go to the laundromat instead. But whenever I have time and the weather is good, like recently, I line dry my clothes. I learned it from my mom. When I was still living with them, and even up till now, she line dries our clothes, particularly the white ones, instead of using the dryer. First of all, it saves up on electricity charges. Second, white clothes becomes even whiter. And of course, they smell fresh and clean. [personaave]
in india we used to hang clothes in rope line in garden of my house . all people will hang like this only in india .as many people don;t have washing machines in india, we used to wash clothes by hands and hang clothes to the ropes in hot sun. but as now appartments came , now a days ,those lines are not seen. yes when we dry clothes in hot sun, clothes will be clean and in good condition .i like its smell. now as i am in different country , here we don;t have option to hang outside and so i will dry clothes in washing machine and hang in inside house only. [ank_47]
I haven't yet ever done this because I have never had the yard to have a clothes line but we just moved a few months back and luckily the new place has a really sturdy already set up and I am so excited for this weather to clear up so I can get out there and hang stuff out. I love the smell of fresh clothes hung out on the line. I am especially antsy about being able to hang out the blankets..I am not real sure that I will be one of those ones that hang my undies out on the lines, I think they will stay being dried by the dryer. But everything else I am most defiantly going to hang out on the line!! [froggieslover]
I actually use my dryer. But I would love to hang my clothes on a line one day. Right now I don't dare to sit my clothes out to save my life. If I do I probably be naked. LOL [hardworkingmom]
Hi, I moved to Australia in the end of last year and now I always hang my clothes outside on a line. I agree that they smell so much nicer that when dried inside or in a dryer. I grew up in Sweden and lived my last 4 years in the UK and I always tried to hang my clothes outside...however in Sweden its really just possible in the summer months and in UK it felt like it was always raining. [majja1]
In India, we used to do that. But now living in an apartment in US, it is not possible. Our rental apartment office doesnt allow us to dry clothes in the balcony so it is a problem. Especially, in such times where people can save up on their laundry, drying clothes this way is definitely a welcome option- it would save the laundry bill and also conserve energy. I usually keep the drying stand in the bath tub and then keep it near the window in our bedroom to dry. [malsun]
I live in a condominium of row houses and although there is room I cannot put up a clothes line because I do not own the Land at the back of my unit. Most people here use electric or Gas Dryers indoors. The dryers wear out your clothes with all that tumbling. All that lint in the lint trap is part of your clothes. Ontario made it legal to have a no clothes lines again, so you can put one up except if you live in an apartment or situations like me. [mariposaman]
I never use heating system cz' i dont have one! line dry clothes is really healthy and the ultraviolet could help to kill bacteria!i live in a humid and wet area, so i also line dry some clean sheet and clothes to keep them from mold! The smell is good! [syj070741]
Letting the clothes to dry inside can sometimes result to clothes with a funky smell. Lol. It seems that you haven't washed it at all. It also has a tendency to harbor molds or bacteria because of the moisture. When this happens I tend not to wear the clothes and put it back to the laundry basket. Back then when we still have a dryer, after putting in the clothes to get the water out, we would also hang it on the line to air dry or to be warmed by the sun. Letting it dry that way is just awesome. It smelled really fresh and clean. Now that we don't have a dryer anymore, our clothes are always line dried on the rooftop where direct sunlight is unlimited. That way we save too on our electricity bills and somehow reduce the harmful effects of the dryer on the environment. [orenji]
I think drying clothes with sunshine is the best method when the weather is fine. The ultraviolet radiation in the sunshine can annihilate the bacterium more or less. And as you say, it can reduce your electric bill. So, I usually dry my clothes naturally. The natural scent is quite nice! [snow8515]
Nothing beats the wonderful smell of clothes dried under the sun! That's why we only use the drier when it's raining. Better yet, we hold off doing our laundry if the sun is not out. Also the sun's heat can kill bacteria. That's why every quarter, we also put our mattress and pillows under the sun. :) [rensal77]
yes i still line dry my clothes, all the time..unfortunately i don't have a dryer. i wish i did! [kevsgirlalways]
I do like to line dry my clothes outside. It does smell different. It smells fresher and has the outdoors smell. I do dry it inside too. I don't have a dryer to dry my clothes with anyways... [chunijole]
Here in our country, the Philippines, we normally line dry our clothes, perhaps because the sun always shines in this part of the world. Mind you, even machine washed clothes that were dried in the dryer could be seen hanging in the clothesline under the sun. Maybe we could not just part ways with old age tradition, drying clothes under the sun not only to disinfect but to have a fresher smell (just pray your hard-headed neighbor won't be burning garden wastes or garbage, lest your clothes will smell like smoked fish ha ha. Anyway, not to worry much cause burning of garbage now is already prohibited as it contributes to the thinning of our ozone layer) [beautiful58]
I really wish that we had a clothes line outside for this reason. Sometimes I will hang our clothes out over the fence. To me, there's nothing more refreshing than sleeping on fresh linens that have been line dried, and it's a very easy way to conserve energy. I'm hoping that we can string a clothes line out this spring and I can hang more clothes out to dry.happy [Amber4106]
I currently live in an apartment so I don't really have the means to line dry my clothes. I prefer to use a drier because when I have hung clothes up in the past I have found that they feel stiff when I line dry them and much softer when I dry them in the drier. When I have a back yard next month I might start hanging them up on the line though just to try to save some on my electric bills. [hcromer]
No, I would never line dry anything. I grew up in a time when everything was line dried. I hated the scratchy sheets and articles of clothing. When we finally got a clothes dryer, I was ecstatic. I loved how soft it made everything. Even though my mother still likes hanging her sheets outside, I've never had any desire to do so. Even though clothes that hang outside smell nice, I'm not willing to give up my softness for the smell. [sbeauty]
Finally I was searching for someone to disagree about line drying! I absolutely hate it! I live in Egypt and for two years I did not have a dryer...it was the worst. If anything I think the clothes smelled worse...maybe it is just the air here. Also my towels and sheets were not soft at all. My jeans were the worst, so itchy! We have a dryer now and I could not be happier, the clothes are soft and smell great! Not sure what kind of soap and fabric softener everyone else is using, but my clothes feel and smell 100 times better when they come out of the dryer. [angela_allen]
I dont hang everything on the line but alot of things I do.. It does always smell so nice. You do save some money on your electric bill. It surprises me how much money it costs to run your dryer.. Its insane [luvmysons]
...We have always line dried our clothes. My family I mean. And I am sure when I live on my own I'll do exactly the same thing. As you said, it saves money, as well as smell WAAAAY better. But it get bad when there's rain or wind...XD [TokaAtef]
I use to but where I live I can't. It is the most "green" way to dry them. And to me they smell better! [benhilo]
I don't have a dryer but I do have a washer machine that I am grateful for. I don't really mind not having a dryer because I hang dry my clothing on hangers in my house. It seems that they are a little fresher from hanging them instead of drying them in a dryer. Saves on electric anyway. That might be a good thing that you have going where your hanging clothes is concerned. It is a shame about the heating element in your dryer however you could be saving a little more money at this point by putting your clothes outside. It is also nice to wash a comforter that smells fresh later on by drying it in the air outside. Going green is something that a lot of people should be trying to take an active part in. Saving the environment is so crucial in this world. [bamakelly]
I have a lot of clothing that I do not put in the dryer to prevent shrinking. I don't hang it outdoors though because there are too many odors like smoke and other things I don't want my clothing to smell like. [Canellita]
i used to hang my clothes out on the line. i live in south florida so the weather is usually nice for it but after a while i started noticing a few things. i started finding lots of different types of bugs i was bringing to the house in my clothes, aka spiders and such, and in florida, thats bad. we have alot of deadly spiders here. i also noticed that after a little while of doing this, my clothes started to fade, badly. the elastic in my socks would go brittle. i had to go out a buy all new socks. my jeans actually became crunchy. never a good thing. i actually have had alot of my clothes ruined from hanging them out on the phone over the course of just a few months. you could do this with your sheets and i probably would if i had the room to do it where i live now, but as far as anything that i like to wear on a regular basis, i stick to my dryer. i just recently purchased an Energy Star dryer from kenmore and i notice about a $20 difference on my electric bill. [roadkilldxh]
I live in florida and I got bit by a spider and it was no picnic. I don't know if they spider was in the sheets I hung out to dry or what. I hurt very badly and I could have died from the poison. I had to go to the emergency room in the hospital. I shake my clothes really well when I line dry. [sunshinegirl1]
Hanging your clothes out on a line to dry is a wonderful way to not only get them smelling better, but to save money as well. Of course, since they're outside, there is always that chance that they will be damaged or ruined by nature. So many things can go wrong there. [writer811]
I use my line as much as possible. I find it relaxing to be outside and it helps keep your upper arms in shape. I sometimes leave cloths on the line and let the rain give them another rinse. Cloths hanging outside makes a fun activity for the grandkids running through them. The benefits seem to out way the slight hassle of lugging the wet clothes up the stairs from the washer. [tjburcham]
I like the freah smell of line dry clothes also. The clothes last longer I think when you don't put them in a clothes dryer. I do save on my electric bill. [sunshinegirl1]
Yes I do and love it...And yes its a cheaper. [Calais]
I use to line dry clothes. that has to be the best way to dry clothes. They smell good like a fresh breeze. There is also a lot to be said about putting on a shirt straight out the dryer on a cold day. So in the summer on the line, In the winter in the dyer. [phoenix79]
i do the same since i got my own place i have been drying my clothes outside and it really dose make them smell lovely as i am a smoker too, theres only one thing i dont like if you dont us softner they can go stiff and it can spoil the shape of the clothes and like what has happend to me a few times is them pesky little birds making a mess all over them. you will see a real differance in your energy bill. [katebell]
I don't have an outside clothesline, but I do dry my clothes on a rack in my house. I wish I had a clothesline to get that breezy scent and fresh feel, and I hope to have one in my next place. I like to air dry my clothes because it helps keep their shape, and uses a lot less energy (equaling a money saver for me!) The only downside is that it isn't as helpful with removing wrinkles and it's not always fast enough! Luckily, I have a dryer for those times I need a boost... [theweerouss]
I love the smell of clothes that are dried outside I have been doing this for years. No chemical softner can reproduce that smell and they rot your clothes . I have been drying my clothes outside for years. mgraham126 [mgraham126]
I love to dry my clothes outside on the clothes line. I just did it yesterday since it was so nice out. I love the smell that it gives the clothes and then bringing them inside and they are all clean and fresh smelling. The only problem is that it leaves the towels a bit too crisp. I like my towels to be soft. [Shar19]
Yes, it is good in rainy days as well. At last it give good smell to us. Apart from that it saves our cloths from pollution as well. [neerajpandey_13]
hi my dear feind, i use my dryer but i then too line dry my clothes. i think they have a feel of more freshness and i love that more. i little sunlight gives more brightness to the white clothes i believe . it may not be trye but i feel it that way and i always put then in sunlight for sometime. when it is rainy out sidethen i use dryer and i put them to iron but if the weather is good out side i prefer to put them in a line and dry them in ther sun too. it is very much true that by drying them out in the sun is conserving energy, and one should think on that part al;so. i fully believe in it, but there is no option in rainy season when thge weather is so bad and having a babay at home means , a hell lot of clothes in a single day. [aweins]
Yes i line my clothes for drying outside . Here we dont have washing machine . So naturally there is no dryer . So we wash it with hands then line it up outside to dry. [starash007]