Line Drying 101

Line drying? An ancient art? No way.

Okay, so maybe I wouldn’t exactly call it an “art,” either. BUT there is some general knowledge you should know before you begin. I wouldn’t call myself an expert at line drying, except that it’s so easy–anyone can do it! PLUS there are some awesome benefits to line drying. Read the following tips to line dry your clothing for a more natural and frugal drying alternative:

2 Optional Locations:

First, know that you can line dry clothing outside OR inside. If it is particularly rainy where you live, or if during the winter months, you find yourself snowed in, put lines up in your home, laundry room, hallway, bedroom–wherever–and line dry that way. Growing season is just about here in the Northwest, so rain is coming quickly! I will definitely have lines up in my home.

Materials:

In order to line dry, you need a location to line dry, a rope or other form for a line, clothespins or hangers, and wet laundry!

Lines:

Your line can be made out of any “string” that is durable and will not mold! When you put your lines up (connected from one tree, poll, building, wall, etc to another), make your lines tight enough, so that when you hang up your damp clothing, the weight will not sag the line down.

2 Optional Methods:

In order to line dry, you can either hang your wet laundry on hangers, or use clothespins. Personally, I currently use clothespins, but I may switch to hangers in the near future in order to determine which method I prefer. For some garments, using hangers is said to be preferable and more convenient, as once the garment is dry, it needs only be put in the closet. Others say there really is no difference, as long as you hang correctly. What do I get out of all this? It’s your choice.

Correct Hanging:

Believe it or not, there is a correct way to hang up shirts, pants, socks, and other laundry items. Shirts–If you are using clothespins, hang these upside down, by the tail, so that your clothespins do not leave an indent on the shoulders, (which are more visible than the tail of your clothing). Make sure that you do not space the two clothespins too far apart that the material is stretched, or too near that a huge bulge dries into your shirt. If you are using hangers, situate the shirt according to how you would normally prefer to wear it, (ex. collar down or pockets in). Pants–I have seen these hung two different ways by clothespins, and both worked fine. First, you can hang it by two clothespins at the waist, or second, you can hang it by four clothespins, two on each leg, upside down. Skirts can be hung at the waist, also. Socks–hang your socks by their toes! Do this in order to prevent clothespin marks on the visible part. Towels–Either hang towels length wise, using four clothespins, or hang them width wise, using two. Your choice, here.

And finally…TIPS!

–In order to keep your clothes from fading, turn them inside out or dry them in the shade or inside.

–Do not hang your clothing near walls or posts, so that if the wall or post is dirty, your clothes will not pick it up!

–Before hanging your clothes up, snap them quickly in the air to take out any wrinkles.

–Clean your line every once in a while (monthly or bimonthly) in order to ensure that your clean clothes are not being dried on dirt! Simple soap and water and a rag will do the treat nicely.

Have you tried line drying before? What tips would you share with others, or would you even recommend it?

7 Reasons to Line Dry, And 1 Reason Not To

Yes, indeed! As I surveyed God’s creation about me, I also saw a useful creation of man–a clothes lines. Here are my

7 Reasons to Line Dry:

1. The smell of sunshine is FANTASTIC!

Okay, perhaps this is a personal opinion, but seriously! I love the smell of sunshine, and I find that a lot of other people do, too. What does sunshine smell like? Fresh, clean, happy, energized… A wonderful, refreshing smell. I have also found that if you use a scented laundry detergent, that scent will be emphasized from line drying. See if you like the smell of sun! Do a tester cloth, and let me know how it goes…

2. Line drying makes your clothes naturally static/wrinkle free.

Electric dryers create static electricity on clothes because it rubs the materials together repeatedly.  Line drying skips this whole process, thereby skipping the static! (Yay!) And depending on if you take your clothes out of the washing machine promptly (or soon after the cycle is complete, which you would have to do to prevent a sour smell, anyway), your clothes will be mostly wrinkle free!

3. It gives you time for peace–at long last…

As you are pinning your clothing up, or as you are taking them down, the whole process really allows you to just “be still.” You have time to be quiet, or you can hum and sing, while the birds chirp their melodies, and the wind sways to the rhythm. You may hear children’s laughter. You may hear the constant, calming effect of  vehicles on the distant freeway. Whatever you hear, whatever you see, you can have peace and appreciate what God has blessed you with.

4. No worries; be happy now, and use a clothes line!

While doing your line drying, you have quality time with the sun, which boosts optimism levels! The Vitamin D in sunshine as been found to not only make us happier, it makes us energetic–AND healthier! Read this article by Yale Daily News on the proven benefits of sunshine.

5. Not using a dryer saves energy AND money.

If you’re not using a dryer, you’re not using up electricity/energy, meaning in $$$–you’re not spending money. In fact, the clothes dryer is THE largest consumer of power. Think about that in terms of money–or better yet, the effect on the environment. Let’s save our money and save our environment by line drying when we can!

6. Line drying is more delicate on the material.

It’s true! With a dryer, you have twice as much tumbling of your clothes as you would if you only used a washer. Tumbling sound like fun? Well, not to the poor seams and zippers and fringes of your material items! The continual tumbling causes your material to wear quicker. Also, fading can be prevented on a clothesline by turning your material inside out, whereas, in a dryer, there’s not much you can do!

7. There’s something to be said about God here…

Using the hands God gave you and using them while His creation surrounds you is a “God-moment” well worth taking. Colossians 3:23 says, “And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men.” What better place to work for the Lord than among His creation? (Not to mention, it’s a lot easier to “do it heartily,” when the sunshine boosts your optimism levels! haha)

And of course! Here is my

1 Reason to NOT Line Dry:

1. Sometimes it’s rainy/wet! *Boo hoo*

Depending on where you live, you may get rain or snow frequently. The wetness will definitely not help your clothes to dry, (you can test this if you like, haha). So–don’t sale your dryer just yet! The Solution: Dry your clothes inside, or wait for a sunny day to wash and dry clothe(Although, admittedly, it’s just not as much fun without the smiling sun shining down upon you…)

TIDE even has reasons why you should line dry.

Do you line dry? What are your reasons? Or do you not line dry

NEXT: How to Line Dry Clothing/Tips for When You Do! 🙂