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Line Drying controversies

post #1 of 117
5/5/08 at 2:27pm
Thread Starter 
About a week ago I made a post about line drying my clothes. And some people chimed in that they also line dry when possible be it inside or outside. But that got me to thinking that I hardly ever see people using a clothes line anymore. So off to google it I did to see why and what others thought of line drying. I must admit I was quite shocked. But one thing I thought was quite interesting and that was the banning of clotheslines. And that is kind of what this is about.

Since when did this stigma come about when it comes to clotheslines. In the not so distant past clotheslines were common place thing. It was not until the invention of the good ol dryer did it become a poor or white trash thing to have a clothesline. Most of my childhood my mom had a line no matter where we lived be it in the bigger city or out in the country we always had one. It was not until about 10 years ago (her in her 40s) did she really use a dryer (tho she had one for a while but never used it).

Now as I went to google tips on line drying (like an alternative for rainy days) did I run across all the negatives: people complaining its inconvenient, to many wrinkles, only poor people do that, only white trash does that, etc. But the topper for me was HOA's and the like out right banning them and now laws popping up to ban the banning of lines.

So my question to the boards are do you agree with the banning on such lines or do you disagree with the bans and why?

Me I disagree with banning lines. 1. they help the planet and 2. they save money. Thats all I need to know to hang a line or 2.

And if you want to do some reading:
This is a blog type post. Here she talks about the bans and there are links to related articles on bans such as this:
http://faircompanies.com/main.aspx?u...detallblog=366

www.laundrylist.com

or just type in "right to dry"
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post #2 of 117
5/5/08 at 2:39pm
my grandma still line dries her clothes in the summer because she likes the smell (she lives in the country.) the apt complex i live in right now has 2 small clothes lines near the laundry room.

i dont think its white trash but i think itll kill your allergies or your clothes will get stolen. i did always find it embarrassing to have my undies waving in the wind when i lived with my grandma (they built a motel and a bank on each side of her. unless they had binoculars, i dont know what i was worried about, but i was a teenager LOL)

i think its quite green to hang your clothes out, if you have the means.
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post #3 of 117
5/5/08 at 2:42pm
Alot of people here still do it. I see it alot when its Hot.
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post #4 of 117
5/5/08 at 2:46pm
I wish I could. It gets so warm here that on some days the clothes would dry faster on the line then in the dryer.
Allergies are a problem, DH is allergic to every tree pollen there is and a lot of other pollens.
The other problem is insects. How do you prevent them from laying eggs on the clothes while they're hanging out? Thats why I had to stop hanging anything out.


I don't think it's trashy to use a clothesline. The town I live in is a small Midwest town, so a lot of people still do it. I do wish people would use proper lines. It's not terribly difficult to put up the poles for a clothes line. Just tying a rope wherever looks rather tacky.
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post #5 of 117
5/5/08 at 2:52pm
I live in an HOA gated community and NO clotheslines allowed.
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post #6 of 117
5/5/08 at 3:16pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by strange_wings View Post
The other problem is insects. How do you prevent them from laying eggs on the clothes while they're hanging out? Thats why I had to stop hanging anything out.
You shake them out real well before you bring them in. So far no bugs have made it in.

Quote:
I don't think it's trashy to use a clothesline. The town I live in is a small Midwest town, so a lot of people still do it. I do wish people would use proper lines. It's not terribly difficult to put up the poles for a clothes line. Just tying a rope wherever looks rather tacky.
Right now all I have is 2 lines strung from a pole to 2 trees. Right now that is my only option I have. I am partly saved up to get one of those umbrella type clothes line. But even after I get that I am leaving the other 2 up for my sheets and blankets.

Yes I do hang undies out. For the most part its just the kids unless there is no one home in the park (its small). If everyone is at work I will hang up mine and the hubby's because they will be off before anyone gets home. And the location is not so that it is noticable to everyone that its there.
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post #7 of 117
5/5/08 at 3:41pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ping View Post
You shake them out real well before you bring them in. So far no bugs have made it in.
Eggs, not the insects themselves. They're long gone by the time the laundry is collected. The eggs get stuck quite firmly into the fabric and usually rewashing is the only way to get them completely out - which doesn't save anything.

And trees look better then tied to the side of a house and vehicle or whatever else is near.
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post #8 of 117
5/5/08 at 3:49pm
my mom has one, & uses it during the summer. i don't have one, & probably wouldn't use one - but that because of allergies.
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post #9 of 117
5/5/08 at 3:54pm
IMO if you have a house in the country where its more isolated feel free to hang your clothes outside. But I really think it looks sloppy and trashy to be doing in in a crowded city or suburb.

Now if you go swimming and want to hang out the towels to dry - that's ok, but not clothes, underwear, etc.
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post #10 of 117
5/5/08 at 3:57pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by strange_wings View Post
Eggs, not the insects themselves. They're long gone by the time the laundry is collected. The eggs get stuck quite firmly into the fabric and usually rewashing is the only way to get them completely out - which doesn't save anything.

And trees look better then tied to the side of a house and vehicle or whatever else is near.
In all my years of my mom hanging out clothes we have never had a problem with bug/eggs in our clothes.

On the second part sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do. Whether you are hanging clothes because you have no dryer, can't afford to got to a laundry mat, or you wanna help the earth or save money you have to do what you have to do. Some people just do not really have trees or poles in the yard and if they can not afford to go to a laundry mat they surely can't afford to go buy nice poles to hang them up. SO they have to do what they have do no matter how tacky some people think it is. There is a house up in town that has no lines strung but she hangs everything on her fence out front and I applaud her for it.

A girl I know about 3 trailer down has I think 5 lines strung. One is an old ricktey clothes line, from there strung to an old gas tank and from there to a tree or 2. And just the other day since I started hanging mine out I noticed another neighbor has hung a smaller line behind their house. One end is tied to a pole and the other is a jerry rigged line drying pole. And if it works for them and thats all they got to work with I say go for it.
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post #11 of 117
5/5/08 at 4:00pm
My mom has a clothes line at her house, and she hangs sheets, shirts, pants, and such to dry. Things she doesnt do are towels, underwear, socks, etc. I wouldn't want my underwear hanging out for everyone to see. But I love hanging stuff like shirts and sheets out. It smells fresh when you bring it in. I have a rack where I hang my clothes to dry in my apartment. I hang everything up. It costs $1.25 to wash the clothes, and another $1.25 to dry. I'm saving that money by not using the dryer.
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post #12 of 117
5/5/08 at 4:03pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by GoldenKitty45 View Post
IMO if you have a house in the country where its more isolated feel free to hang your clothes outside. But I really think it looks sloppy and trashy to be doing in in a crowded city or suburb.

Now if you go swimming and want to hang out the towels to dry - that's ok, but not clothes, underwear, etc.
I am not trying to attack or anything but what helped you form that idea? The way I see it in the not so distant past dryers where a luxury not everyone had (and before that no one had them) and in the big cities and everywhere else line dried. So when did the shift happen that it became trashy and what not.

Like I said just curious. I am just trying to understand that shift from everyone does it to its trashy.
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post #13 of 117
5/5/08 at 4:08pm
I don't have ny place to run a clothesline or I would. When I was living in Michigan we would hang the clothes during the warmer months.

When I do buy a house I'm going to avoid places where a HOA is required. I want to move out away from the city. Not only because it's too crowded but that way I can do what I want on my property. Saving a little money by hanging clothes out to dry is one thing I want to do.

I don't think it's trashy at all. If someone wants to hang a clothesline in their back yard then they should be allowed to do so regardless of where they live.
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post #14 of 117
5/5/08 at 4:09pm
If I lived in a subdivision with an HOA that restricted lines, I would get one and use it just to initiate the argument. In an age where more and more people are going green, those restrictions are simply stupid.

My mom used to line dry, even when she owned a dryer. She liked the smell of fresh air dryed clothes and didn't care if they got a little stiff in the process. I use a dryer for convenience but we do have a line hanging in our back yard that we use from time to time.
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post #15 of 117
5/5/08 at 4:22pm
Thread Starter 
http://www.amazon.com/Whitney-Design...0029603&sr=1-1

This what I plan to put up here soon. This one can be placed right at the end of my trailer and no one will ever see it unless they walk to the end of my trailer. And no one needs to be back considering I do all the mowing for the park.

And I just noticed in the last week the price went up 10.00 so I need to get it soon.
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post #16 of 117
5/5/08 at 4:48pm
My Mom line drys her clothes when she can. I don't see a problem with it. I saves money. I personally like dryer dried clothes. Line dried clothes tend to be stiff and attract bugs, pollen, and other yard debris. Not something I would do, but Mom likes it.
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post #17 of 117
5/5/08 at 5:06pm
I guess its more of when you drive thru developments and see a bunch of clothes hanging out to dry - it doesn't look nice. Granted not everyone has a washer/dryer, but if you do, you should be using it.

Housing developments want a neat tidy area for people. Its kinda like a person who keeps a bunch of junk in the backyard or rusted car. It doesn't make a nice appearance.

And the places that still do it are usually the trailer parks (not the nice ones) or old houses. Where we lived, there was a time we drove to the post office - one of the houses on the block had her underwear hanging out on the front sidewalk to her house........not a pretty sight!


Now when we lived on the farm, we did hang some stuff in the back - like shirts or towels. I found that without the dryer sheets (we don't use softener in the wash) the towels were very stiff and scratchy feeling when hung out to dry. With the dryer sheet they were always nice and fluffy and clean smelling.
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post #18 of 117
5/5/08 at 5:21pm
We had this sweet thing at my parent's house, there was a cemented/pipe hole in the ground, and this big clothes tree that you screwed into it shaped like an octagon with like six lines all around. If I had one of those I would use it; we also had three lines strung the whole length of the basement because my dad always insisted that all his clothes be line-dried. I had forgotten about that. We couldn't have survived, I basically lived at the pool.

I don't think it's trashy at all; if I associate it with anything it's Amish, because nowadays that's where you see the laundry outside.
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post #19 of 117
5/5/08 at 5:47pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by GoldenKitty45 View Post
I guess its more of when you drive thru developments and see a bunch of clothes hanging out to dry - it doesn't look nice. Granted not everyone has a washer/dryer, but if you do, you should be using it.

Housing developments want a neat tidy area for people. Its kinda like a person who keeps a bunch of junk in the backyard or rusted car. It doesn't make a nice appearance.

And the places that still do it are usually the trailer parks (not the nice ones) or old houses. Where we lived, there was a time we drove to the post office - one of the houses on the block had her underwear hanging out on the front sidewalk to her house........not a pretty sight!


Now when we lived on the farm, we did hang some stuff in the back - like shirts or towels. I found that without the dryer sheets (we don't use softener in the wash) the towels were very stiff and scratchy feeling when hung out to dry. With the dryer sheet they were always nice and fluffy and clean smelling.
I have a dryer and washer that works just fine. Don't intend to use the dryer again for quite a while. And because I live in the south I am looking into drying in the winter as well and just using the dryer for under 5 mins just to loosen up the winter dried clothes. I simply can not afford to run the dryer and if I could find an easier way to wash clothes by hand I would not use the washer as well. With the price of food going up, electric going up, gas going up I have to cut costs somewhere and for us thats the dryer, AC, fewer trips into town, and hot water heater only on when needed (a few hours at night).

LOL I live in a trailer park and out of 5 trailers and 1 house here only 2 trailers do not have a line of some sort. And thats because they are fixing to move.

On the dryer sheets and/ fabric softner I never really used sheets. I did vinegar for a bit but found it not to be effective for me. So I looked and found a hypoallergenic, non scented, eco friendly, not tested on animals liquid softner and it works good. Also I found making sure to snap the clothes real well before going on the line and coming off they are not as stiff. But frankly no one really complains about the stiffness when we are saving money.

Right now my little meter is barely moving because I keep so much turned off now. And things like the AC is only ran for 1 hour at night during off peak hours, all lights off, washer used only in early morning during off peak hours, no tv on etc. Its really helped. For cooling during the day I run 2 floor fans, open a few windows and run 2 window fans.
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post #20 of 117
5/5/08 at 5:49pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Zissou'sMom View Post
We had this sweet thing at my parent's house, there was a cemented/pipe hole in the ground, and this big clothes tree that you screwed into it shaped like an octagon with like six lines all around. If I had one of those I would use it;
If you look a few posts up I linked one I am about to buy. Its not octagon but from what I read this is better. Its a bit pricey but I just think of the savings.
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post #21 of 117
5/5/08 at 5:58pm
We've always lived in a city where clotheslines were not allowed. We moved to our current house and there was this lovely long clothesline. I couldn't wait to do laundry. Unfortunately the pole was on the lot behind us because the fellow who sold this house severed the lot behind us before selling. For about a year there was no house there so we just left the line up. Then when the lot was sold and a house was going to be erected, we had to move the pole. Fortunately the bulldozer fellows got the pole out for us so now I'm just waiting for hubby to put it up on our property so I can hang my clothes outside again. I love the smell, I love energy savings and I also love to see other folks with their lovely laundry flapping in the wind. AND, none of us are white trash. Just a lovely middle income family residential area.
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post #22 of 117
5/5/08 at 6:10pm
Banning of clothes lines?? How stupid, what will they think of next??!!!! That's one reason why I would never live in an area with a HOA. Hanging your clothes out to dry is much better for your clothes, they last longer and as stated, it is better for the environment. I live in an area with a lot of Amish people, so you see a lot of clothes being hung out to dry, even in the middle of winter. People have way to much time on their hands if they can't think of anything else, than to call for a ban on clothes lines
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post #23 of 117
5/5/08 at 6:17pm
Line drying clothes is a fairly common practice in Europe, especially Germany. It is widely accepted and never looks trashy.

Not only do they save money on drying, but it smells refreshing. However, this is also a country that hangs featherbeds over an open window to air out also.

My point being is I think a lot depends on where it is being done and if people accept it or not.

I have never had any issues with it. I think my aunt may only dry certain things like jeans because it is easier that way.
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post #24 of 117
5/5/08 at 6:39pm
We line dry from Spring to late Fall every year. We live in the country so unless a low flying plane goes over the house, nobody sees what's on the line so I hang everything. I used to have a wringer washer for outside, too, so I would even wash laundry by hand and save more.
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post #25 of 117
5/5/08 at 6:45pm
If I had a balcony or a back yard, I would be line drying my laundry in the summer.

I remember as a kid that my mom used to line dry even in the dead of winter. I didn't think it was possible for sheets to dry outside when frozen, but they sure did.

I think a problem with line drying in the city now would be the vandalism. With the crime rates the way they are, and the fact that so many kids are just hooligans these days, your laundry would either be stolen, thrown to the grown, trashed or ripped up.
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post #26 of 117
5/5/08 at 6:50pm
I live in a 15 foot wide rowhouse in Baltimore with a postage stamp backyard, and I don't have room for a clothesline. I bought large drying racks and my clothes get hung dry whenever it is nice enough to do it. It saves energy, period. I resent the fact that someone said it looks trashy to do that in a city. What is trashy about using less energy? I put my underwear on the inside of the drying rack, so no one has to see it. We live as green and as cheaply as possible. Using the sun and wind instead of electricity and gas is not trashy or sloppy. It's common sense.

BTW- for anyone who does line dry, I found that using detergent with fabric softener in it really cuts down on the stiff feel of the clothes.
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post #27 of 117
5/5/08 at 7:03pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Eliot'sMom View Post

BTW- for anyone who does line dry, I found that using detergent with fabric softener in it really cuts down on the stiff feel of the clothes.
If I could find a dry detergent like that I would be all over it. But as usual now a days the price of the liquid kept going up and the amount of loads went down. So I had to go back to dry powder. Now I use a bit less then the box says and put it into the water and let it fill a bit before putting clothes in.

[ot]
Speaking of that I am about to be on the market for a new laundry soap. I think I have developed an allergy to Tide (this started before line drying). Does anyone know of a good non scented soap(powder) that gets close to 120 loads per box. Oh and that you can get at a super market.
[/ot]
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post #28 of 117
5/5/08 at 7:23pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by AmberThe Bobcat View Post
Banning of clothes lines?? How stupid, what will they think of next??!!!! That's one reason why I would never live in an area with a HOA.
don't get me started on HOAs... my brother & his family live in a gated community w/a HOA & theirs might as well be called a NHOA [the N being for Nazi!].
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post #29 of 117
5/5/08 at 7:26pm
I think line drying is a great, environmentally friendly idea. I do have to ask though, what is HOA?
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post #30 of 117
5/5/08 at 7:32pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jen View Post
I think line drying is a great, environmentally friendly idea. I do have to ask though, what is HOA?
Home Owners Association - basically, a group of your neighbors who can make rules you have to follow in order to live in the community.
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