Does anyone else line dry their laundry?

jessy

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Originally Posted by calico2222

My second apartment didn't have a laundry room, so I splurged and got a used washer but couldn't afford a dryer. You could always tell when it was laundry day because clothes were hanging off anything available..even the ceiling fan (turned off, of course!).
This really made me laugh as I don't have a drier, so I use an airer, which has been outside all afternoon, but I've just done another load of washing, and have no space left on the airer to hang it, so have been hanging things all around my bedroom, even off the ends of the curtain rail
I wish I had a ceiling fan to hang my smalls on, that would be entertaining to my b/f and my (male) housemate!
 

zoeysmom

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I hang dry all the shirts indoors, as I find they lose their shape/shrink in the dryer. Our laundry room is long (as long as a washer/dryer/laundry tub and narrow, but I was able to fit in two of the small acordian dryers as well as a higher closet shelf that I can hang hangers from. I'm far too lazy to take any of it outside, but perhaps when we get a house we'll have space for an umbrella hanger and I can hang a bit more. I use the dryer for jeans, as they are too heavy for the racks, and towels/sheets.

Growing up, the washer/dryer were in the unfinished basement. We always had piles of clothes hanging from the joists to dry in the winter. In the summer, clothes were hung outside.

My grandma used to hang out all seasons...including the very cold north-eastern Ontario weather.

Chris, I'm pretty sure Ontario made the anti-clothes line by-laws illegal. Not sure if there is a "phasing out" period, though.
 

jennyr

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A clothes dryer is the most expensive electrical appliance you can use. It can double your electric bills. I only use a dryer when there is no other way, and I love the smell and softness of wind dried dried laundry too. But I live on top of a hill and the wind goes straight through everything.
 

jcat

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I line dry sheets, summer clothes (100% cotton) and delicates, but everything else goes in the dryer. We have clotheslines in the backyard and in the laundry room, so aren't too dependent on the weather.
 

binkyhoo

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Originally Posted by mrblanche

Line drying is against the regulations of most newer neighborhoods in the U.S. Which is a pity; it could save some significant energy.
I used to love line drying. Every thing smells so good. Here too we are not allowed to hang laundry.
 

littleraven7726

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I was until I broke my foot in July.
Hopefully I will be able to again next week. We have nice old clotheslines in the backyard (the house was built in 1932). And the previous owners put lines up across the basement, which I do use fairly often.

When I started hanging laundry outside this spring, I learned I had more lines than pins, so I bought 2 extra packs of wood clothespins from Menard's. I love the smell of sheets that have been hanging outside to dry.
 

lilblu

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We stopped drying clothes outside about 15 years ago. There's too many allergens that can get in the clothes and then be dropped around the house. There's tree pollen, grass pollen, ragweed pollen and mold. Then there's the risk of getting spiders and fleas in the clothes. I'm not allergic but some of my family members are and have had allergy attacks from getting pollen in their clothes. Then I worry about the cats that have herpes virus. I don't want to bring anything in the house that may cause a flare-up.
 

snake_lady

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Originally Posted by zoeysmom

Chris, I'm pretty sure Ontario made the anti-clothes line by-laws illegal. Not sure if there is a "phasing out" period, though.
Thx


I knew I heard something bout it.

Wish it would have come prior to my injuries though.... Right now unfortunately it wouldn't get used
 

gailc

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I use my outdoor lines all 4 of them or about 3 wash loads from about April till October.
When the temps are in the lowers 50's the clothes don't really air dry that well.
Some summer days when I go to hang the 2nd load some of the first is already dry!!

In the winter I have a clothes rack that I wheel close to the wood stove to dry shirts and pants. Using perhaps the dryer only once/week.

I find it ridiculous that one can't do want they want in their own yard-perhaps the HOA should pay for the increased electric bills!!
 

trillcat

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Originally Posted by WellingtonCats

I think it's absolutely rediculous for places to ban clothes lines.


90% of my clothes are dried on lines - inside & outside.
I agree, what a silly rule!
Is the HOA opinion that it does not look nice or something? I really dont understand the logic there. To my mind clothes hanging out, sheets blowing in the breeze are all part of summer days.
But I guess for some HOA everything must be cut from cookie cutters, everything exactly the same, no deviation from their odd rules.
Some people need to focus on better things in life, like the nice fresh smell of laundry on the line, kids playing in the sheets, (we made them into tents, much to my mothers dismay, lol)
 

snake_lady

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Originally Posted by WellingtonCats

I think it's absolutely rediculous for places to ban clothes lines.


90% of my clothes are dried on lines - inside & outside.
Originally Posted by Trillcat

I agree, what a silly rule!
Is the HOA opinion that it does not look nice or something?
I agree 100%.

Unfortunately, in some places, they just aren't "up with the times" and indeed the hanging laundry bylaws are due to aesthetics.

People don't wanna see other peoples undies, etc.

It goes into the whole "prude", what's acceptable and what's not.

Hanging undies rate up there with female breasts.... looked at by some as "mean to be private" and looked at by others as a piece of clothing and a means to feed a baby.

I do know that some places are finally seeing the light, and "going green" and ignoring the aesthetics.

Personally, I don't like hanging undies and socks.... Not because I'm bashful (far from it actually), but because they are so small and a PITA to hang.... so when I did line hang, the socks and undies went in the dryer with towels that were half line dried.

IMHO.....if ya don't like seeing other peoples undergarments, then don't look
 

nes

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Yes HOA were complaining it made places look trashy. Anyone in the states having an issue (or other places in Canada) go to your local government and tell them how ridiculous it is. It's something politicians really like to get behind these days because it's easy legislation and makes them look good on the environment and saving energy
.


I LOVE MY LAUNDRY LINE!!!!!!!

I grew up with nothing but a dryer, but I am in complete love with my laundry line & use it from April - September. If fact we vent our dryer into the house (long story) so it's quite painful to use it in the summer. If I have to fluff up some sheets they get 10-15 minutes late at night. I do use my dryer in the fall/winter because of it venting indoors it humidifies and warms the house so it's doing double-duty.

One great advantage of line drying is I can put all (ahem) undies and cloth diapers facing into the sun which helps to kill off any bateria. Works great with the dog blankets too!

I've never really had much of an issue with stiff clothes, but you do have to use a little less soap (or an extra rinse) when you're line drying, which makes me happier anyway!

I've become so obsessed with my laundry I started making my own laundry soap too
It's so much nicer!!! It works very well, gets out the many stains a toddler, horsey-mom and electrician-dad can cause! Plus it doesn't SMELL. I hate perfumey fake flowery smells they cram into everything these days.

Anyone looking for clothes pins we got some great ones at the dollar store, I use the plastic ones on jeans since they won't pucker the denim. My absolute favourites though are some bamboo ones I got from Home Hardware, they've lasted forever & are super strong!

For anyone who wants to learn about how to line dry I found this:

I space my clothes out more because I'm home all day so I might do 2 or 3 loads on the line in one day; but if you've got a long-line or aren't home, scrunching them up really saves space!

Some people complain their clothes fade in the sun but I found using cold water to wash clothes makes a HUGE difference in keeping their colours. You can also turn thing inside-out to dry them if it's a big problem. However, I've never noticed a fading issue.
 

gfygrl71

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Oh yes I hang out my laundry, the only problem though is my boxer LOVES to take the towels off the line and roll in them..
...I LOVE MY CLOTHESLINE....
 

jcat

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Originally Posted by gfygrl71

Oh yes I hang out my laundry, the only problem though is my boxer LOVES to take the towels off the line and roll in them..
...I LOVE MY CLOTHESLINE....
It must be a Boxer thing. We had one who always went for the smallest things on the line - underpants, socks, washcloths, bras, etc.. The higher up, the better.
 

yosemite

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I would love to - if only I could get hubby to get the pole up so we could hook the line back up.


Incidentally it was not just HOA's in Canada that prohibited line drying, it was whole urban communities because of the aesthetics. Fortunately Ontario now has changed that but you still don't see many folks line-drying. Too bad really.
 

jillian

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We have a retractable indoor clothesline and two drying racks. I've been drying everything but towels, underwear, socks, and Jude's diaper inserts for a while now.
 

wellingtoncats

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I was tired last night so excuse my spelling errors and blunt attitude.


I think that washing on the line looks great and it's FREE. The small cost of pegs and it's great exercise. I have my washing on the step and with each item I run back and get it. Yup I'm weird.

We do have a dryer but I live with lazy students - and the dryer goes away September-April in the garage, out of use.
 
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