A Mother's Shade of Green: The Best Reasons to Line Dry your Clothes

By: Kate Agliata

Modern household appliances are truly some of the world’s greatest inventions. They keep our food cold, cook and heat our meals, clean our dishes, and wash and dry our clothes. Clothes dryers in particular, provide us with fantastic convenience, which tends to make our lives all that much simpler. Yet, at the same time, they also contribute to large electricity bills, and they’re not always dependable. Line drying your clothes is a great alternative while also providing many benefits of it’s own.

1. It saves money

With hot summer temperatures reaching their peak, we could all use a break from the staggering figure of our electric bill. With small children at home, loads of laundry can’t help but pile up. Running the dryer every day uses a lot of electricity, in fact, almost more than any other household appliance. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, the average household dryer use contributes to about six percent of a homeowners annual electricity consumption. Nixing the dryer all together, and line drying your clothes has the very real potential to save you a small fortune.

2. Uses less chemicals

Trying to remove the unending supply of stains from our children’s clothes can sometimes feel like a nightmare. We buy stain removers, bleach and any other product that entices us with it’s seemingly super powers. Yet, right outside you’ll find a natural remedy, complete with awesome whitening powers of it’s own. By hanging your wet white clothes out to dry, the sunlight helps stains fade naturally. It especially works wonders on baby clothes, cloth diapers, and burp cloths. Line drying your clothes also prevents the need for dryer sheets, which typically host an unbelievable amount of scary chemicals.

3. Gentler on your clothes

Have you ever wondered about all of that lint that gets collected in your dryer’s vent? Well simply put, that is little bits of pieces of fabric from your clothes as they slowly break down in your dryer. Sure the dryer helps to make your clothes soft, but is it really worth having them literally fall apart sooner? If you just can’t live without that added softness, toss your line dried clothes into the dryer for about 5-10 minutes.

4. Ahhhh, it makes your clothes smell good. Really good!

Yes, it’s true! Line drying your clothes does make them smell really good. There is just something about clothes that have been hung out to dry in the warm sunshine and gentle breeze. There is a difference, you’ll see what I mean.

5. It provides mindless downtime

I know it sounds strange, but for me, hanging clothes offers me the chance to take a mental break. Whether you work outside the home or not, being a parent on top of it all can be a stressful endeavor. Most of the time I am always searching for better ways to multi-task. Standing outside to hang our clothes allows gives me an excuse to let my mind relax. I can watch the kids play, or even daydream for a bit.

About Kate:

Kate, a freelance writer and mother of two, most often finds creative inspiration in writing, but occasionally at the bottom of an empty wine glass. She has hijacked her family’s former lifestyle and is in the midst of creating a simpler and greener approach to life. To follow her family’s challenges and successes in this endeavor, visit her blog, at Kate’s Musings. She and her family have lived in Birmingham since 2009.