I have some friends back in New England that actually run clothes line in their basement and hang all their laundry all winter long there. They are completely convinced this is a benefit for one reason or another. Some conservationists think it is an essential way to "save the earth".
My brother-in-law is dead set against any laundry hanging out on the line. He thinks it makes your house look like a ghetto apartment. Now that we live out in the middle of no where without anyone driving by the house that isn't a real issue for me.
It does offer a schedule on the laundry chore. Instead of it being an interruption in the schedule of the day to stop and fold laundry when the dryer rings, the laundry gets hung first thing in the morning and taken down later in the day before dark.
Weigh in with your thoughts.
Well, I can't offer any input as far as the financial benefits of hanging out laundry on a line since I haven't done the research and I'm sure with the energy star appliances they make these days, there are areasonable arguments for both sides. In my humble opinion (although I can't always put it into practice due to cold New England weather)there is something to be said for hanging out laundry. As a person who is all for keeping up as much old fashioned tradition as possible and deviating from the contemporary "instant gratification" mindset, I say, if you have the time, the space and the lack of judgemental drivers by, go for it! On the other hand, there is something to be said for the soft feeling of towels fresh out of the dryer. But, do what makes you and your family most happy. (Which obviously, you always do) <3
ReplyDeleteMy family has been hanging clothes on the line for a little over a year. My initial goal was to cut our monthly electric bill.
ReplyDeleteThe first month, we began two weeks into our billing cycle. My husband reluctantly hung one line in the garage (my dogs would have a field day with the clothes in the backyard). We saved about $50. I am almost 100% certain the savings were due primarily to not using a dryer as this was the only major change I made that month. With two teenagers and two adults in the house, we wash a lot of laundry each week.
Excited after saving $50, we added a second line so we could hang more laundry. We saved a total of $100 on the bill that month. I was hooked.
Sure, my family complained about the stiff jeans and towels, but we learned to shake things out both before hanging stuff on the line and after removing items.
I also learned to leave the side door open along with the main garage door to allow the breeze to flow through the garage. This speeds drying time.
Winter has posed a challenge, but we've learned to allow an extra day for drying.
I've grown to enjoy the quiet time I have while dealing with the clothes. The kids don't complain anymore, and my husband will even help out.
It's a win-win situation.