If I had to pick a favorite chore,
laundry would be it. Not so much the washing part, but
the hanging it on the line part.
For me it is very relaxing and rewarding. Watching
the items blow in the breeze is very soothing to me.
I have put together a few tips and few reasons why
you should try line drying…..
25 Tips
- It saves money and who isn’t interested in that? Dryers use more electricity than any other appliance.
- No need for fabric softener a stiff breeze will leave the clothes soft and whip the wrinkles right.
- Your clothes will smell great, nothing smells better than line dried clothes. It’s the smell of sunshine.
- The sun sanitizes clothes getting rid of any unwanted odors.
- The sun is natural bleach and will keep your whites looking bright.
- If you are worried about dark colored clothes fading, try drying them under a shaded area or a covered porch.
- If you don’t have a covered area to hang colors, try turning them inside out, this will help from color fading.
- You may just find hanging out the laundry is very therapeutic.
- Hang your shirts on hangers (no wire hangers, or your clothes will rust) and then on the line. One less step you will need to do when taking care of them.
- Use a scoop of baking soda in loads with heavy odors.
- You will need to watch the weather, it does dictate when you can do laundry.
- Giving the clothes a stiff shake before hanging will eliminate wrinkles, or use a cup of vinegar in rinse cycle.
- Start your laundry early in the morning to make sure everything has time to dry.
- Hang your clothes in an organized manor. All jeans together and so on, it will make it quicker to take things off the line and get them to the right spot in the closet.
- Wash heavy clothes first, such as jeans, to allow for longer dry times.
- Your clothes will dry even if it is cold outside, they may just take a longer.
- Do not wait until everything in your closet is dirty, do laundry when you have a full load.
- Don’t hang your line under a tree. Birds love to sit in trees, and they will definitely poop on your clean clothes.
- Sheets can be folded in half to take up less space on the line, and will still dry quickly.
- You can dry your clothes inside in the winter by using a drying rack.
- In winter hang your shirts on hangers and utilize your shower curtain rod.
- You wet clothes in winter will add moisture to the dry air and your clothes will dry within 10-12 hours.
- You can also put your clothes in the dryer for 3-5 minutes to speed up the line drying process. This will also pull any lint from your clothes
- If you are under HOA restrictions, many hang a line inside there garage, pull the car out, and open the door halfway. Your clothes will dry and no one will be the wiser to what you are doing.
- Try your hand at making your own EcoFriendly laundry soap.
I hang my colors under my covered porch from my swing frame.
That way things don’t fade from the sun.
Hope you learned some new tips, I’m
off to do a load.
I’m raising my hand too Dawn, its one of my favorite summer treats, I know the neighbors think I’m crazy but I just love watching the sheets billowing in the back yard.
Ohhhh love the smell of line fresh clothes. This brings back memories of hanging our clothes on the line to dry.
Kris
My favorite thing to do. I have a line full right now!!! Don’t they smell fabulous!!!
Your yellow sheets look so pretty. Just think how they will feel and smell when you slip into them!
I used to love playing hide-and-seek with my twin sister, among my mom’s hanging laundry. Sweet memories.
Me too Dayle!! CCC makes me want to go and do some laundry! 🙂
I missed this post. I LOVE hanging my clothes out too! I get up early, and do all the washing. Usually it is all dry and in the house by 2 or 3. I love, love, love to do all of my laundry out on the lines. It is very soothing to me as well!!!
xo Kris
Great post, you truly make me want to do laundry.
Cannot beat the smell of bedding dried on the line! Freshest most wonderful scent in the world…
I love hanging clothes outside, too! You have some really good tips. I remember when I was in college, being embarrassed when some friends came home with me and I had underwear hanging off my kitchen curtain rods !! Good times!
Blessings,
Susie
I hang most of MY clothes to dry in the garage or the bathroom. I think I need to put a line across the yard and line dry them. I hated be the one to hang them as a child, but I can see it being totally therapeutic.
And if I had the lovely linens you showed fluttering in the wind, I would be a happy laundress.
ok, I’ve gotten a little lazy on this line-drying thing 😉 But, you’re talking me into it again. I do enjoy it actually – just “finding the time” – or so it seems. Love the tips you gave, especially to organize them on the line. Thanks so much for always inspiring me! -Tammy
My mom use to do this. It’s so hot here that the clothes would be dry on one end of the line before she reached the end.
I too enjoy my clothesline and find it relaxing. Not too many people hang wash outside anymore — but I love it too! Thanks for your tips!
Donna, I love hanging clothes out. I live in the country and it’s something most people do near me 🙂 I do believe overall it’s something most don’t do.
i thought I was the only one that felt good hanging out laundry. Always get compliments on the fresh scent it leaves
My husband worries about allergies and refuses to let me hang anything on the line
I love hanging my clothes outside! I even love it when the weather starts to turn and I have to run outside with the wind blowing and the dark clouds looming near. It feels like I’m in an epic movie! It’s a great experience all around.
Hang them in the garage!! Thank you! I’m having a “why didn’t I think of that” moment. I have a weird backyard, and it’s inconvenient to get from my laundry room to my backyard. But my garage is right off my laundry room *and* it’s a lot more bug-free than my southern backyard.
Seriously– thank you so much for making me *think*!
Lori, don’t you just love it when a brilliant moment happens 🙂
Hello! This post couldn’t be written any better! Reading through this post reminds me of my old room mate! He always kept chatting about this. I will forward this write-up to him. Fairly certain he will have a good read. Thank you for sharing!|
Another bonus you forgot to mention is that it makes your towels and face cloths more absorbent!
My mom taught me to hang my clothes out by size… so your pants go out first, and your underwear last as an example. That way you have a tidy line as well as being thoughtful of drying times. For some reason to this day it irks me to no end to have a messy line hung out. (Mind you, I’m only 35…but that gives me 30 years experience)
Brandy, great tip. I do our laundry by person and do hang like items next to each other on the line, anything that saves times.