5 Reasons to Line Dry Your Clothes

There is nothing like the smell of fresh laundry that has been dried on the line. It often makes me think of my childhood. We could not afford a dryer so all of our clothes were dried outside unless it was the dead of winter; then the clothes were hung in the furnace room to dry. The fresh smell in the clothes, towels, and sheets was carried in the house. To me, this smell represents clean. The kind of clean you get when you spend time in nature, and somehow that smell relates to comfort.

No matter what your reason for air drying your clothes, it's a good practice and I've listed 5 reasons to motivate you to step away from the dryer.

Energy Savings - the most obvious, but very true. By not drying your clothes in the dryer you can save up to $100 a year on your electric bill. Every little bit counts especially during the summer when the expense of air conditioning is high.

Wear and tear on clothes - A dryer not only fades colors, but can cause stress on the fibers causing them to breakdown quicker. The life of your clothes is shortened. Recently, the price of cotton has gone up. Manufacturers will soon be passing off that cost to the consumer. Making your clothes last longer will soon be a reality. Air drying them can increase their life span.

Natural Bleach - Use the power of the sun to bleach and disinfect your whites and light colors. (Hint: I also put my pillows out in the sun every so often to kill dust mites). I wouldn't recommend putting dark clothes directly in the sun, but they can still dry outdoors in the shade.

Noiseless - Dryers make a lot of noise. When you'd rather be listening to your children laugh, the birds outside, or the general peace and quiet, air drying your clothes provides this benefit.

Green Practice - Line drying is one more step in leading a 4(for) green acres lifestyle, and every little step counts.


image: via Amanda Wright on The Wright Homestead