Eco-Friendly Laundry Drying

Perfectly Green Laundry Drying

Line drying laundry is ‘fashionable’ again!  More people than ever are returning to the tried-and-trusted combination of sun, wind, and clothesline to dry their clothing and linens.

Of course, electric clothes dryers aren’t going to disappear anytime soon. But apparently, green laundry drying is popular among celebrities, which for once is a good thing.

Hanging your laundry out to dry (green laundry drying) instead of firing up your dryer –

• reduces your electric or gas bill (you save money),
• reduces your demand for energy,
• helps your clothing and linens last longer by eliminating some wear and tear on the fabric (saving you more money),
• is a great excuse to get outside,
• and gives your fabrics that natural, fresh outdoor smell (no need to use artificial, chemical fragrances).

Now is a great time to start with green laundry drying.   Of course, line drying depends upon the weather.  But even if you don’t hang every wash load, each time you do, you save yourself money and help to protect the environment.

Many people love hanging clothes outdoors, feeling the warm sun and gentle breeze as they clip their green laundry onto the lines.

Even if you live in an apartment and only have a balcony, you can still use a drying rack to dry your clothes naturally and be green.

If you have a basement, you can dry your clothes there, especially during winter if your climate isn’t suited to winter drying outside.

(Just be aware that some apartment complexes and other areas may not allow you to dry clothes outside – check first).

Your clothes will definitely dry on the line, but there are a few little tricks to line drying that will make the process run even more smoothly.

First, ensure a good setup.  Then wash correctly and use my hanging tips below to get the best results.

Setup

If you have the space for a drying line outside, it’s simple to organise.  All you need is a length of clean, strong rope that you can tie between two trees or poles.  (You can get fancy if you wish by adding a tightener from a hardware store which will take up any slack if the line sags over time).  Hang your line high enough so that heavy laundry won’t brush the ground. Pick a site where no one will run into the drying laundry and also consider how far you will need to carry your laundry. Avoid putting your line under trees that drip sap or where birds tend to perch.

You can also buy retractable clothes lines – some of them work outside too.

Green laundry drying needs pegs – I prefer the pegs with spring clips (I find the cheaper ones break easily).  Keep them in a portable container that you can hang on the line while pinning up your laundry, and store them inside when you’re not using them.  You can get attractive peg bags made from organic cotton or recycled denim, or re-use an old plastic jug (if the handle is D-shaped, cut off the bottom of the handle to make a hanging hook and cut away some of the jug’s top for easy access to your clothespins inside).  Now you’re all set for natural drying!

Preparation

Some people find that line drying results in “stiff” clothing.  No problem!  Simply add white vinegar to the fabric softener dispenser in your washer.  (Don’t worry about any vinegar smell — it disappears as the clothing dries).  If you still find some of your laundry too stiff, dry everything on the line and then toss problem items into the dryer for a few minutes—set on air fluff—with a couple of clean tennis balls or sneakers to soften them.

If you want to speed up the drying process, you can run your laundry through an extra spin cycle in your washer.   Offset this extra energy use by reducing the spin time and letting the clothes hang outside longer when you have plenty of drying time.

Hanging Tips for Laundry Drying

1. Allow plenty of space – crowding results in wrinkling and a longer drying time.
2. Don’t fold items in half over the line – they will take longer to dry.  Instead, clip either the top or bottom to the line, and let the rest hang free to catch the breeze. Opinions vary, but I prefer to hang clothes by the hemline rather than the shoulders to prevent bunching there.
3. Give each item a good snap before hanging, to minimise wrinkles.
4. Hang small, thin items like dress socks together in pairs to save on pins and space.
5. Overlap the corners of larger items so one pin can hold both.
6. On windy days, use extra clips to make sure that everything is especially secure.
7. Sunshine naturally gets rids rid of odours and can help to bleach out stains.
8. Be aware though sunlight can also fade some delicate clothing – so simply hang it inside-out, preferably in the shade, or else bring those articles in as soon as they are dry. Delicate clothing might also show puckers from the pegs, so just hang them on coat hangers which you then put on the line.

In-Between Freshening

If you have an item that you’ve worn, but isn’t exactly dirty, go ahead and hang it out on the line to let it air out. If you wish, make a natural spray from a few drops of lavender essential oil mixed with filtered water, spritz the item, and let it dry. You save energy on both washing and drying!

Weather

Line drying does require some weather awareness and forward planning.  A covered outdoor area such as a porch or balcony will expand your options.  Drying clothes naturally in humid conditions is a slow process, but if it’s dry then drying clothes indoors can be a moisture boost.

If you have a basement, you could put wash lines for winter use, and use a box fan to move air gently through the laundry to speed up the drying process. In spring and fall / autumn, you can hang the laundry outside on cold days; perhaps wear a thin pair of gloves to keep your hands warm while handling the wet items.

Laundry drying by line drying is effective and eco-friendly – maybe even enjoyable!  I hope these tips help to make it a little simpler.