Dry Clothes Outside

There is absolutely nothing better than the sweet smell of sun dried clothing fresh off the clothesline. And what's more, this "solar dryer" will also help you save money and energy!

Steps

  1. Have a suitable place to dry laundry outdoors. In some places, clotheslines are forbidden, from balconies to backyards, because the sight of clothes hanging out to dry is considered "unsightly" and liable to bring down property prices. So, you'll need to know the local rules first, including that of the local homeowner's association. If you live in an area where this is an issue, you might like to join the increasing clamor for relaxation of such rules so that you can save money and Efficient Energy Use too.
  2. Understand the benefits of drying your clothes outdoors. There are a number of great benefits to drying clothes outdoors, as listed here:
    • Your clothes, linens, and other fabric items will smell fresh.
    • Sunlight is a natural sanitizing and bleaching agent.[1] It's perfect for killing insects, bacteria, and other germs.
    • Clotheslines only need energy when they're manufactured. Dryers use energy every single time they're used. The savings to you of using a clothesline is about US$120 per year (based on usage of an electric dryer with 400 yearly loads).[2]
    • Line drying is kinder to your clothes than the dryer; clothes last longer the more they're kept out of the dryer. Line drying is also better for items with printed elements, such as t-shirts. And if you wonder why the elastic in your socks and panties is disappearing fast, blame the dryer...
    • If you're already buying and using eco-friendly washing products, what is the point of then using an energy-guzzling dryer? Extend your convictions to the drying cycle too!
    • Line drying keeps Get Moisture out of a Headlight outdoors. Sure, you can vent the dryer outdoors (and hopefully you are!) and you can even get dryers that collect moisture. But all this has an energy-intensive cost, one that hanging outdoors gets rid of totally!
    • It's a great form of exercise; you might even discover your arm muscles are in need of some stretching!
    • It can be a source of Take Pride in Being a Perfectionist and enjoyment. In the old days, housewives took great pride on how neatly they could hang up clothing. It is still a good idea to hang clothing neatly on the line as this can help prevent wrinkling which means less ironing.
    • It's fun as well as rewarding. Getting outdoors even if it's only to hang the clothes can be a way to avoid or dig your way out of depression, so treasure this activity as a "must-do" that gets you some sunshine, kisses from the breeze, and much-needed movement.
    • You'll start noticing the sunny days in between the rainy ones more. They're your "washing days"!
    • Clotheslines don't tend to spontaneously combust no matter how much you mistreat them. Dryers can cause fires if poorly maintained, accounting for 15 deaths a year, 360 injuries a year, and 17,700 structure fires a year!
  3. Install a clothesline. This can be as simple as a cord you put up yourself. These days, there are excellent foldaway rack options available made from lovely new materials that won't snag your clothes. There are also retractable clotheslines, freestanding-frame rotary (umbrella) clotheslines, and pulley clotheslines for loading clothes from a fixed location.[2] And while a retractable or foldaway clothesline might be more convenient, the old-fashioned clothesline hung between two wooden posts or other convenient places (a T-pole design) works just as well if you can't afford a new clothesline. Nylon rope works very well, but anything - even spare telephone wire - will do, as long as you cover any sharp wire ends with duct tape or similar, to avoid catching the clothes.
    • Buy a quality clothesline apparatus if you're purchasing one. It'll last longer and therefore justifies its manufacture over the more flimsy versions. Australian and New Zealand brand clotheslines are a good choice because hanging clothes on the line has never gone out of fashion in these two countries, and they've continued to develop clotheslines over the decades, to reflect modernized tastes and needs.
    • It's also a good idea to buy a clothes horse. This can be used for a variety of delicate clothing items or for small loads that you'd like to place just outside the door, on a porch (with a waterproof floor), or to catch an unusual patch of sunshine in your yard that might not be big enough for the clothesline. If there is a child around, as there may well be considering these are perfect for diapers, get one with safely-spaced rods instead of potentially dangerous strings. The clothes horse has the benefit of being portable, so you can even "chase the sun" if you like as the shadows move around your yard and house!
  4. Purchase clothespins. The old-fashioned wooden clothespin, which is harder to find nowadays, is shaped like a prong. The modern clothespin is a clip type. Also, pins are available in metal and plastic as well as wood. Stainless steel pins will last much longer then either wood or plastic; the best of these can easily secure bedding and other heavy items and they won’t rust or decay. While the wooden ones usually last longer than plastic, they can catch on clothing and can become damp and mildewed in contact with wet clothing, so be sure to check for good quality ones and allow them to dry prior to storage if they get wet. Yet, provided the clothespins are in good condition, all types are fine and it just depends on what you prefer and what's available.
    • The best stainless steel clothespins can be found on Amazon.com as Extreme Pegs.
    • Stainless steel and the old-fashioned wooden push-down clothespins are ideal for sheets, towels, play clothes, and any other items that won't pull out of shape or stretch.[8][3]
    • Stainless steel or plastic clip-on pins are best for underwear, t-shirts, knit dresses, knits, and stretch wear.[4]
    • Don't leave plastic or wooden clothespins sitting on the clothesline. They will deteriorate rapidly in the elements, and your clothes will risk being Remove an Iodine Stain or ripped by them as a result. Keep a clothespin container in the laundry, an old tissue box works great for these. An other option is to put them in a bag which can hang over your shoulder. You'll never have to bend to get the pins!
  5. Know what can be hung on the clothesline. Not all garments or fabrics should hang on the outside line, as some could be damaged. Items that stretch when wet such as wool and loosely knitted garments should be dried flat on a sweater drying rack. This can still be placed outside, perhaps on a table or other clean surface. Some items might not look as good after line drying, such as Keep Flannelette Sheets Free of Fluff, terry cloth, chenille, and napped or pile fabrics,[5] but it pays to test each item rather than assume the item won't look good, as most fabrics will line dry fine.
    • Sleeping bags and duvets don't always dry so well on the clothesline because the down can drop to one end. To avoid this, hang them across several lines, as if they were like a tablecloth covering a table. This will evenly distribute the weight.
    • Flat dry delicates rather than hanging them on the clothesline. And naturally, if the care label says not to dry in direct sunlight, hang the item over the clothes horse in the shade or indoors instead.
    • Many people grumble about the stiffness of towels after a dry outside. While that probably says more about how "soft" we've become over the years, there are some things you can do to decrease the stiffness. Towels that dry faster on the line can feel softer, such as hanging them out on a windy, warm sunny day, or you could even compromise and give them a quick 5 minute tumble in the dryer before hanging them up or after bringing them in off the line. Adding vinegar to the rinse cycle might also help to reduce towel stiffness. Or, just get used to it; yes, the towels can feel stiff but notice how quickly they soften after a few dries and compare the stiffness to the wonderful clean, fresh smell of a towel – indeed, skip the Make an Exfoliator With Fruit Seeds and use your towel instead! And check out the softening advice below when hanging the towel on the clothesline.
  6. Choose good drying weather. If it's possible, hang your clothes and other items on the line when the weather is Survive a Stretch of Sunny, Dry Weather, warm and dry, with a moderate breeze. This is the best drying weather of all, as the breeze will "iron out" the wrinkles for you and speed up drying time.[5] However, clothes will dry in a variety of weather types and even in the shade. Cold weather drying does require that you put the clothes out first thing in the morning and collect them before the evening dampness moves in. Never store clothing that is damp, as doing so risks growing mildew.
    • It is more important to have a good breeze than it is to have direct sunlight.
    • Avoid hanging clothes out on extremely windy days. Unless you'd like to find your sheets and Buy Panties in your neighbor's yard... A very windy day is hard on clothes in the same way that a dryer is hard on clothes, and there is an increased risk of clothes catching on wire, plants, and anything else abutting the clothesline and ripping.
    • Don't hang clothes out when it's freezing. Not only is it a very painful experience for you but they will take too long to dry and if it's really cold, anything left out there will freeze. Since water expands when it freezes, so too will the fibers in your clothes and they won't necessarily revert to the same shape that they went out.[3] While once people had no choice but to hang clothing outdoors in freezing weather, now we know better.
  7. Run an extra spin cycle if your washing machine has one. This will help drive excess water off and save time. Otherwise, simply wash your laundry as usual. Then, remove the clothing from the washing machine and take it to the clothesline in a laundry basket. If a shorter drying time is not needed, save the cost of electricity for the extra spin if the laundry can be left on the line longer.
    • Plastic laundry baskets are best because they don't catch on the clothes and they don't stain clothes. While cane baskets are rustic and pretty, they can leave stains on clothes, and can easily catch on clothing where they have poorly finished or broken cane ends.
  8. Pin up the clothes. Hang the clothes on the line so that they don't slip and then put the pin on. It is usual to turn the clothes over the line to a length of about 2.95–3.9 inches, 7.5–10cm to ensure that the clothes won't come off but hang heavier pieces about one third to a halfway over the line to prevent them falling off.[4] Err on the side of turning over more of the clothing on windier days, to provide more grip. To prevent clothes pin imprints on clothing, try to pin the clothes in discreet locations. If you hang clothes with care, line drying can often result in clothing that dries without wrinkles, saving on ironing time.[5] Here are some specific tips for hanging different types of clothing:
    • Hang t-shirts by folding the hem a little over the line and pinning on at each end.
    • Hang shorts and pants/trousers by the Increase the Waistline of a Skirt on the line if you want to minimize wrinkles.[6]
    • Hang dresses from the shoulders if straight, from the hem if it has a full or gathered skirt, or from hangers if possible (hangers mean less wrinkles).[4]
    • Hang straight skirts by turning over the waistband and pin each side; hang gathered or full skirts by the hem.[4]
    • Hang socks by the toes, bras by the hook end, and fold the waistband of underpants over the line and pin either side onto the line. Fold handkerchiefs in half over the line and pin at each end.[4]
    • Hang towels by folding them over the line one end and pinning each end. To help achieve a softer dry, shake towels a lot before hanging them on the line, with a "snap". Doing this loosens the pile. Do it again when removing them from the line.[4]
    • Hang sheets by folding hem to hem, pinning one hem over the line, then pinning the other hem to the corners of the first hem, just a few inches/centimeters inside the first hem corners. Have the sheet open toward the wind, to allow it to billow like a sail, and run your hands down the edges to ensure it is hanging square and even.[4]
    • Widthwise is best for hanging items such as sheets, tablecloths, and flatwork because it takes up less space on the line and puts the stress on the warp yarns (the yarns that run lengthwise), which are stronger than the filling yarns.[4]
    • Hang blankets and other heavy items across two lines, or more, as needed.
    • When hanging 100 percent cotton items, don't pull wet clothing and pin as this may cause items to widen.
    • To conserve on clothespins, overlap garments and use one pin to hang the end of one piece of clothing and the beginning of the next. This can be space-saving on the line as well, although don't do it where the overlapping would prevent drying on thick items. And be careful that dyes are not likely to bleed!
    • If you run out of room when hanging up whites, you can pin up two pairs of underwear with the same clothespins so that they are doubled.
    • Take care not to let clothes or other items drag on the ground. Double check while hanging that all clothes and fabric is pinned up far enough from the ground.
    • Another basic rule is to hang your colored clothing inside out to maintain the color of the clothing. With whites, you will love that bleaching effect of the sun, but you don’t want this to occur with your colored items.
  9. Use a plastic clothes hanger to dry delicate fabrics. Place the piece of clothing on a plastic Make a Wreath with Clothes Hangers and clip the hanger to the clothes line to prevent the hanger from blowing off the clothes line. Be careful using hangers on the line on a windy day, as the hanger might blow off, or the item slip off the hanger. You may need to pin the clothing with great care to the hanger, and only ever use plastic hangers to avoid staining.
  10. Rotate clothes. Different clothes and fabrics dry at different rates. If you need to free up line space, check regularly for dried items, remove them and add new wet items to the line for drying. Sheets are a great thing to get off the line quickly, as they'll dry fast but they also take up a lot of space.
  11. Keep your clothesline clean. If your clothesline is not wiped down regularly, it will accumulate dirt, sap from insects, and other soiling over time. Naturally, this can transfer onto your "clean" clothes, so to prevent this from happening, give the clothesline a quick wipe-down with a kitchen style sponge and a bit of detergent and water every month and leave to dry before using. When the kids get tall enough, this is a good task to pass on to them in return for pocket money!
    • Also clean the clothespins regularly, as they can sometimes get dirty, or even get soap build-up. Throw out broken ones regularly, and remember that you can never have too many clothespins, so replace regularly as well.
  12. Fold the clothes as you take them off the clothesline. This saves time on ironing and also makes putting them away easier. As you remove the clothes from the line, shake and snap them to restore shape, then fold neatly. If you intend ironing the clothes, remove them slightly damp and iron them immediately.
    • Do not store damp clothes. They will grow mildew.
    • If you toss clothes into the basket without caring how they fall in, you will have a basket filled with wrinkled clothing. Not only is this disheartening but it undoes all the good you did hanging the clothes so carefully!
  13. Is it raining outside? Try using a rotary clothes dryer cover such as the Rotaire Dryline. It fits over a rotary line and allows you to dry clothes outside even when it's raining!



Tips

  • Clothespins are also called pegs in some countries.
  • Be careful about which trees you use for the ends of your clotheslines. Conifers drip sap, and some are common roosting places for pigeons.
  • Retractable lines are also available for indoors but are only suitable for dry environments; drying clothing by hanging indoors in a humid environment will add more moisture to your home and is not recommended.
  • White linen benefits from being dried in direct sunlight, as this provides a gentle bleaching.
  • If using a rotary line to dry clothes outside cover it with a piece of polyethylene (or an old shower curtain). This will keep the majority of the clothes dry if there is a shower of rain during the day.
  • Something to keep your laundry basket at waist height near the clothesline can save you a lot of bending pain. A folding table, a basket cage on wheels, an old barbecue stand, a chair, etc., can all be used to keep the laundry basket at waist height. Useful baskets for clothespins exist that hang straight from the clothesline, or off the edge of the laundry basket.
  • Airborne pollen may cling to clothes, so watch out for your outside clothes-drying aggravating your allergies. If it does, use a dryer in the spring.
  • You can dry clothes in your basement during the winter if the clothes are wrung out well before hand. A front loader washing machine works better at getting the clothes wrung out than a top loader. Clothes can also be dried indoors on racks. However, avoid doing this if you live in an already humid environment, as you'll be increasing the humidity.
  • An old folding table can be easily turned into a sweater-drying stand. Simply remove the table top and replace with nylon netting (or similar waterproof surface).[7] The beauty of this is that it can be easily folded away when not in use!
  • Clothespins will hold best on a windy day if placed at an angle.[7]

Warnings

  • Some people continue to express the opinion that hanging clothes outside to dry is unseemly and messy. Stand up for the right to dry clothes outdoors and challenge the ridiculous notion that our garments are unsightly things when hung across a line.
  • Always hang pillow cases and similar items with the open side down.
  • The sun can fade your clothes, so don't leave them out too long! To lessen fading, dry clothing inside out or dry them in the shade, and collect the item as soon as it has dried. This is probably still less damage than the beating the dryer gives to frequently washed clothing.
  • A string such as a clothesline can be a strangulation hazard. Do not allow a child to play with it. Outdoor clotheslines should be out of children's reach and free of slack that could wrap around something.
  • It may happen - sometimes birds leave their calling card. Simply chalk it up to Mother Nature, remove the item, wash it again and hang it out to dry anew. It won't happen again in the same day unless you're fabulously unlucky, in which case, it's a sign of luck to come!

Things You'll Need

  • Clothesline
  • Clothespins
  • A laundry basket (preferably plastic, look on Freecycle or visit your local hardware store)

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ Cheryl Mendelsohn, Home Comforts: The art and science of keeping house, p. 332, (2001), ISBN 0-304-35624-7
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 http://www.simpleecology.com/eco/clothesline.html
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Cheryl Mendelsohn, Home Comforts: The art and science of keeping house, p. 334, (2001), ISBN 0-304-35624-7
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 Cheryl Mendelsohn, Home Comforts: The art and science of keeping house, p. 335, (2001), ISBN 0-304-35624-7
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Cheryl Mendelsohn, Home Comforts: The art and science of keeping house, p. 333, (2001), ISBN 0-304-35624-7
  6. ↑ Penguin Books, Household Hints, p. 181, (2006), ISBN 0-14-300474-3
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 New Zealand Woman's Weekly, Book of Household Hints, (2001), ISBN 1-877214-04-3
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