Questions about line drying

[aggieamy]

I've been reading the "Things that have saved you money" thread and am very interested in this line drying. I will start off by saying that laundry is not my favorite chore and there are times when I really struggle with getting it done. That being said, how much more work is line drying then using a dryer? I'd love to cut our gas bill down and I've already implemented a few things in the house that cuts down on laundry. (No putting towels that have been used once in the laundry!) Do you have to use a line or could you use drying racks in your basement? We've all got allergies and I worry about things like PJ's getting pollen all over them. Tell me experiences with line drying - good and bad, please.

 

ETA: Seems I've managed to post this thread three times last night. Sorry about that. I thought I was having trouble posting but it seems that they all worked just fine. *embarassed*

Edited May 10, 2011 by aggieamy

[cathmom]

I bought two racks from IKEA and I hang up all of our laundry on them indoors. One fits in my laundry room (barely) and the other I only get out if I need it. I also hang things on two towel racks that hang over my laundry room door, one on each side. Our dryer sucks and this has saved us a LOT of money!

[In The Great White North]

Line drying is a little more time consuming but makes folding faster. If you line dry then put in the dryer to fluff, it will take twice as much work. I usually line dry outside but did dry everything inside one year when my dryer broke. It really didn't bother me enough to research dryers for months so it can't have been that much more work.

 

If pollen is an issue, you definitely want to dry PJs and sheets inside.

 

Running an extra spin cycle will help things dry faster.

[regentrude]

I line dry almost everything, on a folding rack. Rack trumps clothes line because you can move it inside or out, even with the laundry on it.

Allergies are not a problem for us, so I dry mostly outside (I try to do laundry when the weather is nice). If it's not nice, or if it's humid in the summer, I put the rack up in the basement.

Outside drying does not take that much time if it's sunny and possibly a bit windy (today it was 80 and the whole load dried within 1-2 hours). Use the fastest spin cycle. Hanging a full load, I would estimate takes me about ten minutes maybe? Taking the laundry down is very easy, especially since I can fold and sort right then (and it's a chore easily delegated to the kids)

If pollen is a problem, you could dry PJs and sheets inside.

Edited May 10, 2011 by regentrude

[LibraryLover]

I enjoy it when the weather here is good. Hanging does not save us a heap of money, but it is nice. We don't wash & dry more than 6-7 loads/ week. Dh has his office clothing done at the cleaners.

 

I think the main thing is to reduce shopping. One you do this, there's not much to wash. :D

Edited May 10, 2011 by LibraryLover

[Rosie_0801]

I knew people who had racks for line drying on their ceilings. I intend to do the same when we finally buy our own place. Funnily enough landlords don't like that sort of thing...

 

:)

Rosie

[TammyinTN]

I have a large laundry room. I have my 2 racks in there. I use them each day for one load of laundry...Monday- whites, Tuesday-darks, Wednesday-towels,

Thursday-whites, Friday- darks..Saturday sheets go into the washer and dryer and then back on the bed. I have a small floor fan that I let run on low and it helps keep the air moving and things dry pretty fast. I also have my iron set up so when I take off the item, I press it and put on a rack and straight to the closet. I spend maybe 30 minutes each day on laundry and I'm always caught up. :D

[Shannon in TN]

I LOVED hanging up the clothes outside - especially sheets, blankets and towels because they'd dry so quickly. They wouldn't be stiff because I learned how to use liquid fabric softener, plus the wind would "beat them into submission" and they'd be super-soft and have that fresh-air smell. And as someone mentioned before, it was a whole lot easier to keep up with the laundry because I would fold and sort as I went. Nowadays, with the dryer, everything gets pulled out into the basket and sits there until we're out of clean clothes. :tongue_smilie:

 

We don't have a clothesline now, but when we buy our next house, I'm hopeful I'll be able to set one up - at least a retractable one or posts behind a building or something. DH thinks they're tacky and even tho he's very conscious about conserving energy, he's not a fan of clotheslines. I just don't get that :tongue_smilie:

 

We do have drying racks that we use inside, but they're used strictly for the not-to-be-dried-in-the-dryer clothes.

[DawnM]

I am trying to figure out how this would work for us too.

 

The thought of carrying them all outside and then back in makes me cringe....I don't want it to be tons more work because I know I won't do it!

 

Our laundry room is large, but because it is large, I put shelves in there with bins and most of our clothing goes in there once folded (kind of like the Duggar's family closest but on a much smaller scale) to avoid a lot of work.

 

We do have a garage next to the laundry room that I could use I suppose.

 

I think I would probably still dry things like sheets, but would hang clothing.

 

Still thinking......

 

Dawn

[Blessedchaos]

Laundry is my favorite chore (I know, I'm weird:001_smile:), and I line dry as much as possible. Since I live in a cold weather state, outside drying is only possible about half the year. I LOVE hanging my clothing outside; I find it very relaxing. It takes a little more time than popping the clothing into the dryer, but since I enjoy hanging my laundry I find it worth it. Besides that the only downside is that you do have to keep your eye on the weather. I can't tell you how many times I've had to run out and grab laundry off the line before a sudden rainstorm, and sometimes I can't get it in time.

 

For colder months, I have two rods that my husband hung from my laundry room ceiling using bike hooks and long closet rods. I hang the shirts from hangers and pants from those clippy hangers (can get all these free from Walmart). I do have a rack that I occasionally use for smaller stuff, but since I do like to dry my whites, which are usually rags, socks, etc. in the dryer, I don't often use it. Even by just hanging shirts on the rods, I can cut the loads I dry in the dryer by half.

 

If you have pollen allergies, spring drying outside can be problematic. You can either inside dry during this time or try it and see how it goes.

 

Jen

[Tammyla]

The clothes can be stiff & wrinkly...If I'm line drying, I might pop the items in the dryer for a quick 5-10 minutes, and then hang them. They come out wrinkle free and soft.

[BatmansWife]

I must be in the minority, but I really don't care for line drying. :thumbdown:

I've had to do it out of necessity, both times for months at a time, when our dryer has gone kapoot. I think the clothes end up more wrinkled, the towels are stiff and scratchy (think of all the lint you get out of a dryer....where does it go when you line dry? Nowhere). I've never had line dried clothes, towels, sheets, etc come out smelling good. Mine always have a smell I don't like and you can't beat the smell of a great dryer sheet. :001_smile: The other problems I've had is with the wooden clothes pins. They often leave marks on the fabric, especially whites. So, you might want to use plastic clips if that becomes a problem for you. Same with the wood drying racks. I've used those inside in the past too and I'd get long lines of wood marks/stains on the fabric. My negativitiy may also come from the fact that the last time I brought in clothes off the clothesline I got stung by a wasp. I was not.happy!! :eek:

[cathmom]

I must be in the minority, but I really don't care for line drying. :thumbdown:

I've had to do it out of necessity, both times for months at a time, when our dryer has gone kapoot. I think the clothes end up more wrinkled, the towels are stiff and scratchy (think of all the lint you get out of a dryer....where does it go when you line dry? Nowhere). I've never had line dried clothes, towels, sheets, etc come out smelling good. Mine always have a smell I don't like and you can't beat the smell of a great dryer sheet. :001_smile: The other problems I've had is with the wooden clothes pins. They often leave marks on the fabric, especially whites. So, you might want to use plastic clips if that becomes a problem for you. Same with the wood drying racks. I've used those inside in the past too and I'd get long lines of wood marks/stains on the fabric. My negativitiy may also come from the fact that the last time I brought in clothes off the clothesline I got stung by a wasp. I was not.happy!! :eek:

 

I don't like outside hanging, that's why I do mine inside. My IKEA racks are metal, so no wood problem. The wood ones are flimsy.

[Lady Florida.]

I used to have a clothesline, but it wasn't worth it. Most of the year is too humid, so the clothes take forever to dry. In summer, I would need a shower after being outside long enough to hang a load of laundry. And, it rains nearly every day in the summer, so hanging clothes outside usually isn't an option.

 

I could do it for the few months of the year that the weather cooperates, but it isn't worth taking up the room in our yard. I'd rather use that sunny space for planting vegetables.

[Jamee]

I used to have a clothesline, but it wasn't worth it. Most of the year is too humid, so the clothes take forever to dry. In summer, I would need a shower after being outside long enough to hang a load of laundry. And, it rains nearly every day in the summer, so hanging clothes outside usually isn't an option.

 

I could do it for the few months of the year that the weather cooperates, but it isn't worth taking up the room in our yard. I'd rather use that sunny space for planting vegetables.

 

 

Yes, are there any tricks to line drying in very high humidity? I always line dry my shirts and stuff. In the summer, I have to set them over the dehumidifiers. Now this summer, we may be in for rolling blackouts and have to cut back on energy use, so I'm wondering how I'm going to get my clothes dry.

 

I'm going to get myself some of the Japanese hanging racks. They have these things that look like octopus with a ton of arms and clips on them. I'm hoping housing will give us more permission to hang dry clothes outside.

[mrsrevmeg]

I don't like line drying. Allergy issues, birds pooing, and that smell do not appeal to me. It seems like they would freeze in the winter, and the summer would be too humid, spring and fall have too much pollen. That does not leave a good time to line dry around here.

[ocelotmom]

It's work. It's a pain, especially when the weather is either hot or cold, but not bad enough that I'm hankering for a dryer.

 

In winter, I mostly hang stuff in a closet with no doors in our spare bedroom. This is less work because stuff gets hung directly on hangers, and I can just transfer them on the hangers to their appropriate location once they're dry. I'm kinda tempted to figure out a way to hang them up on hangars outside, too.

[lisamarie]

I think it doubles the time I spend doing laundry. Maybe I'm just slow because I'm inexperienced, but it takes probably 15 minutes to hang a load, then you have to take each item down. I don't use my clothes line to save time, I use it to save money and wear and tear on my clothes. But, I will not line dry towels. Yuck.

 

My line is inside in my sunroom. It's retractable so I can put it away when company is over. It has to be sunny for the clothes to dry well--I tried using it on an overcast day and it took well over 24 hrs for the clothes to dry.

[Amira]

I don't think line drying is much more work, although I do agree dryers are quicker. I dump the wet clothes in a bucket and take them outside and hang them up to dry. That takes a few minutes, but not more than 10. Like others have mentioned, when the clothes are dry they're very quick to fold. I put them back in the bucket in an order that makes sense (for example, my clothes go below my children's clothes, because I get to their rooms first). The whole process really isn't very time consuming.

 

I haven't used a dryer in nearly 6 years and I don't miss it at all. In those six years I've line- and/or rack-dried in a variety of climates, including freezing winters and very wet and cold winters and still don't wish for a dryer.

[KatieJ]

I always did line drying ( inside and outside) until I moved to this house.

 

The easiest for me was to spend an evening running all my laundry thru the wash machine ( I had a suds saver and I did all my laundry at one time anyway) and I would sort each load and put small things like socks and wash cloths into the dryer which would add up to about one small load. I would dry that one load of clothes and fold it in the evening. The next morning I would carry all the laundry outside and hang it up all at one time. Several hours later when it was dry, I would take it down and fold it while I was taking it down. I would do some sorting, like kids clothes and towels would be on separate lines so it would be easier to fold and sort into the baskets. Then carry it in and put away and you're done for a few days!

[Lady Florida.]

Yes, are there any tricks to line drying in very high humidity?

 

 

I don't think there is anything, other than extra time. The air can only hold so much moisture, and if it's already very humid your clothes just don't get dry.

 

I did look up IKEA drying racks, and they look like something I might be interested in. We don't have an indoor laundry room, but I use the spare bedroom and a small rack for items that require line drying. Now I'm thinking I could fit a few more racks in there.

 

I do love the smell of line dried sheets. I've lived in Florida most of my life, and I love it here. I have no desire to live anywhere else. However, every once in a while I think of something I miss from living in a different climate. Line dried sheets counts as one of those things. :001_smile:

[DianeW88]

If you have allergies, line drying will make them worse. Your clothes end up covered in pollen. Especially don't dry your sheets and bedding this way with allergies.

[annlaura]

I like line drying, but DH doesn't as much, so I put most of his things in the dryer. I have a rack in the basement by the washer and dryer, so I toss socks and sometimes undies on it. It's a little faster and easier for me not to have to pin them to the line. The boys play in the yard as I hang or take down and fold, so I don't need to rush unless it's starting to rain. I do think line drying is better for our clothes. In cold or wet weather, I use the dryer. Maybe one day I will set up another rack and do more indoors as well.

[Garga]

Winter drying:

 

If the item will end up on a hanger, then I put it on the hanger right out of the washer and hang the hangers on the shower curtain rods (we have 3--I installed an extra in one of the showers just for drying.)

 

If it's a big towel, I hang it over the shower curtain.

 

If it's a small towel or socks/underwear, I use the dryer.

 

 

Summer drying:

 

Same as winter

 

OR

 

Line dry. When I line dry, I do like the few minutes of peace and quiet. There's something soothing about hanging the damp clothes and removing the warm, dry clothes and being outside.

 

However, it does take extra time.

 

AND...READ BELOW, BECAUSE THIS IS A BIG ISSUE TO ME!!!!

 

If I don't get the clothes in on the same day, and I forget and leave them overnight, they get COVERED in bugs! Pincher bugs, spiders, you name it. It's gross and scary.

 

 

I only line dry when I KNOW that I'll remember them and bring them in as soon as they're dry. And I shake them to be sure they don't have bugs.

 

And my clothes do NOT smell as nice on the line as when I dry them in the machine.

 

YMMV.

[elfgivas]

If you have allergies, line drying will make them worse. Your clothes end up covered in pollen. Especially don't dry your sheets and bedding this way with allergies.

 

hi diane -

 

i'm sorry you have trouble with this,:confused:

 

maybe its because we live in the desert, but even during wildflowers, which dds and dh are horribly allergic to, the line drying doesn't set them off.....

being outside for only 5 minutes does, so we would notice.....

 

i wonder if its the location of the line?

 

ann

[Swirl]

Ok, this may be a dumb question, but do any of you burn wood (or have neighbors that burn wood) and dry your clothes outside?

 

I line dry inside many of our nicer items of clothing, and would like to line dry sheets and blankets too. I've thought about putting up an outdoor clothes line especially for the sheets and blankets, but I was wondering if during the winter they would absorb the smoke smell?

[ocelotmom]

Ok, this may be a dumb question, but do any of you burn wood (or have neighbors that burn wood) and dry your clothes outside?

 

I line dry inside many of our nicer items of clothing, and would like to line dry sheets and blankets too. I've thought about putting up an outdoor clothes line especially for the sheets and blankets, but I was wondering if during the winter they would absorb the smoke smell?

Everyone burns their trash around here. While I try to avoid hanging laundry if the smoke is blowing directly towards the line, it does sometimes happen. I haven't noticed it being a major problem.

[Ellesmere]

hi diane -

 

i'm sorry you have trouble with this,:confused:

 

maybe its because we live in the desert, but even during wildflowers, which dds and dh are horribly allergic to, the line drying doesn't set them off.....

being outside for only 5 minutes does, so we would notice.....

 

i wonder if its the location of the line?

 

ann

 

If you have allergies, line drying will make them worse. Your clothes end up covered in pollen. Especially don't dry your sheets and bedding this way with allergies.

 

With my allergies I just can't do it. We have a clothesline (although I cannot reach it..LOL). I hadn't considered doing it inside though. Hmmmm...

 

I was going to warn about allergies, too. But I don't know what kind of property the person lives on. We live on wooded property full of the very pollen I am most allergic to. My allergist said I'd be nuts to line dry and she was right. Then, I have the sort of allergies that made the office nurse's eyes get really big and call her to her co-workers, "You've got to come see this!" If the allergies were milder or I lived in a desert, my husband's dream of line-drying would come true!

[Rosie_0801]

Growing up my mother hung stuff outside and someone on the street burned wood and yes it does make the clothing smell like burnt wood.

 

We get that occasionally, but not often. We kind of like it. It smells like we've been away camping so we get some little bitty endorphins from the thought without having actually spent the money to go. Maybe we're weird. :lol:

 

Rosie

[tearose]

I use two kinds of racks. One is a three-level with mesh on each level, and I have two of these--they are (or were) sold at Target under the Michael Graves label. I dry things that can get misshapen flat on these racks--this avoids odd bulges from hangers or the weight of being hung by clothespins. I have a more conventional metal rack for things that can be draped without weird bulges. I mostly dry indoors because it's really cold in the winter and often humid in the summer. In the winter, I figure the laundry is adding much-needed humidity to the house, and heat coming from the vents helps things dry pretty quickly. In the summer, the AC keeps the humidity from being a problem, plus I figure that I'm not unnecessarily adding to the heat by running the dryer. On really nice days, I will sometimes take my racks outside and weigh them down with a few bricks, but it does take longer since everything must be clipped. When there's a nice breeze and it's warm but not hot, I love the smell of clothes dried outside.

 

For larger things like sheets, I fold them in half or quarter and drape them over the shower rod overnight. Or they go over the tri-level racks, and they don't take terribly long to dry. They don't seems that stiff to me, either. Towels, on the other hand, are hard, though it doesn't really bother me; sometimes I will run towels for guests through the dryer briefly.

 

I don't find it very time-consuming, and folding off the rack goes pretty quickly, too.

 

(I should add that I don't use dryer sheets because DH has very sensitive skin, so maybe that's why I don't feel like the dryer scent is missing)

[kewb]

I have a garment rack and a couple of drying racks in my laundry room. Most items I put on a hanger and hang to dry. I hang things all year indoors. Before selling the swing set I used to hang the laundry on the monkey bars. I tend to have a laundry day for clothes so I go through all my loads (darks, brights, whites) and let the items that I want to use the dryer for pile up. Once all the loads are done then I run the dryer once. I do not line dry sheets and towels because I do not like the stiffness factor.

 

I find that our clothes last longer and don't shrink when line drying.

[Dolphin]

With Allergies you might want to dry inside. It takes time, you have to learn about fabric softener etc...

 

We used to line dry when we lived somewhere with a good wind, just drys so much faster and helps with softness.

 

A simpler way to start with:

We only wash our towels once a week. Everyone has their own towels, and you are drying a clean body with them. My hair towel I only wash every other week.

 

We do clean undies, socks, t-shirts everyday, but bottoms are for 2 or 3 wears unless they are muddy or for some other reason need to be washed. As soon as we are in for the evening we change into our PJ's our lounge clothes. It has really reduced the laundry.

 

I think someone else mentioned the extra spin cycle

 

You can also get these plastic balls and anti static ones at places like bed bath and beyond that reduce drying time AND the need for dryer sheets. They work!

 

Just a few thoughts.