moonflower Posted July 28, 2019 Share Posted July 28, 2019 I am line drying; we moved last year and finally bought a washer but we thought we'd wait for the dryer at least until fall. We have a lot of sun, a lot of space (we're on 17 acres), and two good clothes lines. We're in Missouri. I wash clothes in the early morning hours and put them out on the line at about 8-10am. They are not dry that day, and usually are dry by the middle of the next day. This is not great. Is this the way it's supposed to be? I feel like when we line dried in NZ it took a lot less time, and this is the height of summer! Why aren't my clothes getting dry? They sometimes take so long they smell mildewy and I have to rewash, which is a pain. We have 7 kids and live in the country so while we wear clothes until they are truly dirty, they get truly dirty pretty fast and we have a lot of laundry. Any advice? Do I just go buy a dryer? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairfarmhand Posted July 28, 2019 Share Posted July 28, 2019 Humidity. That’s the problem. also if your washer doesn’t spin out well, your clothes have more water in them. 10 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moonflower Posted July 28, 2019 Author Share Posted July 28, 2019 Well how do I reduce the humidity? Should I actually be drying them inside or something? Bah. Our front yard (where the lines are) is kind of wetter than the rest because that's where the kids do water gun fights and the baby pool and etc. I wonder if that water in the ground is keeping the humidity higher there and I could just move the lines to a different location and it would be better? Maybe I should do a second spin. They feel normal to me but I guess I wouldn't notice minor differences that made drying time much longer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairfarmhand Posted July 28, 2019 Share Posted July 28, 2019 Just now, moonflower said: Well how do I reduce the humidity? Should I actually be drying them inside or something? Bah. Our front yard (where the lines are) is kind of wetter than the rest because that's where the kids do water gun fights and the baby pool and etc. I wonder if that water in the ground is keeping the humidity higher there and I could just move the lines to a different location and it would be better? Maybe I should do a second spin. They feel normal to me but I guess I wouldn't notice minor differences that made drying time much longer. Honestly, the humidity is more atmospheric. Now if the kids are throwing water on the clothes themselves that will make a difference but I’d be surprised if water gun fights change it all that much. You could try a second spin. Are your lines in direct sun? Because that will make a difference. In a drier climate you can get away with shade on your Lines. In high humidity places, you need the sun. 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moonflower Posted July 28, 2019 Author Share Posted July 28, 2019 They're in direct sun pretty much all day; south facing, no trees near. The house shades one side for about 1/4 of the day, though. They are not spraying water guns on the clothes. That happened once and I think I was sufficiently irritated enough to have scared them into compliance. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LuvToRead Posted July 28, 2019 Share Posted July 28, 2019 is there an area of the yard that gets a better breeze? I would try to move your clothes line to the windiest area you can. Also, I think I would bring the clothes in instead of leaving them out all night. The dew will just get your clothes damp again. 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Tick Posted July 28, 2019 Share Posted July 28, 2019 My experience in a nearby Midwestern state was that after 4:00pm nothing was going to get drier. I also would fold and put away things that weren't "drier dry". Sounds like you will use the clothes fast enough that you likely won't have issues. We also had a small dehumidifier in our house, so the relative humidity indoors was lower than out. Sometimes for heavy duty clothes I would dry them for a few hours inside out and then flip them right side out for the next few. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aura Posted July 28, 2019 Share Posted July 28, 2019 I live in Georgia, we have really high humidity, but I've never had anything not dry in one sunny day, not even towels. Maybe it's that much hotter here? But I wonder about your washer and how well it's wringing the water out. Is there a way to get your washer to do an extra spin only cycle? See if that helps? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barnwife Posted July 28, 2019 Share Posted July 28, 2019 I assume you know to hang towels and jeans "single layer", like from the end so they're spread out rather than doubled up. Otherwise, it's humidity, breeze, sunshine and how well the clothes are spun out. That's where front loaders usually do a better job. Another thing to try is putting the clothes up in the afternoon and taking them down the next afternoon/evening. Really shouldn't be needed if you have halfway decent drying weather. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted July 28, 2019 Share Posted July 28, 2019 (edited) I am in MO too. I line dry, and in the summer it takes a few hours. Does you washer not spin well? I put my drying rack in a sunny spot, hang things so they don't overlap. Even jeans dry in one day when I hang them in the morning. Very puzzled by your predicament. Edited July 28, 2019 by regentrude 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moonflower Posted July 28, 2019 Author Share Posted July 28, 2019 Maybe it is my washer, I will try spinning a second time and see if that helps. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted July 28, 2019 Share Posted July 28, 2019 I think a pole my neighbor gave me which I would describe as a prop helps the clothing blow in the wind far better. When I don’t bother to set it up supporting the middle of the line it definitely takes longer. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa in Australia Posted July 28, 2019 Share Posted July 28, 2019 (edited) the higher from the ground the better I have my clothes line under the verandah roof on the side of the house because when it was out in the yard it was shaded by 2 huge gum trees for the whole day. I also bring the clothes in before the damp evening air starts - I am right by the ocean so that can be anywhere form 3 in the winter to 5 in the summer. the way the clothes are hung makes a huge difference. t is winter here right now daytime temp is around 14 oC with a light frost in the early morning. I bring in the wash at around 3 and anything that is damp goes on a clothes airier in front of the heater. Edited July 28, 2019 by Melissa in Australia 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwik Posted July 29, 2019 Share Posted July 29, 2019 NZ most places are close enough to the sea to get onshore/offshore breezes and we tend to have low humidity in most places. Also maybe you hung out earlier? But I would start with looking at how wet they are when you hang them as when I was a kid and we used a wringer heavier things needed hanging by the fire or on the porch for the evening. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlsdMama Posted July 29, 2019 Share Posted July 29, 2019 17 hours ago, moonflower said: Maybe it is my washer, I will try spinning a second time and see if that helps. I’d definitely try that. We live in the land of breathing corn (insane humidity due to when corn is full grown) and I can dry a load of towels in 4 hours ish. However, we get a breeze/wind here and that makes a significant difference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.