I want to save the world

[Amethyst]

I want to save the world. 😉 One of the articles I was just reading mentioned doing all my laundry in cold water (I can do that), and getting a clothes line. Hmm. That second one seems harder. But I need to do hard things if I want to save the world. Does anyone else live in the suburbs and eschew clothes dryers? How do you do this? Winter is coming and a clothes line doesn’t seem feasible. 

[Xahm]

It depends on your climate. A clothes line doesn't really work where I live because it's too humid. Clothes get mildewy when its warm out and just stay damp when it's cold. When I lived in a dry climate, the clothes line worked great. If I lived someplace like that, I'd use one for sure.

[lmrich]

Can you line dry more in the house? 

[Kareni]

My daughter lives in South Korea where no one has a clothes dryer (well, perhaps the wealthy do). She dries all her clothes and bedding on drying racks, mostly inside but sometimes outside.

She's grown to like clothes made with modal (which dry soft) and polyester (which dry quickly).

Regards,

Kareni

[bookbard]

In the olden days I am pretty sure people had drying rooms - so a room kept warm and clothes would dry on drying racks. You'd have to work out whether doing that uses more fossil fuels than just using a clothes dryer every so often. Depends on how your home is heated I guess. We line dry but if things are still damp we hang them up on the curtain rods to finish them off. But it doesn't get very cold or humid here. 

[Kalmia]

Generations of women in my family have line dried clothes, but not 100% of the time. I live in the north so winter weather is not an outdoor line drying season. But I do line dry often in the spring through fall (but not in browntail moth season -- airborne irritating hairs--don't worry, browntails are only in Maine and Cape Cod). One can dry clothes inside in the winter on a drying racks. 

Locate the clothesline in the part of the yard that gets the most sun throughout the day. You want to keep up with switching over "loads" so you can get several dry before it gets toward evening when there won't be enough sun to do the job. Don't leave the laundry out overnight. Be aware of the weather and take the laundry down if a rain shower is coming. One tip I used with drying towels on the line is drying them in the dryer for 5-10 minutes first so they don't dry board-stiff and scratchy on the line. Also, nothing beats the scent of line dried sheets. 🙂

Here are some drying racks: https://www.walmart.com/ip/Robbins-304-Wood-Clothes-Dryer/25469671?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=1148&&adid=22222222227017904049&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=c&wl3=52330248735&wl4=pla-79429403055&wl5=1019081&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&wl9=pla&wl10=112562587&wl11=online&wl12=25469671&veh=sem&gclid=Cj0KCQjw_fiLBhDOARIsAF4khR21PfjpGXM9-VPABjdJK2t0TSnBFnzGE95lBFHekrFvxNvDybOTACQaAtHrEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

https://www.amazon.com/Robbins-Home-HG-303-clothes-drying/dp/B0029OMSGY

Here is are articles about line drying clothes:
https://homesteading.com/dry-laundry-using-drying-rack-clothesline-homestead-living/

https://homesteading.com/line-drying-clothes-winter/

Here is a link to expensive but high quality clothespins:
https://www.lehmans.com/product/kevins-quality-spring-clothespins/

Other high quality line drying equipment:
https://www.lehmans.com/search?w=clothes+lines

Documentary about the suburban resistance to clotheslines:
https://www.amazon.com/Drying-Freedom-Steven-Lake/dp/B00IKERRK4

 

Edited November 1, 2021 by Kalmia

[Starr]

I didn’t replace our dryer for a couple of years. We used drying racks, hung things up in the bathroom, over banisters and chairs.. in the winter it’s so dry here that everything dries quickly. 

[Lucy the Valiant]

We line dry outside in summer, inside in winter (wood stove), and use the dryer during those humid spring months. (In other words, it doesn't have to be all-or-nothing to make a small difference. 🙂 )

Edited November 1, 2021 by Lucy the Valiant

[Moonhawk]

When we were in the suburbs, we just hung up clothes out of the washer and put the hangers around random doors in the house so they wouldn't be clumped up. All clothes except underwear & socks, and towels can be done this way pretty easily, in my experience, and requires no extra hassle except maybe getting another set of hangers for the drying of shorts and such that will eventually be folded. You can also buy some tension shower curtain rods and put those in a hallway for extra drying space.

We line dry about 70%. There was a 6-month period where we didn't have a dryer and then it was everything. It's good for nicer clothes and they keep looking nicer longer. It's awful with bath towels because they are hard and not fun for their first use. If you have someone that has allergies, don't line dry outside during their allergy season. 

If you live in a cold climate, I think getting a drying rack for inside and using it close to your heater/oven would be a better way than a clothes line, for the winter. 

 

Edited November 1, 2021 by Moonhawk

[prairiewindmomma]

We have 4 drying racks and two octopus clippers from IKEA. We also wall mounted a hanging bar so that I can hang a number of items directly onto hangars for drying. 
 

It’s doable, but air drying a family’s laundry for a year is about the same carbon footprint as one cross country roundtrip flight. Depending on what your purpose is, it may not be the best trade off in terms of time and increased humidity levels in the home. 
 

We have the full setup because our dryer broke in late 2019 and it took a while to get parts in to get it fixed. We are about 40% air dry now because I prefer jeans, towels, and sheets in the dryer.

[Bootsie]

Some washing machines spin more water out after washing than others making it easier to line dry.  We tend to line dry clothing but usually dry towels and sheets in the clothes dryer.  We have a drying rack in the laundry room and a hanging rod.  We can hang shirts on hangers and hang from the rod to dry.  we will also hang items in the shower to dry or put a drying rack in the bathtub.  

[EmilyGF]

I living in an urban setting. I have two racks and I put them up in the room that has the furnace in it. The furnace pulls air through the room, which dries the clothes.

We live in the midwest, so it gets quite cold. 

Sometimes I hang laundry at night, and then I put it in the kitchen. It is usually dry by morning. We have a front-loader, which does a better job of getting water out of the clothes.

[popmom]

59 minutes ago, Amethyst said:

I want to save the world. 😉 One of the articles I was just reading mentioned doing all my laundry in cold water (I can do that), and getting a clothes line. Hmm. That second one seems harder. But I need to do hard things if I want to save the world. Does anyone else live in the suburbs and eschew clothes dryers? How do you do this? Winter is coming and a clothes line doesn’t seem feasible. 

I do! Lol

I do all sorts of things to not even make a dent in the problem! But it makes me feel better. 😂😭

I will not buy anything made from fleece. (Micro plastics) All detergents are powder in a box (no plastic). Think Comet, Spic n Span, Tide powder, Bon Ami

I strung up a clothes line on my deck. I use it all the time. I’m sure the neighbors behind me think it’s a lovely sight. Honestly, the line drying thing for me is more about fabric care and sanitizing (in the sun) than energy savings. 

Edited November 1, 2021 by popmom

[Melissa in Australia]

I try for all natural fibres clothes

I line dry, have ropes under the verandah roof. I winter I finish the clothes of on a clothes horse.  I am a mostly dry climate, though winter is damp as I am right by the ocean. 

Just about everyone I know line dries. It us considered very lazy in Australia if you don't line dry. 

 My grandmother used a clothes horse placed right over the heating vents, though she had central heating

My Mil in Canada hung all her laundry year round in her basement. 

People forever line dried their clothes in some form or another It is possable, in every climate

[Melissa in Australia]

If every single person worldwide did little things, it adds up to making a huge difference 

[regentrude]

Super easy. I have been line drying forever. Back home in Germany, I don't know anybody who has a dryer.

I use a foldable clothes drying rack that can hold an entire load. I set it on the patio in good weather. If the weather turns bad, I can move the entire rack inside. In wet weather, I keep it in the basement. Winter without snow is not a problem - clothes dry beautifully in sub-freezing temps because the air is so dry.

 

Edited November 1, 2021 by regentrude

[DawnM]

When we moved from CA to NC, we didn't bring our dryer because we were told our gas dryer may not work here as most NC homes have electric dryers.

Well, we lived in a townhouse for 3 months while we tried to find a place to live and didn't have a dryer that entire time.   We just had our washer.   I washed clothes and then would hang them up in the laundry room and let them dry overnight.   It worked.   I can't say that I loved it, but it worked.   

That was with 4 of us.

Now that there are 7 of us....not so easy.

But I think my save the world biggest struggle is plastic.   I really want to get rid of it completely, but it is impossible.

Edited November 1, 2021 by DawnM

[klmama]

I've known a lot of people who hang laundry to dry, both outside and inside, but most still have dryers for things that must be soft (underwear and towels), need to shrink slightly, or must get dry quickly.  The drying racks others have mentioned work fine.  If you want a more permanent indoor option and have a laundry room with an unfinished ceiling, you could string a line with two wood frames attached to and hanging down from the rafters, with stainless steel eye screws to run the rope through - usually 3-4 lengths.  Some people hang the lines really low, so they are easy to use, but then you have to pick your way through them and can't use the floor space for anything else.  Some hang them about 6' from the floor, so there's room for a folding table underneath -- you have to be willing to reach up a lot to hang clothes that way, though.  If, however, you have a finished ceiling and/or limited space, you could still run a short line or put up a clothes pole between two cupboards and hang clothing on plastic hangers to dry.  

Edited November 1, 2021 by klmama

[MercyA]

I line dry lots of clothing in our laundry room using a rack like this. I use regular hangers for shirts / tops, clippie hangers for pants / skirts, and a multi-clip rack for bras, masks, etc. 

[Melissa in Australia]

36 minutes ago, klmama said:

I've known a lot of people who hang laundry to dry, both outside and inside, but most still have dryers for things that must be soft (underwear and towels), need to shrink slightly, or must get dry quickly.  The drying racks others have mentioned work fine.  If you want a more permanent indoor option and have a laundry room with an unfinished ceiling, you could string a line with two wood frames attached to and hanging down from the rafters, with stainless steel eye screws to run the rope through - usually 3-4 lengths.  Some people hang the lines really low, so they are easy to use, but then you have to pick your way through them and can't use the floor space for anything else.  Some hang them about 6' from the floor, so there's room for a folding table underneath -- you have to be willing to reach up a lot to hang clothes that way, though.  If, however, you have a finished ceiling and/or limited space, you could still run a short line or put up a clothes pole between two cupboards and hang clothing on plastic hangers to dry.  

who wants soft  towels????

 a nice scratchy towel is the best thing ever

 

Undies are soft line dried. never had stiff undies ever

[Rosie_0801]

I've never even owned a dryer.

If worst comes to worst, I turn the oven on and hang shirts and knickers over the door.
 

I hate soft towels. They feel grotty!

[Melissa in Australia]

I have never owned a dryer either.

not even when I had little kids in cloth nappies

[popmom]

19 minutes ago, Melissa in Australia said:

who wants soft  towels????

 a nice scratchy towel is the best thing ever

 

Undies are soft line dried. never had stiff undies ever

I live in a society (US) that promotes laundry softeners, but I totally agree! I want a scratchy towel every time. I’m so glad to know I’m not abnormal lol. I love a vigorous dry off with a rough, absorbent towel. 🙂

[Melissa Louise]

No dryer ever three. 

When it's humid here, it's also hot as Hades, so no drama getting things dry. 

Rain + winter we hang things in the open garage, and bring them in at night to finish off drying by the heater. 

I don't think lack of dryer will save the world though, unfortunately. 

[Carrie12345]

I went through a period of indoor line drying that started with a broken dryer and continued for saving the world. Partly while cloth diapering. I absolutely hated it and decided to get the new dryer! I have never looked back.

I do pay more to have my energy supplied in part by solar. I do wash most loads in cold. I only run A/C on the worst of the worst days. I keep the heat set pretty low. I try to limit single use plastics, reduce driving by combining trips, compost through most of the year... I’ll do 27 other things to be more careful if it means I can keep my clothes dryer!

 

[HomeAgain]

Both dh and oldest ds are tall, spaghetti thin people.  When we find clothes that fit them we don't chance the dryer, so theirs are all line dried.  We have two racks in the house that sit next to radiators in the winter and under the window in the summer.  If we had more drying racks I'd line dry more in the garage.  Even then, I could not do towels here.  It would take too long and mildew would set in.

I think, though, this is one of those things that is easier to do for all the laundry depending on where you live.  For us, winters are cold and damp, and there's only so much space in the house for something that takes a long time.  There are other ways I can drive down our energy usage that work better for us:

-handwashing dishes

-wood floors to sweep/mop instead of vacuum

-shoveling snow instead of relying on the snowblower (and electric yard tools in other seasons, except the lawnmower)

-separate heating zones in the house so we can turn off radiators in unused rooms (upstairs bedrooms during the day, dropping the heat to 55-60 on the main floor at night

-one pot dinners/less processed foods

-LED lightbulbs

-on demand tankless water heater (after stretching out the old one to limp along for an extra few years)

-composting and changing to a more plant based diet

-taking advantage of the energy company's program where they send someone out to your home and assess energy consumption/provide discounts and ways to manage it better.

[Guest]

8 hours ago, popmom said:

I do! Lol

I do all sorts of things to not even make a dent in the problem! But it makes me feel better. 😂😭

I will not buy anything made from fleece. (Micro plastics) All detergents are powder in a box (no plastic). Think Comet, Spic n Span, Tide powder, Bon Ami

I strung up a clothes line on my deck. I use it all the time. I’m sure the neighbors behind me think it’s a lovely sight. Honestly, the line drying thing for me is more about fabric care and sanitizing (in the sun) than energy savings. 

What do you use to wash your clothes? I was considering getting the detergent sheets (no plastic) but I haven’t done it yet. I will run out of my current laundry soap this month and want to try something more enviro-friendly. 

[fairfarmhand]

Also, rewearing things (and teaching the family to do so) helps with laundry volume as well. Not everything needs to be washed every time you wear it. 

[Teaching3bears]

I wash sheets, towels, socks, underwear in the dryer but most of my clothes I hang on hangers on the shower curtain rod.  In the winter when it is dry they usually dry overnight or in one day.  It is very convenient to take them from the bathroom and put them directly in my closet.  Line drying extends the life of my clothing significantly and I almost never get pilling and there is less color fading.   Whenever I have hung things outside to dry they come out smelling really fresh.  So, there are many advantages to line drying that you might discover. 

[Beth S]

My dh built a drying rack with wooden supports that are mounted to our Deck Railing.

I just lean over and hang the clothes with clothes pins.

Initially, we did this b/c our dryer vents into the garage, and would rust his tools.
Now I do it b/c of preference. 

You've gotten lots of great ideas!

[Kalmia]

Oh I just remembered this caveat, the front loader I had at my last house in some way relied on the drier for all lint removal and so line drying after washing in that machine was an exercise in frustration because the clothes would come out wet, supposedly clean, and with lint that line drying is certainly not going to remove. Not all front loaders are like this. 

[Kalmia]

9 hours ago, popmom said:

 

I will not buy anything made from fleece. (Micro plastics)

Though I have some polyester clothes I will still wear until they wear out, I am no longer buying clothes primarily made of plastic (truth, there is some elastic in the waistbands of things I buy). I just saw this article about micro-plastics catchers. One is a ball that you put in the washer, the other is a filter installed outside of the washer.

 

https://www.forbes.com/sites/jeffkart/2019/02/01/science-says-laundry-balls-and-filters-are-effective-in-removing-microfibers/?sh=1c287d10e07a

[MEmama]

10 hours ago, bookbard said:

In the olden days I am pretty sure people had drying rooms - so a room kept warm and clothes would dry on drying racks. You'd have to work out whether doing that uses more fossil fuels than just using a clothes dryer every so often. Depends on how your home is heated I guess. We line dry but if things are still damp we hang them up on the curtain rods to finish them off. But it doesn't get very cold or humid here. 

In Ireland those rooms are called the hot press. It’s the room where the hot water heater is. My DS doesn’t have one in his apartment, so he and his roommates just set up a big drying rack in their common area. 
 

We use a drying rack in our bedroom year round (our washer and dryer are upstairs next to the bedrooms so it’s very convenient).

I only use the dryer for sheets, towels and blankets. If a clothing item must be dried in the dryer I wait to wash it until I have a load of towels, etc and dry them together. One drying rack was always sufficient even with three of us home. 

[Ausmumof3]

I got my first dryer the Mother’s Day before last.  We have solar and it’s lower power consumption than the older style driers but still not guilt free. In summer it’s super easy to line dry here and in winter you can use the heat from the fire.  It does feel kind of yuck when there’s tonnes of washing drying everywhere and the kids knock the racks over and it gets in the ashy stuff round the fire etc.  but it’s only a couple of months of the year.  I do love folding stuff out the dryer though - nothing needs ironing and it comes out so nice.  

[Quarter Note]

Just want to add another voice saying that it's possible to line dry all your family's clothes.  It has been years since I've run a full cycle on my dryer.

Here's the key:  Humidity is more important than temperature.  If we have a summer storm coming on a hot July afternoon, I don't wash clothes that day, but if it's a sub-freezing but dry day in January, the clothes will dry just fine. (They'll just be cold.)

And here's another trick for everyone who dries towels by dryer to get them soft:  You don't have to let the drying cycle continue to the end.  I find that popping towels into the dryer for five minutes and then taking them out to the line.  That way I've only used a little electricity, but still get soft towels.

Much success and encouragement to you, @Amethyst!

[prairiewindmomma]

Winter is our wet season here. Indoor humidity sits at about 70-75% in our house. Towels go in the dryer at least as a topoff because they do not dry properly otherwise. 
 

Even my very thin Turkish towel is often damp the next day after showering and hanging on a hook for airing. The terry cloth ones never properly air dry in winter.

We have natural gas heating—no fire to dry them by as wood fires are considered quite unclean and lead to horrid air pollution here in winter.

[Amethyst]

Thank you all for the many great suggestions. There are some things that I had never thought about. Like, maybe I don’t have to be all or nothing - hang some things, dry others. I am grateful that I have a laundry room on the first floor - I have one drying rack in there but there’s not really room for a second one. But there’s room for a second one that I can leave folded and set up on the deck on dry days. I used to hang more things on hangers and got out of the habit. I’ll try that more often again. Now, I’m off to research microplastics and solar energy for the home . Thanks for helping me save the world! 🦸‍♀️ 

[Amethyst]

4 hours ago, HomeAgain said:

Both dh and oldest ds are tall, spaghetti thin people.  When we find clothes that fit them we don't chance the dryer, so theirs are all line dried.  We have two racks in the house that sit next to radiators in the winter and under the window in the summer.  If we had more drying racks I'd line dry more in the garage.  Even then, I could not do towels here.  It would take too long and mildew would set in.

I think, though, this is one of those things that is easier to do for all the laundry depending on where you live.  For us, winters are cold and damp, and there's only so much space in the house for something that takes a long time.  There are other ways I can drive down our energy usage that work better for us:

-handwashing dishes

-wood floors to sweep/mop instead of vacuum

-shoveling snow instead of relying on the snowblower (and electric yard tools in other seasons, except the lawnmower)

-separate heating zones in the house so we can turn off radiators in unused rooms (upstairs bedrooms during the day, dropping the heat to 55-60 on the main floor at night

-one pot dinners/less processed foods

-LED lightbulbs

-on demand tankless water heater (after stretching out the old one to limp along for an extra few years)

-composting and changing to a more plant based diet

-taking advantage of the energy company's program where they send someone out to your home and assess energy consumption/provide discounts and ways to manage it better.

These are some great suggestions. I’ve been reading (and really already was aware of this) that cattle are a HUGE contributor to greenhouse gases. We already eat vegetarian at home, but I’ll occasionally have chicken at someone else's house. I’ll stop that. And I’ll try to cut back on the dairy products. Dh is much more radical on all these things than I am. I’ll have to try to be more like him in diet. 
 

We used to have 3 zone heat in a house that we had built and I loved it, but this house we live in now has only one zone. Something to think about if we ever need a new heating system. Also, I do use the programmed thermostat which is nice, and I try (and I’ll try even harder) to tolerate colder temperatures in the house by using layers of clothes. 
 

One area in my house we really need to improve is lighting. We leave lights on when no one is in the room. It drives me crazy. Hallway lights, foyer lights, living room lights. Some evenings when I come home from work, our house is lit up!! And it’s only dh and one daughter at home! I’m really trying to crack down on this and hopefully being the two of them on board with my efforts. 
 

[Amethyst]

3 hours ago, Quill said:

What do you use to wash your clothes? I was considering getting the detergent sheets (no plastic) but I haven’t done it yet. I will run out of my current laundry soap this month and want to try something more enviro-friendly. 

I would live to hear suggestion/reviews on this as well. I’ve seen the ads about the sheets and I am curious. 

[Amethyst]

2 hours ago, Beth S said:

My dh built a drying rack with wooden supports that are mounted to our Deck Railing.

I just lean over and hang the clothes with clothes pins.

Would you be willing to share a pic? This sounds like a great project for my husband! Lol

[Beth S]

48 minutes ago, Amethyst said:

Would you be willing to share a pic? This sounds like a great project for my husband! Lol

(Yes, the deck will be replaced soon.)  But I have used this system for 27 years! 

[bibiche]

Sheila Maids are on clearance at Williams Sonoma right now. They are drying racks that lower for loading and then raise back up to the ceiling, out of the way, for drying. https://sheilamaid.com

Good on you for thinking of how you can reduce your footprint! There are loads of small things we can all do to help the environment. Fly less (or not at all). Drive less. Eat less meat. Plant native trees and plants. Get rid of part or all of your lawn. Grow your own food. Support local farmers.  Don’t use pesticides or synthetic fertilizers. Don’t buy bottled water or drinks. Don’t buy liquid shampoo, soap, or detergent. The list goes on…

[Amethyst]

12 minutes ago, bibiche said:

Sheila Maids are on clearance at Williams Sonoma right now. They are drying racks that lower for loading and then raise back up to the ceiling, out of the way, for drying. https://sheilamaid.com

Good on you for thinking of how you can reduce your footprint! There are loads of small things we can all do to help the environment. Fly less (or not at all). Drive less. Eat less meat. Plant native trees and plants. Get rid of part or all of your lawn. Grow your own food. Support local farmers.  Don’t use pesticides or synthetic fertilizers. Don’t buy bottled water or drinks. Don’t buy liquid shampoo, soap, or detergent. The list goes on…

I love this Sheila Maid idea! I can't believe I've never seen this before!

I sure hope both my boys come back to PA in the next couple of years. If it wasn't for them being in Florida, I'd be happy to never fly again (or drive that drive!!) ever again!

 

[MEmama]

26 minutes ago, bibiche said:

Sheila Maids are on clearance at Williams Sonoma right now. They are drying racks that lower for loading and then raise back up to the ceiling, out of the way, for drying. https://sheilamaid.com

Good on you for thinking of how you can reduce your footprint! There are loads of small things we can all do to help the environment. Fly less (or not at all). Drive less. Eat less meat. Plant native trees and plants. Get rid of part or all of your lawn. Grow your own food. Support local farmers.  Don’t use pesticides or synthetic fertilizers. Don’t buy bottled water or drinks. Don’t buy liquid shampoo, soap, or detergent. The list goes on…

Whoa that drying rack is beautiful! And so functional for small spaces.

[Amethyst]

1 hour ago, Beth S said:

(Yes, the deck will be replaced soon.)  But I have used this system for 27 years! 

Thank you for sharing this picture! This is perfect! Our deck is higher than yours, so this would save me from going up and down steps to a clothes line that was set up in the backyard. I'll make this suggestion to dh

[kbutton]

14 hours ago, regentrude said:

Winter without snow is not a problem - clothes dry beautifully in sub-freezing temps because the air is so dry.

We use racks inside because of allergies, but I need to remember to put some racks outside in the winter for the line-dried scent. I always walked to school in the winter with long, wet hair, and it didn't have any trouble drying, though it would freeze in clumps first. 

6 hours ago, Quill said:

What do you use to wash your clothes? I was considering getting the detergent sheets (no plastic) but I haven’t done it yet. I will run out of my current laundry soap this month and want to try something more enviro-friendly. 

I am interested in hearing about detergent sheets without fragrances and such. I have some that I thought were going to be unscented, but they are not. 

5 hours ago, fairfarmhand said:

Also, rewearing things (and teaching the family to do so) helps with laundry volume as well. Not everything needs to be washed every time you wear it. 

QFT 

We hang vs. dry probably greater than 50% of the time, but we also use cloth napkins and rags, and my kids are messy. I don't hang every bit of that up because it's a lot of really small stuff to deal with. If we washed a load per day vs. doing all of our laundry at once, it might be easier to hang the small things. 

We also try to use the dryer only for as long as needed--some loads finish drying much earlier than others, so attention to how long you set the load for helps. It also helps to put something dry in with the wet stuff (for example, a dry towel or two in with the wet towels).

[fairfarmhand]

I remember something my mom used to do to help with laundry. She wore lots of slips, camisoles and such under her clothing. It seemed that this helped with laundry. She'd wash the underclothing every day, but since it was lightweight it took very little space in the laundry and dried quickly. She didn't have a ton of clothing, and doing this helped her clothes last longer as well as working on the laundry issue.

I think it was more common in past generations for laundry to be done this way. Remember in old movies where they'll show the bathroom in the evening and ladies' slips and stocking are seen hanging over the shower curtain or on the towel rack? Ladies tended to undress, wash up, put on their nightie and robe and wash out their undergarments by hand in the sink. (I remember my grandmother doing this) By morning, (I'm sure it depended on climate too.) their underclothes were clean and dry. I bet the undergarments lasted longer too since they were handwashed. 

[stephanier.1765]

The Florida sun can be harsh on clothes so we use a drying rack and sit it right under a ceiling fan (that's going anyway). It's surprising how fast clothes dry that way and there's the bonus benefit of the dryer not heating up the house.

[Rosie_0801]

1 hour ago, stephanier.1765 said:

The Florida sun can be harsh on clothes 

Same here in summer, so I line dry darks overnight and let the sun bleach my whites as much as it likes during the day.

[Hilltopmom]

We used to hang every thing inside on lines or racks  in the basement near the Woodstove in winter. Outside in summer.

clothes lines aren’t even allowed in my new neighborhood.