Some Thoughts on Hanging Laundry Out to Dry

One of the biggest bummers about living in a big city is that I don’t always get to satisfy my quaint domestic desires.  Sure, I’ve become quite adept at preserving fresh foods, making homemade cleaning products and keeping my life sweet and simple, but there are days I long for a little dirt under my fingernails.

Fortunately, during our recent trip to Wisconsin I had the opportunity to live out one of my ultimate domestic fantasies: hanging my laundry to dry. The fresh air and sunshine turned a dull duty into a real pleasure.  The soothing rhythm of down-up, down-up as I bent down to pick up clothes and bring them up to the line brought a sense of calm to my spirit.  I slowed down and intentionally enjoyed a process, rather than racing through mindlessly.

Costing an average of $85/year to operate, the dryer is second only to the refrigerator in terms of energy usage.  And, regardless of the name brand, price or model, most dryers use the same amount of energy so no “Energy Star” options exist.  Wouldn’t it be nice if we all hung dry just a few loads of laundry every month??

Sure, hang drying clothes took more of my time and more overall drying time…but sometimes it isn’t about time at all.

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5 Comments for this entry

  1. ali says:

    i appreciate your sentiments, but when line drying is the only option, its easy to wish you had a dryer too! ahhh the grass is always greener on the otherside!

  2. To this day, my mom refuses to buy a dryer. She loves drying clothes on the clothing line. She also lives in Southern California and can do it practically year round.

  3. Kelly says:

    I hang ALL of my laundry out assuming the weather cooperates (I live in Iowa). I love it! I actually feel bad putting my laundry in the dryer:)

  4. Stephanie says:

    I love line-drying my laundry! It’s oddly fun and I love knowing that I’m saving money, energy, and getting benefits from the sun’s antibacterial and bleaching properties AND is there really anything better than the smell of laundry that’s swayed in the breeze and soaked up the Summer sun all day? Way better than those fake “fresh” dryer sheets that try to mimic it! And plus the up-down-stretching motion has got to be at least a little bit of exercise for those momma abs, right?!

    Alas, we’re headed towards less favorable weather in Ohio. You’ll find me taking advantage of the line-drying option while I still can though.

    P.S. Found your blog via a link shared by Happy Family on Facebook. So glad I did!

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