Do you line dry your clothes?

@taface412 (3175)
United States
March 30, 2009 10:33pm CST
I started doing this because my heating element went out in my dryer, but I think i will continue to do this when the weather is nice. I notice that my clothes smell much nicer, I am a smoker and even though I use dryer sheets sometimes they still smell like smoke. But now that I hang them outside they get aired out completely and smell completely fresh. My comforter lasts longer with a fresh smell also by hanging it outside to dry. Also I know I am helpign conserve energy (green living) and save on my electric bill a bit. Next month I should know exactly how much is in savings by doing this. How about you?
5 people like this
35 responses
• United States
31 Mar 09
i used to hang my clothes out on the line. i live in south florida so the weather is usually nice for it but after a while i started noticing a few things. i started finding lots of different types of bugs i was bringing to the house in my clothes, aka spiders and such, and in florida, thats bad. we have alot of deadly spiders here. i also noticed that after a little while of doing this, my clothes started to fade, badly. the elastic in my socks would go brittle. i had to go out a buy all new socks. my jeans actually became crunchy. never a good thing. i actually have had alot of my clothes ruined from hanging them out on the phone over the course of just a few months. you could do this with your sheets and i probably would if i had the room to do it where i live now, but as far as anything that i like to wear on a regular basis, i stick to my dryer. i just recently purchased an energy star dryer from kenmore and i notice about a $20 difference on my electric bill.
@sbeauty (5865)
• United States
31 Mar 09
No, I would never line dry anything. I grew up in a time when everything was line dried. I hated the scratchy sheets and articles of clothing. When we finally got a clothes dryer, I was ecstatic. I loved how soft it made everything. Even though my mother still likes hanging her sheets outside, I've never had any desire to do so. Even though clothes that hang outside smell nice, I'm not willing to give up my softness for the smell.
• United States
1 Apr 09
Finally I was searching for someone to disagree about line drying! I absolutely hate it! I live in Egypt and for two years I did not have a dryer...it was the worst. If anything I think the clothes smelled worse...maybe it is just the air here. Also my towels and sheets were not soft at all. My jeans were the worst, so itchy! We have a dryer now and I could not be happier, the clothes are soft and smell great! Not sure what kind of soap and fabric softener everyone else is using, but my clothes feel and smell 100 times better when they come out of the dryer.
@aweins (4199)
• India
10 Apr 09
hi my dear feind, i use my dryer but i then too line dry my clothes. i think they have a feel of more freshness and i love that more. i little sunlight gives more brightness to the white clothes i believe . it may not be trye but i feel it that way and i always put then in sunlight for sometime. when it is rainy out sidethen i use dryer and i put them to iron but if the weather is good out side i prefer to put them in a line and dry them in ther sun too. it is very much true that by drying them out in the sun is conserving energy, and one should think on that part al;so. i fully believe in it, but there is no option in rainy season when thge weather is so bad and having a babay at home means , a hell lot of clothes in a single day.
• United States
1 Apr 09
I use a dryer.
• India
10 Apr 09
Yes, it is good in rainy days as well. At last it give good smell to us. Apart from that it saves our cloths from pollution as well.
• United States
10 Apr 09
Nope, I love the dryer =)
@Calais (10893)
• Australia
1 Apr 09
Yes I do and love it...And yes its a cheaper.
@tjburcham (690)
• United States
31 Mar 09
I use my line as much as possible. I find it relaxing to be outside and it helps keep your upper arms in shape. I sometimes leave cloths on the line and let the rain give them another rinse. Cloths hanging outside makes a fun activity for the grandkids running through them. The benefits seem to out way the slight hassle of lugging the wet clothes up the stairs from the washer.
• United States
1 Apr 09
I like the freah smell of line dry clothes also. The clothes last longer I think when you don't put them in a clothes dryer. I do save on my electric bill.
@Shar19 (8231)
• United States
1 Apr 09
I love to dry my clothes outside on the clothes line. I just did it yesterday since it was so nice out. I love the smell that it gives the clothes and then bringing them inside and they are all clean and fresh smelling. The only problem is that it leaves the towels a bit too crisp. I like my towels to be soft.
• United States
1 Apr 09
I don't have an outside clothesline, but I do dry my clothes on a rack in my house. I wish I had a clothesline to get that breezy scent and fresh feel, and I hope to have one in my next place. I like to air dry my clothes because it helps keep their shape, and uses a lot less energy (equaling a money saver for me!) The only downside is that it isn't as helpful with removing wrinkles and it's not always fast enough! Luckily, I have a dryer for those times I need a boost...
1 Apr 09
I love the smell of clothes that are dried outside I have been doing this for years. No chemical softner can reproduce that smell and they rot your clothes . I have been drying my clothes outside for years. mgraham126
@katebell (80)
1 Apr 09
i do the same since i got my own place i have been drying my clothes outside and it really dose make them smell lovely as i am a smoker too, theres only one thing i dont like if you dont us softner they can go stiff and it can spoil the shape of the clothes and like what has happend to me a few times is them pesky little birds making a mess all over them. you will see a real differance in your energy bill.
@phoenix79 (302)
• United States
1 Apr 09
I use to line dry clothes. that has to be the best way to dry clothes. They smell good like a fresh breeze. There is also a lot to be said about putting on a shirt straight out the dryer on a cold day. So in the summer on the line, In the winter in the dyer.
@benhilo (871)
• Tripoli, Libya
31 Mar 09
I use to but where I live I can't. It is the most "green" way to dry them. And to me they smell better!
@bamakelly (5191)
• United States
31 Mar 09
I don't have a dryer but I do have a washer machine that I am grateful for. I don't really mind not having a dryer because I hang dry my clothing on hangers in my house. It seems that they are a little fresher from hanging them instead of drying them in a dryer. Saves on electric anyway. That might be a good thing that you have going where your hanging clothes is concerned. It is a shame about the heating element in your dryer however you could be saving a little more money at this point by putting your clothes outside. It is also nice to wash a comforter that smells fresh later on by drying it in the air outside. Going green is something that a lot of people should be trying to take an active part in. Saving the environment is so crucial in this world.
@Canellita (12029)
• United States
31 Mar 09
I have a lot of clothing that I do not put in the dryer to prevent shrinking. I don't hang it outdoors though because there are too many odors like smoke and other things I don't want my clothing to smell like.
• United States
31 Mar 09
Hanging your clothes out on a line to dry is a wonderful way to not only get them smelling better, but to save money as well. Of course, since they're outside, there is always that chance that they will be damaged or ruined by nature. So many things can go wrong there.
@luvmysons (497)
• United States
31 Mar 09
I dont hang everything on the line but alot of things I do.. It does always smell so nice. You do save some money on your electric bill. It surprises me how much money it costs to run your dryer.. Its insane
@TokaAtef (39)
• United Arab Emirates
31 Mar 09
...We have always line dried our clothes. My family I mean. And I am sure when I live on my own I'll do exactly the same thing. As you said, it saves money, as well as smell WAAAAY better. But it get bad when there's rain or wind...XD