How to Hang out Laundry on a Freezing Day
By paigea
@paigea (35823)
Canada
December 1, 2015 1:55pm CST
Put laundry basket inside the door. Put on jacket and slip on boots. Pick up one large item or a couple of small items and shake them out ready to hang.
Go outside and hang them up. Return to house, let fingers warm up then repeat the process. It's easy to dress warmly enough to be outside but I can't manage to hang up the laundry with gloves on.
I live in Alberta where the climate is dry and where the wind usually blows. So as long as the temperature is going to get close to 0 C (freezing) laundry will dry. But it takes all day so I have to get it out there while it's still below freezing.
This is my little contribution to cleaner air. Alberta produces half its electricity by burning coal.
24 people like this
26 responses
@antonbunot (11092)
• Calgary, Alberta
1 Dec 15
I am doing that, my friend . . but my housemates (wife, son, and his wife) are not. You wont believe it, we pay $300 plus for electricity alone. 
3 people like this
@antonbunot (11092)
• Calgary, Alberta
1 Dec 15
@paigea I know. Our oldest son and his wife sold their house and came to live with us. They have 3 kids . . . and they keep washing their dirty clothes 3 times a week . .
1 person likes this
@bunnybon7 (50973)
• Holiday, Florida
3 Dec 15
great plan. I remember back when I was young in Ohio, I had the same thing to do. and they would freeze solid to the line a while. but I got it done and believe it or not I missed the days I could and was able to do it.2 people like this
@jillybean1222 (6408)
•
2 Dec 15
i miss the days when my mom hung out the laundry
2 people like this
@ElizabethWallace (12074)
• United States
2 Dec 15
Most Californians do not hang laundry. I cannot remember seeing anyone do this for decades. In some communities, it is against the rules.
1 person likes this
@hereandthere (45651)
• Philippines
2 Dec 15
@elizabethwallace against the rules to hang laundry out to dry? why?
1 person likes this
@ElizabethWallace (12074)
• United States
3 Dec 15
@paigea When I was a kid hanging laundry was common, but as neighborhoods became nicer, people didn't want to look at other people's undies and the like.
2 people like this
@zebra2222 (5269)
• United States
18 Jan 16
You are doing your part as far as conserving energy. Good for you.
1 person likes this
@infatuatedbby (94921)
• United States
14 Feb 16
It doesn't get that cold here so we can air dry outside year-round. 
1 person likes this
@BelleStarr (61047)
• United States
10 Dec 15
I don't have an outside clothes line and haven't had one in 40 years. I do have one at my cottage and I love drying sheets outside.
1 person likes this
@HebrewGreekStudies (1646)
• Canada
24 Dec 15
We try and do it as much as possible, our electric rates are...insane high here.
1 person likes this
@brokenbee (11090)
• Philippines
1 Dec 15
We do not have winter but I also find it hard to dry clothes during rainy days in my country.
1 person likes this
@brokenbee (11090)
• Philippines
1 Dec 15
@paigea yes. We have to dry them up fast or else, they will smell awful.
1 person likes this
@shaggin (71678)
• United States
17 Aug 16
I think this is so amazing that you do that! I would never do that so you are a more kind person caring about clean air to go to such trouble. Here if I put a wet towel outside at 0 degrees it would get hard as ice and then whenI bring it in to thaw it would still be just as wet.
@41CombedaleRoad (5952)
• Greece
5 Dec 15
I can remember when it was so cold in England that the clothes used to freeze on the line, usually in some contorted shape. That was before we had spin dryers so clothes had quite a bit of water in them. I can't remember that happening in England now for a long while, maybe in Scotland the clothes still freeze on the line.
@PainsOnSlate (21854)
• Canada
4 Dec 15
Yikes I didn't realize Alberta uses coal, most of Ontario (to my understanding) is gas and solar. I could be wrong, now I'm going to have to look and find out. i love my dryer. i have a clothes line but only for special things...
@PainsOnSlate (21854)
• Canada
5 Dec 15
@paigea we are the first to go clean in North America. One year ago the last coal plant was closed. The process started in 2000.
1 person likes this
@paigea (35823)
• Canada
5 Dec 15
@PainsOnSlate Rachel Notley is our first Premier to talk about phasing out coal. The previous Premiers defended Alberta's clean coal. Notley is being condemned by the opposition and media.
1 person likes this
@shellyjaneo (1081)
• United Kingdom
10 Dec 15
There is no way the clothes would dry hear in the winter as it is always too damp x
@fishtiger58 (29823)
• Momence, Illinois
9 Dec 15
I have seen laundry hanging out to dry in the winter, often wondered does it really dry. Now I have my answer.
1 person likes this
