So I haven't crunched the numbers, but it stands to reason. If you aren't running your dryer, then you are saving money. I watched how many times my kids would toss their clothes in the dryer just to de-wrinkle them. It got me thinking what a luxury item a clothes dryer really is. It is one of the biggest modern conveniences that we take for granted. But really, how much do we actually NEED to dry our clothes that way? Electric dryers have only been around for about 100 years. What were people doing before that? They used a clothesline. You can install one from Home Depot for about $100, then it is free after that. If you don't have a yard, there are folding stands, and wall mounts. There are several ways to dry your clothes without having to run utilities. I am curious if anyone here already does this, and if so, what savings have you noticed?
I line dry clothes when the weather permits during the summer. That's only two and a half months. There's only a couple of times my electric bill decreased and to me that was okay but no cigar. During that time the air conditioning may be on so what would be the savings in one area are ate up in another. So why do I still do it? There's no dryer sheet or fabric softener that can match the fresh scent of line dried clothes and linens.
This is something I have done my entire life. Some find it strange that I still line dry my clothes. To me, it's well worth the extra effort. I haven't done the math, but I imagine the money I save isn't a whole lot. But still, that's extra money saved!
In my case, line drying my clothes saves me physical money that I can see. My apartment building has coin operated washers and dryers, and I pay for one less load if I line dry my clothes after washing them. But when I lived at my ex's house ,we still line dried clothes because one consumer website calculated that you save $1.08 in energy costs by line drying your clothes. So if you do three loads of laundry in a day, you're saving ,like $3.30, in a laundry day by line drying.
When I first moved to this townhouse I was thrilled to have a washer and dryer supplied to me. But over time I started seeing that I wasn't saving much over the Laundromat. My landlord graciously installed a clothes line for me. I figured the electricity to dry was running me 60 cents a load, so the line really saved money. I live in the north, so the line can only be used about 7-8 months a year, but it does help the budget.
It all depends. Some people have the space to hang their clothes, and some don't. It's also weather permitting. Perhaps you need clothes dried fast because it's been a long day and you don't have the patience to hang your clothes to dry. Also, we should consider other reasons why you would use a dryer, such as using it to shrink clothes. However, I also hang my clothes to dry, so I completely agree that this is an effective money-saving method.
This is new to me because my family always dries our clothes like this. Definitely a great way to save $ and save the environment too while you're at it. Obviously though it depends because drying your clothes outside isn't really a viable thing to do in some parts of the world.
I only ever use a dryer if I have to, for example there is no room or it's so cold. I trued to dry things at a friend house once but the clothes were iced over. I don't like tumble drying as it has shrunk and ruined some of my clothes, but when you are in a dorm or an apartment, you don't have a choice at times. Fragile items I will never put in, but I prefer to air them in the house overnight whenever possible.
