Do You Ever Use A Clothesline?

I used to all the time. I still do on occasion, but these days it's rare for me to line dry clothes. If I have something really heavy that will take forever in the dryer then yeah, I'll hang it on the clothesline first. I usually throw it in the dryer for a few afterward, just to soften. I do love the scent of line dried clothes though.

 

I put a clothesline out back so that I can dry clothes and other items on sunny days. I don't always use it, but do use it especially after a trip to the beach, when I have several large wet towels, and don't want to waste energy drying them. I agree, they will sometimes end up stiff, so to soften them, once they're almost fully dry, I'll toss them in the dryer for up to 20 minutes. That way, I still save on energy, but the towels come out nice and soft and fluffy.

 

As electricity is extremely expensive and we are charged by the hour where I live - its more common to line dry the washing outside than it is to use a dryer - in fact as clothes dryers are one of the biggest energy guzzling appliances in most homes - I save a great deal of money by doing this.

I would however just say that although I do now line dry all of my washing - instead of using a dryer like I used to - I've never experienced any problems with stiffness and to be honest so long as you don't use too much detergent, use a fabric conditioner and don't dry clothes in direct sunlight there really is no reason why they should be stiff.

 

My family used a clothesline when I was a kid. I hated hanging the clothes on the line. I always seemed to run out of clothespins.

As an adult, I miss hanging my clothes on a clothesline. Yes, some of the clothes did get stiff, but I loved the smell of clothes drying in the fresh air. I also believe that clothes last longer. An electric dryers seems to do something to the fabric.

 

I use the clothesline still whenever I can, I like it better then the dryer. As for making the clothes stiff, yeah I think hanging them on the line would be better and if you use a softener in the wash helps a lot too, that is what I do.

 

We had a clothes line, but we were told by apt. management we couldn't have a clothes line any longer, so we got an indoor hanger to dry our clothes that fits on the door. I grew up with clothes line and it will make the ends of your towel stiff too. Dryers have lots of things to add for softness. Using a clothesline will make things stretch and stiff even if you use a softener.

 

I would, since quite a few of my clothes recommend line drying, but people smoke outside in my area. So I just hang my stuff in the most open space in my house. I know all about that stiffness problem, but I also firmly believe that line drying has made many of my clothes last longer than average. Basically, if the label says to line dry an item, I’ll do it.

 

I don’t currently have a clothesline but if I did I would be using it as often as I could. (weather permitting of course) Drying clothes outside is good way to cut down on energy costs for sure but I also really love the smell of clothes that have been hung outside.

When I was growing up, my Mother would hang most of the wash out on the clothesline. It was usually my job to take things off the line. To this day I absolutely adore getting into freshly made bed with sheets that have been line dried that day. In a way, having a clothesline is a luxury for me. Nice that it can save money too.

 

We have a built in clothesline at home, and I noticed that if you handwash the clothes and you did not really squeeze the water thoroughly, then it does end up drying stiffly. On the other hand, when the clothes get dried using a washing machine, there is very minimal water already and the clothes dry "softly" when you hang them in the clothesline.

 

My folks used to use the clothesline in our backyard when I was much younger, but apparently they got complaints from the neighbors for doing so, and from our city officials. There are some zoning laws in our area prohibiting it, or at least not allowing it to be visible from the street, such as in the front yard or on the sides of your house.

I don't really miss it personally, since as others mentioned, the clothes came out stiff. They would also get stretched out in the parts where the clothes hook was attached to them, so they would leave indentations in my t-shirts and other clothing. Another bigger problem we had was that beetles would often find their way into the clothing as well and you would put something on from the clothesline only to feel bugs crawling around on you.

I can't say I disagree with the zoning laws prohibiting this, even though they may seem strict. We live in a suburb area where the houses are relatively close to each other, and it is rather unsightly seeing people's underwears and bras and old sheets hanging out like that. It's also a nuisance when stuff gets blown into other people's yards, especially when they are fenced in.

 

I do think they are useful but it does depend on the weather as to whether they are practical. I am also aware that while it's cheaper, some places don't allow it. I know I lived by the beach and it didn't look good to have my laundry hanging out, so I hung it in the bathroom with the windows open or put them out at night.

I prefer an airer inside the house and to leave it next to open windows or doors. That way it stays clean and fresh and private.

 

Well hey - If that is all you pay per load - then you are very lucky.

However as the price of electricity various from country to country and therefore that cost is not universal - meaning not everybody will have the same rate - as previously mentioned - electricity is extremely expensive where I live and it does in fact cost way, way, more than than 40 cents per load here - but either way many thanks - as you've just reminded me how much I save - just by line drying my washing - which as I do a whole lot more than one load per week - amounts to triple figures off my energy bill each year

 

After being cooped up in our 6th floor apartment in England for years, where the weather is grey, wet and freezing for most of the year, YES we now use the drying line outside In England we had to put our clothes up on a clothes horse in our spare room, and they took days to dry. I used to hate that. Now we live in a very hot country where the sun is almost guaranteed 365 days a year, and take full advantage of the weather. We tend to wait until the intensity of the sun has lessened and then put the clothes up around 4pm. The sun and the breeze mean we can take them down in a few hours. But we use a lot of fabric softener and don't get any stiffness in our clothes We also use ironing water, which not only makes our clothes even softer, but makes them smell divine

 

I don't any more.

We did when I was a kid and I absolutely hated it. My clothes were always stiff or still partially damp. I spent hundreds of hours hanging and unhanging clothes. And I hated having to run out at the slight hint of rain to pull everything down after I'd just put it up. No thanks.

I like the IDEA of it, but from a practical standpoint for me personally, it's just not worth it.

 

Growing up my parent's had a clothesline in the backyard. I love the way sheets smell when they come in after being hung outside on a bright sunny day. It is the most fresh smell ever. I wish I had one now. I would totally use it to save energy costs and not have to run the dryer in the summer. My husband said his mom used to hang clothes out on the line in the winter. It must have taken longer to dry. To save money I still have a laundry rack in the basement and I'll hang up clothes to dry.

 

I love to use a clothesline! Not only does it save me money because I use less energy, but I feel like my clothes smell better when dried in the sunshine! I also like how my clothes last longer because they do not go through all of that heat!

 

I use the clothesline wherever possible. I don't actually have a tumble dryer and they cost far too much to run here in the UK so it's either the line or an indoor rack.

If you have to dry indoors then it's worth having a washing machine with the highest spin speed you can afford. The high speed spins more water out of the clothes so they don't take as long to dry.