Line Drying Clothes

[caseysmom]

I dry lots of things in the shower that nobody uses, I don't do towels or anything like that but a friend of mine has a clothes line in her garage....

[karyn674]

He he! This feels strange to me!

Here in Malta it's the thing to do!!! I always dry clothes outside and its kind to the environment. My mom is a fixated one so she made sure to give me all the tips....even how to make your laundy look nice on the roof...

Since here summer sun is very hot we dry our clothes inside out, so the sun does not bleach the colour of your laundry.

For T-shirts and shirts, I put the pegs/pins just under the sleeve, so you don't need to iron and when you wear them it does not show ;o)

For towels, dishcloths and similar stuff I make sure to give a good over hang (this is tricky for me to explain!). Don't place the pins at the corners, because they will end up with bunny ears when dry

Anything elastic, like boxer shorts and shorts, I don't pin them on the elastic because eventually it will ruin its elasticity and it will take more time to dry.

Also remember that the time and attention you give hanging your clothes, facilitates the folding afterwards, so make sure you hang them straight not crooked and corner to corner for sheets and tablecloths.

For your washing to look nice...he he! Start with the dark colours and move to lighter grading colours.

Also very important!!! For people who live in hot climates....put sunblock on and a hat. Drying clothes on the roof can give you a sunburn!!!!

Hope you find something from the above helpful.

Cheers

[carole]

I am curious Kari, is it uncommon for people to not line dry in America,? of course most of us here also own a dryer, but it is normal to line dry here,only on bad winter days and rainy days we would use our dryer, luckily i can hang mine in the carport on rainy days, and if there is no sun i do put them on the clothes horse inside, and with my newly aquired heat pump they dry very quickly,not days like before.

I love my clothes to be line dried,they just feel better to me,gosh if i did not i hate to think what my power bill would be? eek.

[finn's mom]

I think it was common "back in the day" but I honestly couldn't tell you when it became less common here in the USA. I will say that I know more and more people who are going this route, though. I know I'm personally doing it because we have gone from two incomes to one, and I want to save money when and where I can. And not exclusively using the dryer is one of the ways I'm going to try to stretch David's paycheck. I will have way more time on my hands than I will extra money.

Thank you, karyn674, I will definitely reference your post as well as the others on this thread! My mom will be here on Thursday night, so she can give me some tips, too.

[BitsyNaceyDog]

I rarely use my dryer, I don't think I've used it at all in the past year or so. I mostly use racks. I have a big metal rack and a smaller wooden one. I like the metal one a lot better than the wooden ones. I want a line for sheets and things though, we've just never put one up. I do dry things outside even in cold weather.

My husband has a big closet in his office that doesn't really get used so I hang wet shirts on hangers and hang them in that closet (doors open for air). My mom used to hang shirts on hangers on the shower curtain rod in the bathroom.

[Cataholic]

I line dry nearly exclusively. In the winter, since my W/D is next to this huge honkin' furnace, it still works. I never gave the pin marks much thought. But, thanks to Karyn, I will now do shirts with the pins under the arms. That is a genius idea!

I iron next to nothing. I buy a lot of clothes that I consider wash and wear. I have had more than one person ask me, when seeing the clothes out back, if my dryer is broken. LOL.

[finn's mom]

I iron next to nothing.

I'm the same way. I'm planning to start ironing David's work clothes for him now that I will be at home. He used to iron his own things nearly daily, but since we moved in with his sister, he hasn't in awhile. Most of his things are "wrinkle free." I don't iron anything of my own, though.

[Daisy and Delilah]

Kari, I have actually hung shirts on hangers and hung them on the line to dry. Sometimes a pin will hold the hanger if it's breezy that day.

I had forgotten about hanging the shirts upside down.

[Edwina's Secretary]

I am curious Kari, is it uncommon for people to not line dry in America,?

Carole...many housing developments in the US have convenants that do not allow clothes lines outside.

Mine does not. I have a metal drying rack that cannot be seen from the street but being so close to the ocean it has rusted and is unusable now.

I was inspired when visiting Killearn Kitties by her clothes line that drops down from the kitchen ceiling. The light fixture made that impossible for me but a little research and I was able to find one that pulls out from the wall and is in my laundry room.

[gini]

When I lost my tree, I also lost the clothes line

But I used to put a small piece of cloth under each clothes pin (spring type) and that prevented the clothes pin mark from happening.

Maybe cut up one of the diapers into little squares???

I also hung shirts by the hems.

[Daisy and Delilah]

When I lost my tree, I also lost the clothes line

But I used to put a small piece of cloth under each clothes pin (spring type) and that prevented the clothes pin mark from happening.

Maybe cut up one of the diapers into little squares???

I also hung shirts by the hems.

This is a great idea!! I never thought of anything so clever. Back in the day, when we used to line dry all the time, I wish I would have known that.

[finn's mom]

I like the idea of the little cloth between the pin and the item! I'll have to cut up one of the prefolds and use it for that purpose. So far, I've had great luck with the clothes I've hung. I just can't get over how cute the baby clothes look hanging outside. They are so stinking tiny! I just got a package yesterday with some newborn sized onesies, and they are unbelievably small! I'm taking one of them to the hospital with us as an option for Clara to come home in, just in case she doesn't fit in the other thing we chose.

I have had good luck so far with pinning shirts under the arm where all the seams meet, great idea! And, several things I've hung by the tags or by the drawstrings (like David's gym shorts). I love the clothes line!