Why do you air-dry clothes?

**Sara Noel** · 08-05-2009, 08:17 PM

A lot of people mention that they line dry their clothes, but they never mention their own reasons why they do it.

So tell me your reason.

Do you air dry them all? Only during the summer? Only some of the time?

**sunshine** · 08-05-2009, 08:34 PM

All the clothes, nearly all the time (might use the dryer a few times a year, when it's damp and I'm in a hurry).

Why?

Cost! Our electricity here in the boonies is very expensive . It costs me nearly $2/load to dry in the dryer.

Earth reasons - why use natural resources for something that I can do easily, without using power from coal, etc.?

A sense of satisfaction - I love the feeling I get when I take down a load of clothes from the lines. Plus a connection to the women of our family in generations past - I always think of my grandmother, hanging clothes, etc.

The smell in the summer - when the clothes are dried out doors.

**hotprincesscm** · 08-05-2009, 08:41 PM

I have no dryer! I live in an apartment, so I air dry all my clothes, except the few times a year I have to wash my blanket and quilts at the laundry mat! And that costs a small fortune!

**Trishagirl** · 08-05-2009, 08:42 PM

I do it just in the summer for the fresh scent that it gives the clothes. I helps with the electric bill also.

**fixer** · 08-05-2009, 10:27 PM

We started out drying clothes to save money, but it became much more than that. Like canning, baking bread, and growing your own food, it is how it used to be done. We tend to forget people got along without dryers. I don't believe not having to do it is a good reason not to do it. We use the line in the warmer months. Here that means from mid March to mid November. My wife likes some her better clothes to be dried in the dryer. Funny, the line has never hurt my Dickie work pants and Fruit of the Loom pocket Tee shirts. Since there is always a little for the dryer, we also put socks and underwear in also. We use the line for towels, everyday clothes, sheets, comforters and throw rugs. Things just feel and smell so much better after being line dried. Okay, sometimes the towels are hard and rough when first used. This is a small price to pay to share an experience with people who lived one-hundred years ago.

**stinkbug** · 08-05-2009, 10:34 PM

Several reasons....but mostly, I just LIKE to hang clothes out. I do it when weather permits, and I just like the whole experience. Dorky, I know. And it does help on the electric bill, but that is almost secondary to me. Most people who know I do this think I am nuts.....

**Karen1** · 08-05-2009, 11:05 PM

Originally Posted by sunshine

All the clothes, nearly all the time (might use the dryer a few times a year, when it's damp and I'm in a hurry).

Why?

Cost! Our electricity here in the boonies is very expensive . It costs me nearly $2/load to dry in the dryer.

Earth reasons - why use natural resources for something that I can do easily, without using power from coal, etc.?

A sense of satisfaction - I love the feeling I get when I take down a load of clothes from the lines. Plus a connection to the women of our family in generations past - I always think of my grandmother, hanging clothes, etc.

The smell in the summer - when the clothes are dried out doors.

I would have typed the exact same answer as Sunshine...LOL

Also I think less wear and tear on clothes. The dryer can beat them up and lessen the length of use sometimes.

**kaurand554** · 08-05-2009, 11:08 PM

I mainly dry my sheets and blankets out doors they smell so good....

I do not line dry my clothes because I do not have a clothes line and have not figured out how or where to put one, no tree's in the yard anymore, etc...

but have to admit I feel guilty not line drying (at least) when I see my neighbors behind me (Chinese) who both work full time and have their own homestead of a garden, and still wash their clothes in the backyard on the rack....and dry their clothes outside even in the winter....

**Karen1** · 08-05-2009, 11:12 PM

Yea I can dry way into winter in NC here. You made me laugh thinking about winter drying on the line! So many times my clothes came off the line like a popsicle..HA HA HA

Just a few mins. in the dryer and they are perfect.

I will never give up my dryer cause there are times I do need it, but I know hardly ever running it I hope it lasts forever!!

**frugalfranny** · 08-06-2009, 03:05 AM

I LOVE the smell of line dried sheets. And the smell and 'stiffness' of a line dried towel!

BUT......I don't line dry at all......I don't like bird poop on my sheets/clothes. Took the clothesline down since it was just a bird perch!

I don't use the air-dry in the dryer either.....it's a waste.

**mauimagic** · 08-06-2009, 03:18 AM

I wish we could put up a line to hang clothes - but it's not to be.

However, I do hang some clothes on hangers to dry to preserve the fabric.

I use the dryer for clothes and take them out while still damp, hang them up and thus have no need to iron.

**ladytoysdream** · 08-06-2009, 06:52 AM

I like to hang clothes outside

It's a old habit that I have.

It gives me more control over the electric bill.
Mainly here it is the warmer months that one can hang outside. I have a regular clothes line. I also have metal clothes rack bar on the deck that I use for the smaller items. In the winter, I can put this metal rack in the bathtub in the second bathroom and use it that way.
If something gets a little bird poop on it, I just let it finish drying and then wash it in the next load of clothes. And we have a lot of birds due to hubby feeding them year round.

My personal clothes I put in the dryer for about 10 minutes and then hang to finish drying. That way, I don't have to iron the blouses.

When I was growing up on the farm, my mom had us hang clothes outside all the time, even in the winter. Nothing like taking a STIFF frozen pair of pants off the line. Sometimes she took pity on us in the real cold weather , and let us hang the clothes upstairs in the house on clothes lines.

**ladykemma2** · 08-06-2009, 06:56 AM

less wear and tear on clothes. i actually don't have any significant increase in gas/electric when using the dryer.

i don't air dry towels or rags

the dishwasher is another story. i never use the thing. when i do use it regularly - it can increase my elec bill by 30 dollars a month.

**lmbaker520** · 08-06-2009, 08:09 AM

I hang dry all of my clothes. The only thing that I use the dryer for is blankets whenever I was those. I also keep the dryer unplugged when I am not using it. The big reason that I hang dry everything is to save electricity.

I have a spare bedroom with a closet that I keep empty. I hang dry all of my clothes in there. Most of them are dry within 24 hours. I know that hanging clothes to dry in the house in certain areas of the country doesn't work because of the humidity. Mine work out fine though.

**dean** · 08-06-2009, 08:13 AM

Originally Posted by frugalfranny

BUT......I don't line dry at all......I don't like bird poop on my sheets/clothes. Took the clothesline down since it was just a bird perch!

I've line dried for 35 years and (knock on wood) not a bird turd has ever graced one piece of laundry. LOL! Look out today, now that I've made this statement!
I love the smell of line dried clothes, but even in the winter I line dry in the basemant near the woodburner. Just my way of cutting costs and using what God gave us to work with.
I do own a dryer, but it seldom is even considered, except to fold laundy on top of!