Natural Laundry Drying
by Michael Smith (Veshengro)
Despite the fact that the weather in the UK and other places of the northern hemisphere may not be the most reliable we should, nevertheless, it is much better to use sun and wind to dry our laundry rather than to use of tumble dryers working with electricity and gas.
Aside from the fact that air drying of clothes and other laundry is better for the material as well as for health, it is also better for the environment, and that in more than one aspect.
Some materials, even though there is no “warning” on the label” do not handle the electric tumble dryer, or the gas ones in launderettes, too well and has, in fact, a bad effect of the fibers and causes premature ageing. No, not of the wearer but of the garment.
The rather intense heat in the dryers causes damage to the fibers, even and especially natural fibers, such as cotton and hemp; let's not even talk about wool.
Thus, if the wind and sun are obliging, and the wind can be more important than the sun even, use a line out of doors for the drying of all your laundry. The kind of line, or dryer, such as those that open up like an upturned umbrella, is up to you, the area you have available for drying and your pocketbook.
An electric dryer uses somewhere in the region of 1.5 to 3 KW of electricity and that running for an hour or two – I have tried it ones with a pair of jeans and they were, just about, dry after 3 hours – is an awful lot of electricity and thus, also, aside from CO2 emissions, money.
Personally, I line dry or, when that is not possible, use the central heating radiators in the house. The latter is also not ideal for the clothes, due to the heat, yet again, but.
And how did our ancient ones dry their laundry?
In the same way. That is to say when it was possible they hung their laundry out onto the line, or even just onto shrubs and trees, and when it was not possible to do it that way they would dry it indoors near the stoves and fire. Some built shelters by the house where they could hang the laundry despite rain to dry outside, at least to the greatest degree, even in wet and inclement weather.
What's stopping us?
Legislation, I know, in some cases and the fact that some of us live in apartment blocks in towns and cities. However, even there line drying can be made possible; they do it in Germany, where they have drying areas, or washing lines, under the roof.
© 2011
