If everyone in the US used a clothesline

If everyone in the US used a clothesline instead of a clothes dryer

by Michael Smith (Veshengro)

According to some reports if everyone in the United States would use a clothesline instead of a clothes dryer enough electricity could be saved to permit ALL of the nuclear power stations to be shut down.

Electricity and gas run (no, not gasoline run) clothes dryers also are not, so I understand, all that good for your clothes and, in fact, it is reckoned that the reduce the lifespan of your clothes by about two third.

The problem with line drying is that sometimes it does rain and, in addition to that, that in some parts – in the great majority of places it would appear – in the USA it is actually against zoning laws and even state laws to dry clothes outdoors (on a line or otherwise).

As to the rain issue that can be overcome in a couple of ways and the best one is a drying port, much like a car port, where you have your line under cover. Even in apartment blocks one can line dry as the Germans prove with their drying lofts in most apartment buildings.

As said, German apartment building, in the main, have drying lofts for use by their residents and some blocks also have areas outdoors where residents can hang their laundry.

Nothing, as far as I am concerned, beats drying laundry out of doors and I love to fall into bed onto sheets fresh from the line. They simply smell like nothing else in this world. There is no detergent or fabric softener or dryer sheet that can duplicate that scent and it is a natural scent without any chemicals.

And, for small loads of laundry, or for drying on the porch, get a drying rack.

© 2012