Clothes Dryer vs. Hanging Out Clothes & Savings
For years, many people have looked down on the clothesline as an inadequate, antiquated household device. But as a result of the recent economic downturn and the increased interest in green living, more and more people are revisiting the clothesline as an alternative to the electric and expensive clothes' dryer. Does this Spark an idea?
-
Financial Considerations
-
Dryers are expensive yet convienient Energy guru Michael Bluejay estimates that the average load of laundry dried in an electric clothes dryer costs thirty-six cents. If your family does one load a day, that is nearly $11 a month in energy use. A clothesline, on the other hand, is free to operate.
Time Considerations
-
While a dryer may not save you money, it does save you time. Using a clothesline will require extra hands-on time to hang the clothes up and take them back down. The clothes may also require more time on the line then if they were dried in the drier, resulting in a much slower laundering process.
-
Environmental Considerations
-
Green living As green living becomes more popular, so does the clothesline. It harnesses the free power of the sun and does not pollute the environment as the energy use associated with a mechanical dryer does.
Clothing Considerations
-
The heat of a mechanical dryer can drastically reduce the lifespan of your clothes. Line drying is more gentle and will keep your clothes looking newer longer. In fact, some garments and fabric types specifically direct you to line dry rather than use a dryer.
Visual Considerations
-
One of the drawbacks of line drying is having your clothes out on display for the neighbors and other passersby. If this idea bothers you, consider purchasing a drying rack that can be used indoors rather than hanging your clothes outside. This is also a good idea for days when the weather is not conducive to line drying.
Community Considerations
-
If you opt to try line drying, check your local zoning and neighborhood ordinances first. Some will not allow hanging clothes out to dry. If this is the case, you may be able to appeal that ordinance because of the increasingly popularity of line drying.
-
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Clothes Line image by KateC from Fotolia.com laundry dial image by Sirena Designs from Fotolia.com 3d earth image by Zoltán Pataki from Fotolia.com
