How to Line Dry Sheets and Pillowcases

Laundry on the Line

Ah, there's nothing like crisp cotton linens dried in the sun! Line drying your laundry helps it last longer and it cuts down on your energy use, which is good both for your pocketbook and the environment.

Things You'll Need

• Freshly washed sheets and pillowcases
• Laundry basket
• A taut clothesline at least five feet off the ground
• Clothespins
• An assistant (optional)

Instructions

1. Wash your sheets and pillowcases however you like. For best results, use a gentle, unscented detergent. Start your laundry as early in the day as you can, so that it has plenty of time to dry in the sun. Depending on weather conditions and the thickness of the fabric, it can take between four and twelve hours for laundry to dry on the line outside.

2. Using a laundry basket, carry your wet laundry out to the clothesline.

3. Since flat sheets are so large, you will need to fold them in half lengthwise over a clothesline to keep them from dragging on the ground. If your set-up permits it, you can also drape them over two separate lines. This allows for more airflow between the two layers of fabric and will help your sheets dry more quickly. Secure the sheet to the line with clothespins.

4. Fitted sheets are trickier. They too may need to be folded in half lengthwise to keep them off the ground, and the elastic around the edge can make it hard to get them to hang straight. Don't worry too much about it. Straighten things out as best you can, and secure the sheet to the line with clothespins. Line dried laundry is nearly impervious to wrinkles (and who looks at your sheets, anyway?). The elastic will make the sheet billow underneath.

5. Pin the pillowcases to the line as well.

6. Later, when everything is dry, it's time to bring your linens back in. Remove the clothespins and pull your sheets and pillowcases off the line. Make sure you shake them out to remove any debris. With the fitted sheet, inspect billows created by the elastic and turn them inside out to evict any leaves or bugs hiding in there.

Tips & Warnings

• You might need two people to get large items like sheets on and off the clothesline without dragging the item on the ground. If you're working alone, loosely toss one end on the line, then put the other end up, straighten it out, then go back and straighten the first end. To take sheets off the line by yourself, drape one end over your shoulder and work your way down to the other end of the sheet.