I am afraid to say I am stuck with my dryer-electric,I do have a clothesline-but it is covered by messy sap producing pine trees,the squirrels and birds that live in them.Also the trees get visited by their insect freinds-don't want my laundry subjected to those-you would have to wash it again after drying!and the cost to saw down the trees is expensive-had a few of them cut down--at over $400 per tree including having the stumps ground(I had to fix the treemans stump grinder so he could finish)I'll stick to using the dryer.and clothes don't dry real well in the sticky humid summers out here.
A Line on Saving Energy
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Old Biddies
are the bane of Europe. It is getting better as the generation which brought us WWII is dying out (and not soon enough, thank you very much).
In much the same way as some of the older ladies around here want to keep this an exclusive club where everybody dances to their tune so many of the high septuagenarians and older here.
They really get upset when men dare to undertake "women's" tasks and if one is perceived to be an Ausländer, it is even worse.
The mayor commented on it recently, and here in my part of the city (Neuhausen) we have had every new club, bar, café or other gathering place for young people blocked since 1983, at least...and they have successfully prevented the transfer of liquor license to any new owner when an old one retired for at least that long, too.
are the bane of Europe. It is getting better as the generation which brought us WWII is dying out (and not soon enough, thank you very much).
In much the same way as some of the older ladies around here want to keep this an exclusive club where everybody dances to their tune so many of the high septuagenarians and older here.
They really get upset when men dare to undertake "women's" tasks and if one is perceived to be an Ausländer, it is even worse.
The mayor commented on it recently, and here in my part of the city (Neuhausen) we have had every new club, bar, café or other gathering place for young people blocked since 1983, at least...and they have successfully prevented the transfer of liquor license to any new owner when an old one retired for at least that long, too.
andrewinorlando
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I don't know about anyone else, but I have got so many better things to do than wait for laundry to dry on a clothesline. I do laundry at night, or early on a Saturday morning, 4 to 6 loads at a time, and I want them washed, dried and put away. My free time isn't gonna be spent waiting for clothes to dry on the line. I'd rather spend 3 hours at the park with my dog. I think it's a really nice luxury to be able to line dry, if you want to, but I'd rather do anything else besides laundry to begin with. My Kenmore gas dryer is fast, done before the washer is finished washing, the clothes are hung/folded and put away so I can be out the door! I have never noticed my clothes wear faster at all, and I keep my clothes for a long, long time (I'm cheap), but I usually dry at low temps because the washer extracts so much water to begin with. I have the yard and certainly the weather here in Florida for line drying, but it takes too long and it's too much work, to me anyway!
You don't have to WAIT for your washing to dry, you hang it up, then get on with your life and bring it back in when (a)it is dry and (b) you are home again.
really, there are some pretty lame excuses on this thread. Overhanging trees? Move the clothesline, put it under cover if need be.
I live at the highest rainfall place in this state, over two metres per year rainfall. (that is over six feet per year.)Some people joke it rains for nine months of the year and for the other three it drips off the trees. I do not have a dryer and neither do several of my neighbours. We line dry mostly, if it rains after hanging out then it is just a free extra rinse! In colder weather the clothes spend the day outside, then come in overnight to finish drying on clothes horses, we have four of them. It all dries eventually.
Chris.
really, there are some pretty lame excuses on this thread. Overhanging trees? Move the clothesline, put it under cover if need be.
I live at the highest rainfall place in this state, over two metres per year rainfall. (that is over six feet per year.)Some people joke it rains for nine months of the year and for the other three it drips off the trees. I do not have a dryer and neither do several of my neighbours. We line dry mostly, if it rains after hanging out then it is just a free extra rinse! In colder weather the clothes spend the day outside, then come in overnight to finish drying on clothes horses, we have four of them. It all dries eventually.
Chris.
I like to have the choice to either use a dryer or the line, sorry but i dont really care about my energy usage, i give myself the small luxary to wrap myself up in a fresh soft towel after a bath or shower.
I once tried the whole saving energy, and when i got my bill through the time spent saving energy vs money saved was rubbish.
Where i live if you left your clothes on line and left the house, they probably wouldnt be there when u got back lol.
Besides if you dry clothes on a airer, say in the winter you end up using more energy on home heating since warm air is attracted to damp clothes, this may not be as much as a dryer but its still using more energy which ever way you look at it.
I've never experienced more wear and tear on my clothes using a dryer, i've had some t-shirts for years that have been tumble dried time and time again and are still fine.
I think its always nice to have the choice to do what you want.
For me line drying cant beat that smell of ruby jasmine that i get when i tumble dry, i never get the smell taken away from the dryer.
I once tried the whole saving energy, and when i got my bill through the time spent saving energy vs money saved was rubbish.
Where i live if you left your clothes on line and left the house, they probably wouldnt be there when u got back lol.
Besides if you dry clothes on a airer, say in the winter you end up using more energy on home heating since warm air is attracted to damp clothes, this may not be as much as a dryer but its still using more energy which ever way you look at it.
I've never experienced more wear and tear on my clothes using a dryer, i've had some t-shirts for years that have been tumble dried time and time again and are still fine.
I think its always nice to have the choice to do what you want.
For me line drying cant beat that smell of ruby jasmine that i get when i tumble dry, i never get the smell taken away from the dryer.
electron800
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I couldnt agree more Chris
I can forgive people in colder climates owning dryers but they should only be used when things are needed in a hurry or weather is too bad and there's not enough room to hang everything around in the house. At most a compact (3kg load) dryer should be sufficient.
I can't imagine there is anybody on this site who lives in a climate less suitable for line drying than me but I don't have any problems.
You don't have to wait for clothes to dry, just go out and forget about them till you come home.
On a warm sunny day my clothes dry in about 20 minutes, much faster than my dryer could dry them.
Today isn't partucularly warm or sunny and my coloureds have dried in about an hour or so.
I think people should just give it a try.
These days I think we as a society have become too lazy with things like this and need to realise the old fashioned way isn't always harder.
I can forgive people in colder climates owning dryers but they should only be used when things are needed in a hurry or weather is too bad and there's not enough room to hang everything around in the house. At most a compact (3kg load) dryer should be sufficient.
I can't imagine there is anybody on this site who lives in a climate less suitable for line drying than me but I don't have any problems.
You don't have to wait for clothes to dry, just go out and forget about them till you come home.
On a warm sunny day my clothes dry in about 20 minutes, much faster than my dryer could dry them.
Today isn't partucularly warm or sunny and my coloureds have dried in about an hour or so.
I think people should just give it a try.
These days I think we as a society have become too lazy with things like this and need to realise the old fashioned way isn't always harder.
Lol is it really that bad to use a dryer or choose to use a dryer over a line?
Im sure the same could be said for using a washing machine over a wooden bucket and wash board / river and a rock lol
All of these appliances are here for convienance (cant spell) and to give us more free time.
But its really down to what you want to do, and how you want to spend your time.
Im sure the same could be said for using a washing machine over a wooden bucket and wash board / river and a rock lol
All of these appliances are here for convienance (cant spell) and to give us more free time.
But its really down to what you want to do, and how you want to spend your time.
I guess I really should take advantage of the California weather and line dry my clothes when I can. However, it sure as hell wouldn't make any sense having 4 vintage dryers remain static while the clothes dry out on a line :>)
I also have a problem with the clothes becoming very stiff and "harsh" when I line dry clothes that claim to be "line dry only." I use warm or hot water during the wash cycle, custom control the rinse cycle for a 5 minute rinse using warm water (instead of the typical 90 second Maytag rinse), and to top it off, I also use softener. Any advice?
I also have a problem with the clothes becoming very stiff and "harsh" when I line dry clothes that claim to be "line dry only." I use warm or hot water during the wash cycle, custom control the rinse cycle for a 5 minute rinse using warm water (instead of the typical 90 second Maytag rinse), and to top it off, I also use softener. Any advice?
Sing the chorus Andrwe. Exactly how I feel. Can anyone imagine the line space I'd need when id id my marathon BobLoad laundry? I don't think so.
We have the best of both worlds
A clothesline in the garage and one outside.
When it's dry, I hang the washing outside and even during the hot humid summers stuff still dries in 5 hours or so.
If its wet, We have a line in the garage and I hang them in there. With the heat from the car, they usually dry over night, or within 24 hours.
If I'm lazy, or I need to de-dog hair, I can use the dryer.
We have 35 meters of line and that fits 2 sets of queen sheets, 8 Pillow cases, 4 towels, 2 bathmats, 1 handtowel, 14 teatowels, 10 pairs of underpants, 10 business shirts, 8 T shirts, 3 pairs of shorts and 40 hankies without any issue.
We live in a townhouse with a courtyard and a double garage. You dont need a big block to use a line.
It probably takes 10 minutes for a full load of smalls to be hung out, and I can fold as I take it off the line. Most of our T shirts are pure cotton and need ironing regardless of whether they're tumbled or hung out.
It all boils down to what we're used to, most Aussies treat the dryer as a terrifyingly expensive thing to use and line drying either inside or out is the norm. When I was sick and using the dryer for every load, we experienced a $60 per quarter jump in our power bill. Now I hang it on the line, its dropped down again.
A clothesline in the garage and one outside.
When it's dry, I hang the washing outside and even during the hot humid summers stuff still dries in 5 hours or so.
If its wet, We have a line in the garage and I hang them in there. With the heat from the car, they usually dry over night, or within 24 hours.
If I'm lazy, or I need to de-dog hair, I can use the dryer.
We have 35 meters of line and that fits 2 sets of queen sheets, 8 Pillow cases, 4 towels, 2 bathmats, 1 handtowel, 14 teatowels, 10 pairs of underpants, 10 business shirts, 8 T shirts, 3 pairs of shorts and 40 hankies without any issue.
We live in a townhouse with a courtyard and a double garage. You dont need a big block to use a line.
It probably takes 10 minutes for a full load of smalls to be hung out, and I can fold as I take it off the line. Most of our T shirts are pure cotton and need ironing regardless of whether they're tumbled or hung out.
It all boils down to what we're used to, most Aussies treat the dryer as a terrifyingly expensive thing to use and line drying either inside or out is the norm. When I was sick and using the dryer for every load, we experienced a $60 per quarter jump in our power bill. Now I hang it on the line, its dropped down again.
andrewinorlando
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Really, there are some pretty lame excuses on this thread.
That's a pretty judgemental statement, don't you think??
I just don't like the way clothes feel coming off a line, period. They're scratchy, stiff and rough. They also don't smell so great to me, and they generally need ironing. So why would I want to lug heavy baskets of wet clothes outside and spend time hanging and removing clothes from a line, when I can throw them in the dryer in 10 seconds and be done, with far superior results? I used to hang dry my cotton shirts, until I discovered the XLOW heat setting on the Kenmore, which produces soft, wrinkle free, great smelling shirts with no shrinkage. And if I choose to leave the clothes in the dryer and go do something else, the Wrinkle Guard takes care of them for me. No ironing needed. I don't have to worry about weather, time, etc. And that's the way I want it. In a machine with the capacity of the Calypso, one would need an entire yard full of lines to accomodate the clothes that machine can wash in a single night. And did I say I refuse to lug baskets of wet clothes outside to dry them??
It's a matter of personal choice, and what suits your needs and lifestyle. Appliances are designed for convenience, and that's what it's all about for me. And with a natural gas dryer like mine, there is no particulate matter or sulphur dioxide produced in the combustion process. And the cost is negligible....at $23 per month for the gas dryer, range and water heater, to me, it's a bargain.
When it comes to laundry, I just want it done fast and right, folded/hung and put away. And a clothesline does not provide that for me. For those who can take advantage of line drying, great...do it. It's certainly a worthy option. For those who don't choose to, well, that's their choice based on their needs. As strange as it may seem to some of us here, not everyone LIKES doing laundry. I'm one of those folks!
That's a pretty judgemental statement, don't you think??
I just don't like the way clothes feel coming off a line, period. They're scratchy, stiff and rough. They also don't smell so great to me, and they generally need ironing. So why would I want to lug heavy baskets of wet clothes outside and spend time hanging and removing clothes from a line, when I can throw them in the dryer in 10 seconds and be done, with far superior results? I used to hang dry my cotton shirts, until I discovered the XLOW heat setting on the Kenmore, which produces soft, wrinkle free, great smelling shirts with no shrinkage. And if I choose to leave the clothes in the dryer and go do something else, the Wrinkle Guard takes care of them for me. No ironing needed. I don't have to worry about weather, time, etc. And that's the way I want it. In a machine with the capacity of the Calypso, one would need an entire yard full of lines to accomodate the clothes that machine can wash in a single night. And did I say I refuse to lug baskets of wet clothes outside to dry them??
It's a matter of personal choice, and what suits your needs and lifestyle. Appliances are designed for convenience, and that's what it's all about for me. And with a natural gas dryer like mine, there is no particulate matter or sulphur dioxide produced in the combustion process. And the cost is negligible....at $23 per month for the gas dryer, range and water heater, to me, it's a bargain.
When it comes to laundry, I just want it done fast and right, folded/hung and put away. And a clothesline does not provide that for me. For those who can take advantage of line drying, great...do it. It's certainly a worthy option. For those who don't choose to, well, that's their choice based on their needs. As strange as it may seem to some of us here, not everyone LIKES doing laundry. I'm one of those folks!
vintagesearch
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linedryin....
I HATE IT i do understand the energy conservation that takes place but if you have to hang clothes out as often as i do then you understand my pain! we have NO dryer i keep going back and forth that we should get one i want one, my parents NO! its a nice choice but i much prefer tumble dry it fold and put away although none of my clothes come off the line scratchy ( no i do not use alot of fabric softener either) i want to dump it in the dryer and keep walking! not pick up and place and pin, screw it! some things i dont mind linedrying like undergarments socks white t's everything else except also for the "hang dry" garments DRYER!
LOL today i had to hang some laundry and the rain kept coming out and stop back and forth with those damn racks! with a dryer that wouldnt make any difference! so now my clothes had to be put in my room on the drying racks with both fans on. They got dried but what a hassle! and i have 2 more days to do this crap!
*rant over*
muaxz
I HATE IT i do understand the energy conservation that takes place but if you have to hang clothes out as often as i do then you understand my pain! we have NO dryer i keep going back and forth that we should get one i want one, my parents NO! its a nice choice but i much prefer tumble dry it fold and put away although none of my clothes come off the line scratchy ( no i do not use alot of fabric softener either) i want to dump it in the dryer and keep walking! not pick up and place and pin, screw it! some things i dont mind linedrying like undergarments socks white t's everything else except also for the "hang dry" garments DRYER!
LOL today i had to hang some laundry and the rain kept coming out and stop back and forth with those damn racks! with a dryer that wouldnt make any difference! so now my clothes had to be put in my room on the drying racks with both fans on. They got dried but what a hassle! and i have 2 more days to do this crap!
*rant over*
muaxz
<blockquote>Toggleswitch2 said:<blockquote>eyes roll...........
~How would an acquaintance, someone you meet at the mall or a dinner gathering, etc., know that you hang-dry your laundry?
LOL when they wake up and get breakfast as well. Or perhaps the sandpaper towels!</blockquote></blockquote>
Ah, so! Thanks for the explanation. I hadn't considered that scenario, as it is, unfortunately, outside my experience.
As for hang-drying laundry, I have a large back yard with no trees, but no clothesline. I could hang over the hurricane fence at the east side, but the fence and the dogs on the other side would tear everything to shreds. Or I could hang things over the wooden fence at the back, but it's a rough finish and the black paint may stain. I have on occasion hanger-dried cotton shirts spread throughout the house.
As for machine-drying laundry, I have six dryers and can run two simultaneously.
~How would an acquaintance, someone you meet at the mall or a dinner gathering, etc., know that you hang-dry your laundry?
LOL when they wake up and get breakfast as well. Or perhaps the sandpaper towels!</blockquote></blockquote>
Ah, so! Thanks for the explanation. I hadn't considered that scenario, as it is, unfortunately, outside my experience.
As for hang-drying laundry, I have a large back yard with no trees, but no clothesline. I could hang over the hurricane fence at the east side, but the fence and the dogs on the other side would tear everything to shreds. Or I could hang things over the wooden fence at the back, but it's a rough finish and the black paint may stain. I have on occasion hanger-dried cotton shirts spread throughout the house.
As for machine-drying laundry, I have six dryers and can run two simultaneously.
conflation of "saving time" and inefficiency
For a very long time, the US did lead the world in efficiency and productivity.
That all changed years ago, but it wasn't until the internet made intercultural exchange possible that most Americans could see just how far the rest of us have progressed.
It's sometimes hard not to burst out laughing when in the 'States you get a lecture on efficiency and saving time through the American way, but, of course, we all tend to forget who saved our asses from the Nazis and the communists...
America is changing, and will quickly catch up to the rest of us. If we are honest, 99.99% of the conditions which made us develop a more technologically advanced culture no longer apply in Europe today...we just like to think they do.
For a very long time, the US did lead the world in efficiency and productivity.
That all changed years ago, but it wasn't until the internet made intercultural exchange possible that most Americans could see just how far the rest of us have progressed.
It's sometimes hard not to burst out laughing when in the 'States you get a lecture on efficiency and saving time through the American way, but, of course, we all tend to forget who saved our asses from the Nazis and the communists...
America is changing, and will quickly catch up to the rest of us. If we are honest, 99.99% of the conditions which made us develop a more technologically advanced culture no longer apply in Europe today...we just like to think they do.
andrewinorlando
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Kev -
What's so progressive about line drying??? Isn't that how the cavemen did it? So I think we've past the rest of the world with our use of automatic dryers!!
What's so progressive about line drying??? Isn't that how the cavemen did it? So I think we've past the rest of the world with our use of automatic dryers!!
Not quite the point
Progressive is a relative term. When it costs me $2.50/load to dry laundry in my own house, I prefer using the line.
Most environmentally sound decisions which we take here in the rest of the world are strongly motivated by economics...and I was trying to point that out. Americans are only now beginning to deal with the same realities we have faced from the start.
I was not bashing Americans, it is alarming to live between two cultures and see a country you love slipping ever further behind.
Progressive is a relative term. When it costs me $2.50/load to dry laundry in my own house, I prefer using the line.
Most environmentally sound decisions which we take here in the rest of the world are strongly motivated by economics...and I was trying to point that out. Americans are only now beginning to deal with the same realities we have faced from the start.
I was not bashing Americans, it is alarming to live between two cultures and see a country you love slipping ever further behind.
<blockquote>When it costs me $2.50/load to dry laundry in my own house, I prefer using the line.</blockquote>
$2.50 / 5KW (average dryer?) / 1 hr (average load?) = $0.50/KWH. Your electric service is $0.50/KWH? In that case, I'd probably line-dry, too!
$2.50 / 5KW (average dryer?) / 1 hr (average load?) = $0.50/KWH. Your electric service is $0.50/KWH? In that case, I'd probably line-dry, too!
Dan,
To deal with the stiff/scratchy line dried problem, just run the laundry through one of your four vintage dryers on no-heat air-fluff only. This takes relatively little energy, and will generally produce much softer/fluffier results. I also run bath towels through an air fluff before and after drying, 10-20 minutes each. It's not as soft as completely machine drying, but it's close enough for me.
This way you can exercise your vintage equipment and save energy, too.
To deal with the stiff/scratchy line dried problem, just run the laundry through one of your four vintage dryers on no-heat air-fluff only. This takes relatively little energy, and will generally produce much softer/fluffier results. I also run bath towels through an air fluff before and after drying, 10-20 minutes each. It's not as soft as completely machine drying, but it's close enough for me.
This way you can exercise your vintage equipment and save energy, too.
andrewinorlando
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Keven - you have absolutely no sense of humor. Don't be so serious all the time. I wasn't making a point, I was making a joke.
And I still hate line dried clothes and still refuse to hang clothes up on a line.
And I still hate line dried clothes and still refuse to hang clothes up on a line.
