Put Your Laundry Outside to Dry

It's one of the easiest ways to conserve energy, lower your utility bills, and keep your house from heating up:  hang your laundry out to dry.

But did you know that many communities ban laundry lines? 

Winnipeg Free Press published this story about speaking out for Laundry Line Rights.

Ever since dryer sheets took the place of the summer breeze, clotheslines seemed to have gone the way of the porch radio — quaint traditions of previous generations, now confined to black-and-white photos and period films.

But a recent movement has tied the clothesline to one of today's most pressing issues and, quite possibly, made the line a hip place for clothes to dry. Members of "Right to Dry" groups, popping up nationwide, are touting the clothesline as an easy way to go green: It cuts the need for energy-gobbling electric dryers.

Read the full article on their website.  

You can support this growing movement by visiting sites like this one, Project Laundry List, and then stock up on clothes pins and go outside for some fresh air while you hang up your t-shirts.  In addition to all the benefits we've already listed, your clothing will smell great (who needs dryer sheets?), and Mr. Sun up there is the world's best bleach alternative. 

Additional Resources

Fine Lines: A Celebration of Clothesline Culture

by Cindy Etter-Turnbull (aka Mrs. Clothesline)

Betty's Book of Laundry Secrets
by Betty Faust, Maria Rodale

Talking Dirty Laundry With the Queen of Clean
by Linda C. Cobb

The Clothesline

Irene Rawlings and Andrea Vansteenhouse