by A Morris

Created on: April 04, 2009

As with any debate, there are arguments for and against both points of view. In the interests of being green, line-drying clothing does not require the use of electricity. Many tumble dryers are actually quite inefficient, particularly if they are not properly maintained. Many people find themselves air drying their clothes after they come out of the tumble dryer, or having to leave them on a radiator to dry out thick seams, pockets and zips.

Some would argue that line-drying clothes leaves them tough and brittle, but this is not the case when fabric softeners and conditioners are used. In fact, materials often last longer when they are not exposed to high temperatures on a regular basis. Given that some fabrics cannot be tumble dried, why not put all of your clothes on the line and save all that electricity?

Contrary to popular belief, line-drying does not even require harnessing the power of the sun. A dry day with a soft breeze is perfect for line-drying, and the absence of the sun reduces the risk of fading colours. To prevent colour loss, dry your clothes inside out, and this will prevent the sun from fading them.

Whilst there may be a risk of the odd bird poop going astray, you can avoid this by placing your washing line in the right place. Wiping the line regularly will prevent dirty marks being transferred onto your clothes, and by drying clothes inside out you avoid the risk of having to wash everything again.

Tumble dryers are power-hungry, require regular maintenance (cleaning and removing the fluff filter to ensure the air can circulate properly), and can be extremely noisy. Although the technology is improving, the spinning nature of the machine means that it will always have parts that will break and it cannot be noiseless. If you have a separate washer and dryer, it requires the use of even more precious kitchen space, or the use of another space because it won't fit in the kitchen! It is often the case that pets don't like the sound or vibration of tumble dryers, so they may thank you for using the line-drying method!

A tumble dryer can be useful if you need your clothes dry in a hurry. However, with proper planning you should always have time to let your clothes dry naturally without having to walk around in your undies while you wait. If you don't have a garden, you can still line-dry your clothes indoors by placing them on a clothes-horse. This indoor frame allows you to dry your clothes even when it's raining, so there's no excuse to use up all that precious energy. The key to line-drying is to make sure your clothing is laid out flat, with plenty of space for air to circulate. Make sure clothes aren't folded or bunched, and turn them to make sure they dry thoroughly. Do your bit to save energy I do!

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