by Julie Spaur

Created on: April 15, 2009

Although I live in the city now, I was a country girl until I went to college. One of the things I miss most about living in the country is the fresh smell of line dried clothes! Even in the winter, if it was a warm enough day, my mom would have the clothes hanging out to dry at least for awhile, then if they didn't get as dry as needed, she'd put them in the dryer for a little while to finish the job once it got too dark and cold again.

Line drying is much better than gas or electric drying clothes for a number of reasons. The fresh smell can never be duplicated, even though the detergent and fabric softener manufacturers keep trying.

Another obvious reason for line drying versus using the dryer is that it is more economical. A dryer, whether electric or gas, can run up the utility bill pretty fast if used often. The expense is even worse if you are a college student or apartment dweller and don't have access to a "free" dryer. Those coin operated washers and dryers, while a godsend to anyone who doesn't have access to their own machines, can sure eat up any pocket money in a hurry!

I remember living in the college dorms and later, in various apartments where using the Laundromat was the only option. I was always trying to dredge up enough quarters to do a couple loads of clothes, and inevitably, the clothes were never dry after one dryer cycle, so more change always needed to be found, otherwise, I was walking back home with a heavy basket of half wet clothes.

With so much interest in green living now, using a clothes dryer that uses electric and natural gas is less than desirable if one is trying to live more "green." It is also better for the clothes, as hanging them to dry keeps them looking newer longer.

Since I have had my own home, I have tried to dry clothes on the line outside while in the city, but the smell just isn't as fresh as I remember from the country, plus I just have a mental image of all the dirtiness of the city getting into my clothes. I still try to line dry as many clothes as I can in the house, however. I have a basement that is not used for anything but laundry and storage, so I have a makeshift clothesline hung in a convenient, out of the way space near the washer.

Unless I am in a hurry, most of my clothes get hung up on the line to dry. I leave them there overnight and they are dry the next day. The fresh smell isn't there, but I do save pennies from not using the dryer, and am also extending the life of my clothes at the same time.

If you don't have a basement, you can still hang your clothes to dry. Invest in a wooden drying rack and do one load of clothes at a time. Clothes hung on a drying rack won't dry as fast as hung on a clothesline, but they will dry in about a day.

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