Non-Electric Clothes Dryer

This picture to the right is a clothes drying rack that we bought at Harriet Carter several years ago, and use down in the basement most of the year. None of our shirts and only some pants go in the dryer - they all get hung up on this drying rack because that helps them last longer.

But that's not what we're talking about today.

You've all seen pictures of these new-fangled clothes dryers that don't use electricity. They don't even use gas. Amazing inventions, these. Thing is, they aren't new at all. They've been used for thousands of years.

Clotheslines.


Take a moment to think about it. Yes, you take the chance that a bird might poop on your clothes, but that's a rare chance. Using clothespins and a line in your backyard will help your clothes air dry. The sun will also reduce bacteria in your clothing, and will bleach whites the most beautiful clean white.

Place your clothesline over a raised garden bed, and you'll help your plants too! Your clothes will drip onto the plants below, not wasting that water for anything. When we move to the next house, we plan to have a sunroom, which will also have a clothes line over some of the plants.

Be sure to buy a good strong clothes line and lots of old-fashioned wood clothespins. (The plastic ones are cheap, and a heavy garment combined with a strong wind will tear them apart!). No matter where you live, you can start doing this today!

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Clothes lines are great. Unfortunelty, some of the local Home Owners Asses. don't allow outside clothes lines, they are "considered a sign of poverty and bring down real estate values". I have been searching for the materials to build my own as HOA has no say at my house. Stability is also a key issue with them, you want one that can be sunk a few feet into the ground to keep it from blowing over in high winds.