Clotheslines

1. Over its lifetime a typical machine dryer costs over $1500 to operate, not counting the cost of the unit itself. Typical clothesline operating cost: $0.

2. Your favorite clothes last twice as long if you dry them on a clothesline. Dryer heat and abrasion wear out your threads, shrink your expensive jeans, and fade your colors. The biggest side effect of clothesline drying is that your clothes smell sweeter.

3. The sun whitens and disinfects naturally. By using a clothesline you can usually skip bleach altogether, saving your skin, your clothes and your environment. A bleach-free diaper is softer and safer for tender behinds.

4. Umbrella clotheslines maximize outdoor space, requiring only a single pole. You can stay in one spot and rotate the umbrella as you fill it. When it's full, it looks festive.

5. Before buying a retractable clothesline, measure the space where you want to put it. Buy a unit that can hold a little more line than your space will allow.

6. Cotton clotheslines are cheaper, but they can stretch out over time. Nylon and acrylic synthetic lines last longer and are ultimately more economical.

7. When choosing a location for your outdoor clothesline, consider the view for you and your neighbors. Avoid areas where children will play. An out-of-the-way location makes everyone happy.

8. The breeze softens and freshens, but it's the sun that dries and disinfects. Get maximum sun exposure by running your outdoor clothesline on a north-south line. Avoid trees: they drip sap, and animals in trees drip other stuff.

9. Before hanging items on the clothesline, give them a "snap." It pulls wrinkles out, straightens the material and shakes off excess moisture. They'll dry faster and smoother.

10. Hanging laundry on an outdoor clothesline isn't a chore. It's a chance to get outdoors, relax in the sun and meditate, surrounded by the fresh breeze and the sweet smell of clean clothes.