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.
