Sunday 2 April 2017

Dryer or Hang to Dry?

Are you a toss it in the dryer kind of person, or do you hang your clothes to dry? I am definitely in the second category. In the summer months, I use my very long clothes line and hang my clothes, as well as bedding and pool towels. But as you know, summer is just a couple of months here (or so it seems), so clothing gets hung up inside the house.

I've had two drying racks for years: one that is wooden and folds out like an accordion, and one that is metal and is similar to the wooden one, but much smaller. The wooden one is nice and big, but the little metal one is pretty small and the wires are small and slippery. Things tend to slide off.

So, yesterday, I went out and bought myself a new wooden drying rack. I had been looking around for a while and saw many plastic / metal ones. Most of them folded out horizontally and would take up much more space when being used than the kind I already use. One kind was actually heated! I did consider that one for a moment, but thought not. I ended up buying quite a substantial one that is almost as tall as me when it is unfolded. Here it is with a load of laundry drying on it.

By the way, that's clean laundry that I'm airing in public! I tend to hang dry my clothes because I think a lot of items shrink in the dryer. I also think it saves a lot in electricity, not running your dryer all the time (electricity is quite expensive for us).

My husband throws everything in the dryer. My son does as well, except for his "good jeans". Sometimes I find my drying rack set up with just his two pairs of jeans hanging there. When my daughter lived at home more frequently, she would hang yoga pants and other exercise type gear.

I absolutely love the scent of sheets dried outside. It is supposed to be a nice day today, perhaps I'll wipe down the clothesline and rid it of its winter grime and  throw in a load of bedding to hang up later outside.

I know there are some urban communities that do not allow clotheslines, to keep the area more aesthetically pleasing. Heaven forbid someone should use a good breeze and sunlight to dry their laundry! What about you?  Dryer or hang to dry?

34 comments:

  1. Outside lines in the spring/summer/fall, dryer in the winter. I do have a lovely wooden drying rack I bought at a farm auction a million years ago and the thing was built to last! I would use it in the winter if I could find a place to store it in the house proper (it's in a storage area upstairs off my hubby's office) between laundry days. I actually like the process of hanging everything out on lines -- towels go with towels, underwear goes with underwear, etc. Laundry hung outside says "good weather" to me!

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    1. If you live in an urban area, you are most likely to face issues of not having adequate space to dry your clothes. While the conventional driers might help you in solving these problems, sometimes they are harsh on clothes that are made from delicate fabrics. To help you save space while still maintaining the integrity and quality of your clothes, you can use wooden clothes drying rack. wooden clothes drying rack

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  2. I tried to hang someone inside but I didn't like it

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  3. I am a combo woman, although I do not have a clothesline, I use my wooden fold up dryer on the patio. Mostly I use the electric dryer until almost dry & then hand to dry inside. Don't get me started about hydro costs! Most weekends are spent benefiting (loose term)from the low hydro rates to run the dryer. I'll say no more.

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  4. I use the dryer exclusively in the winter with a few exceptions but spring and summer and fall (I'm in California) I use the clothes line except for jeans. They get stiff.

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  5. I'm a dryer person, but I love the smell of things that dry outside. My two dogs would grab our clothes off the line and share with the whole neighborhood. Have a great week!

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  6. We wear a lot of fleece in this house so lint is a big problem. I throw the garments into the dryer for about ten minutes and then put them on a drying rack pretty much identical to yours. We have to take the clothesline down during the winter because the ice coming off the south facing roof with tear it out of it's moorings. I think I'm going to go out with a shovel and dig it out of the snow this afternoon. I have a load of sheets to dry!

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  7. I must confess I use the dryer out of laziness. I do love the scent of fresh line dried bedding and clothes, however. Sometimes I put our big comforter out along the fence to dry in the sunshine and breeze.

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  8. A bit of both for me.
    I also use my washer/dryer on the not peek hours.
    I usually hang most of my sweaters and tshirts, as if they shrink, I will be annoyed...to say the least!
    Not a fan of towels on the clothesline...not as soft as I would like them.
    Our sun is coming and going here this afternoon...but I did get the back yard raked!
    enjoy your day!
    Cheers!
    Linda :o)

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  9. First thing I did when we got back to our French home was to hang a load of washing outside in the sunshine. Hang to dry every time for me.

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  10. I'm definitely like you. I use the dryer about...two or three or four times a year. Give or take a few times. Or when absolutely necessary. I prefer our clothes to dry naturally instead of the dryer. Personally I think those clothes line rules in some communities are ridiculous.

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  11. I've been hanging all of our laundry since March 2010 when our dryer broke. I also have an Amish wooden drying rack that is even larger than the one you bought and a smaller metal one I've had since college. I actually like to hang laundry, especially during the spring and summer months when I can hang it all outside. The only problem, of course, is when someone needs an article of clothing without giving me enough notice to get it washed and dried on the line. I've had children using the hair dryer early in the morning before school to get a uniform dry.

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  12. As it stands right now, here are the results:
    mostly dryer - 3
    mostly hang to dry - 5
    mostly both - 3
    I suspect geography is part of this answer. The only people I know who hang laundry out during the winter months are some Mennonite and Amish people who live in the surrounding area.

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  13. We often hang clothes but our nice big drying rack fell apart last summer after years of use. We have an umbrella one in the yard during the warmer months. But we have been looking for a drying rack like your new one! Where did you get it?

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    1. We used to have an umbrella one at our very first house. I bought this one at a large hardware store called Home Hardware, here in Ontario. It is Canadian made. We also can get similar ones made by Mennonite craftspeople at various locations. I'm thinking there are very few Mennonites in England?

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    2. I will check out Home Hardware here. It's a great rack! I'm in Canada so I hope I can find the same one. 🇨🇦

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    3. Is it Natura brand item #4426-535?

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    4. Oh, DUHHH! I knew you were in Canada, sorry I was thinking of another blogger (she's in England). I have thrown out the tag / label it came with. I know it wasn't Natura. I just said St. Jacob's on it (but that's the headquarters of Home Hardware). There was a slightly smaller one, also wooden, nice heavy duty dowels, I could have bought that one, I just wanted more drying space. Hope you find one. We also have a big market, very rural, sells livestock, produce, baked goods, etc. There's always a display of wooden stools, potato bins, and drying racks.

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    5. I'm thinking of getting the one I mentioned. Quite expensive but itt should last.

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    6. Honestly, this one was $83 plus tax and I am pretty frugal!! I've had my other wooden one for YEARS and I use these drying racks weekly, so I'm sure I'll get my money's worth. Besides, it's a mere drop in the bucket compared to electricity prices.

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  14. Hang dry, definitely. I've used my spin dryer maybe five times in the last twenty years, just for emergencies.

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  15. I love hanging the clothes over the deck. And the bedding. We've had a mild winter by me, so even sometimes in the winter, I was able to let the bedding dry outside. The best thing, ever :-)

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  16. I am a hang dry kinda person - mostly in the summer though. In the winter I do use my dryer. And you are right - sheets dried outside smell wonderful! The scents of life are amazing!

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    1. Hi Tracy, thanks for visiting my blog (I don't think I've seen your name before). I went to go visit your blog, but one didn't come up when I clicked on your name. Let me know if you have one :)

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  17. Love to smell clothes from the outside line, but in the city, it is all dryer.

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  18. I am definitely the hang-on-the-drying-rack type, as I refused to replace my dryer when it died.

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  19. Outside on the line in the summer; pants, jeans & husband's shirts on the line in the basement in the winter.

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  20. Mostly a dryer person at home; in the summer, I might use the line. I love seeing it blow in the breeze but in Michigan you aren't going to be drying outside most of the year!

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  21. I have to say that we always use the dryer and bounce drying sheets to have the clothes smell fresh. I've never lived where people dried their clothes on a clothesline... although maybe mom did when we were growing up. If so, I don't remember. I do put dish towels and pot holders to dry on top of my Aga...

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  22. Hi Jen, I wanted to stop by to tell you how much I appreciate your prayers for my surgery last Monday. Diana posted a prayer request on her blog and I am full of gratitude! I am slowly recovering but wanted you to know how very much I appreciate you thinking of me. :-) Looking forward to following your blog and getting to know you better. Have a great week

    blessings,
    Jill

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  23. Both, towels, bedding, socks,undies get the dryer. Good work clothes and stuff I don't want to fade or shrink get hung to dry. I need a clothesline for our summer month. I think Alberta summer is about as long as Ontario summer. haha

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  24. Makes sense Jill. I never had luck with towels on the clothesline. My mom and grandma always used the clothesline.

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  25. dryer maybe every ten days when I do the towels.

    I have lines up in the basement for those months I can't use the outside lien

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