Healthy Living

REDISCOVER THE ART OF HANGING LAUNDRY

More and more people are turning to the lost art of hanging their fresh laundry outdoors to dry naturally. Not only is it easier on the planet, it can save you about 6% to 9% on monthly energy costs. And there is no commercial product in the world that can truly replicate the divine fragrance of fabric that has been dried in fresh air and sunshine.

Here are some tips to help you get started.

• Choose a system that works with your space. You can use a single line that pulls out and retracts from a mounted unit on the house, or string up some lines between trees in your yard, or simply buy an umbrella-type clothesline that can open and shut. In any case, a hanging basket for holding clothespins will make the job quicker and easier on your back. Simply slide the basket along the clothesline as you go.
  
  
• Wooden clothespins last longer than plastic ones. Whether you use wooden or plastic, do not leave your basket of clothespins outside to weather. Wooden pins will develop mildew that will stain your clothing, and plastic pins will rust at the hinges, which also stains clothes.
  
  
• It’s ideal to have part of your clothesline in the sun and part in the shade. Whites and light colors do well in the sun, and in fact can be brightened by it. Darks, especially reds and blacks, may fade, so hang them in the shade or indoors on a drying rack. If you must dry dark colored items in the sun, first turn them inside out.
  
  
• Position your clothesline so the breeze blows across it.
  
  
• Shake out wet clothes with a firm snap before hanging to eliminate some of the wrinkles immediately.
  
  
• Hang shirts by their tails to avoid shoulder bumps, or easier yet, hang them on hangers that are clothes-pinned into place to avoid slipping off.
  
  
• Hang trousers by the cuffs or hems. For quicker drying, line up the pant legs next to each other on the line instead of facing each other.
  
  
• Sheets can be draped over the line in half. Comforters and blankets ideally should be draped evenly over two parallel lines, with a droop in the middle.
  
  
• For modesty’s sake, underwear and delicates can be hung on the interior or middle clothesline, with sheets on the outer line to screen them from public view.
  
  
• Socks can be hung by the toes in pairs.
  
  
• Dresses do well when hung over the clothesline at the waistline, with clothespins fixing them in place. Alternatively, hang dresses on a hanger from the line.
  
  
• To conserve space on the clothesline, if you have a private back yard you can hang rags or dishtowels on shrubs to dry, as long as the shrubs have no berries or sap that will stain them.
  
  
• Fold clothing into a basket when removing it to prevent wrinkling.
  
  
• If clothing or sheets are too stiff for your liking when they are finished drying, pop them in the dryer on the lowest setting for just a few minutes to soften them.