Line Dry Your Clothes Without a Line
Last week I talked about ways to becoming more sustainable. Another way to become more sustainable that will also help you save some money on electricity is hang drying your clothes. Now you may be thinking I don’t have a line outside or I live in an apartment how can I hang dry my clothes? Well neither do I, so you just have to get a little creative! You have to think about what you already have available around the house…
Also, you can purchase drying racks at any super store like Target. Every little bit helps save money! I love hang drying my clothes something about it makes me feel good! Have you come up with any creative ways to hang clothes? I would love to hear about it! Have a great day!
This was part of the Homestead Barn Hop, the Morris Tribe, Sew Chatty, Sew Can Do, Craft-O- Maniac, Homemaker on a Dime, Frugally Sustainable, Thrifty Decorating
I’ve definitely used a drying rack for years. It’s great for an apartment. We had a small washer, and a Target drying rack was the perfect size for a full load. Now I’m lucky enough to have an outside line.:)
Im dreaming of the days for the outside line but for now inside will have to do. I need to purchase a drying rack since my husband might go nuts if I keep hanging clothes in the kitchen. For some reason he doesn’t like stepping over the clothes line all the time lol.
We use a Quik Shade awning on our deck every Summer to shade the French doors from the afternoon sun (and keep our A/C from running overtime!). The fabric awning rots and rips after a couple of seasons, but the metal frame is still good. Replacing the fabric topper costs more than buying a new Quik Shade on sale, so I use the metal frame from the topless awning as my outside clothes line. I just run five rows of clothes line (bought at the dollar store) across the inside of the frame, a one line all around the outside. I can hang two big loads of laundry at a time. In the summer the first load is dry by the time the third load is done. At the end of Summer, I just fold up my portable “clothes line” and store it in the garage. I can usually use the frame for two Summers, just in time for the Quik Shade on the deck to be replaced! In the winter I have extra shower rods that I place across the bath tubs to hang wet shirts, and two large drying racks to place over the heat vents. The clothes dry quickly, and the moisture does wonders for the dry winter air in our house.
This is such a smart idea thank you so much for sharing! I never thought about running lines on the outside! You thought through everything! I will keep all this is mind. Thanks again!
I can’t hang laundry outdoors because of my son’s allergies (pollen) but have a line hanging in my basement over the chest freezer I use year ’round. It’s not the same as fresh air drying, I know, but as you said – every little bit helps!
Totally understand! I have terrible allergies! Have you ever tried to give him a Tbs of apple cider vinegar mixed in a glass of warm water. This has helped me a lot. I am about to add some local honey to the mix tomorrow!
i use my clothes line outside as much as possible and i use my shower curtain rod almost daily. i do love it
I agree. Sure it takes more time but it is totally worth it!
In my laundry room, I have a wire shelf across one wall. I put up extra support brackets. I hang items on hangers from the shelving, and can clip a clothespin to hang socks and other small items. I have one small drying rack in the room. I can pretty much hang an entire load this way.
Thats awesome! I would love to do that so its not in the middle of my kitchen hah!
I have a large folding plastic rack that I purchased while I was living in Japan. The dryers there use WAAAY too much electricity! So I would hang my clothes on the rack and turn an oscillating fan on them. The movement helped to keep them soft. If they were still stiff after they dried, I would toss them into the dryer on fluff for 5 minutes. That helped! I’m thinking I need to start doing that again. The cost of energy is awful!
My grandparents never owned a dryer. They dried their clothes outside when it was warm, and when it was cold, they strung a line up once a week and dried their laundry. I thought it was weird when I was a kid; now , I think it was genius.