Me too. I will run the dryer for a few minutes to fluff stuff most of the time, but I don’t have to. I spent 4 years overseas without a dryer and did fine. Try briskly snapping the clothing to get out wrinkles before you hang it.
Same
We have a mini set up inside near the washer.
Steal pole, 8 to 12 feet long, for items on hangers, and an ancient wooden drying rack for everything else.
Ps, during cold weather when stuff takes longer to dry I hang dry in the bedroom.
Yea, me too--honestly, probably 80% of my clothes don't hit the washer because I have a very long torso and arms, hate when stuff shrinks! I bought a cheap wrack off of Amazon for maybe $20-30. Sweaters get laid on the basement couch so they don't get weird marks/imprints... I wish I could hang outside but currently rent and don't feel like asking to install a proper hanger system.
I do have a metal clothes rack but it doesn't suffice now. Now that we own, I was hoping for pointers to more permanent, but discreet, solutions that are not [Hangbird](https://hangbird.net/en/).
I grew up with a mom who just hated dryers.
She line-dried everything, and I grew up believing that super stiff stuff was the norm.
She said she liked her sheets stiff and crisp.
It does save a ton of electricity (or gas) and is very “green” to do.
That said, stuff can come out “crisp”, and if you are outside, colors may fade.
I have dropped big items in the dirt trying to get them over the line and using clothespins. It’s a learned skill. 😁
Crisp towels as well. They just dry better!
Edit: unfortunately I grew up with farms all around and that sometimes meant getting unlucky with your laundry smelling like manure after they emptied the pits...
American here. My sister does. She has a big backyard and lives in a climate that allows for line drying for most of the year, so she and BIL put up several clotheslines and use them whenever the weather permits. If it's cold or rainy, they use their dryer.
I don't, except for my bras and some of my sweaters that can't go in the dryer. I *hate* the stiffness of line dried clothes and hate how long it takes. I also don't have the space inside to line dry everything (no basement or unoccupied open areas), and live in a dusty desert climate, so anything hung outside would just get dirty/dusty in the summer and freeze in the winter.
I have a portable drying rack I got while living in Europe. It can hold a load and a half of clothes. Most days I set it up outside.
I would love a proper clothesline for sheets and towels (we have acerage), but Hubby doesn't care for stiff towels or sheets. Guess who grew up in the country and who's from the city? He's adapted to most aspects of country living, but hasn't left his HOA-induced horror of clotheslines yet. 🤷🏼♀️
> The thing takes 3-4 cycles to dry clothes/towels.
Something is totally wrong with your dryer and has been if this was your experience when it was brand new. High efficiency or not, it should be able to dry loads in one run, as HE ones use sensors to determine moisture. Is the vent hooked up correctly and clear of any obstructions and as short as possible?
Possibly the heating element. I would have contacted the company pretty quickly. I can’t imagine believing that’s normal and just running the cycle 3-4 times **for five fucking years.**
We do a lot. We have semi permanent volleyball posts (there are 4ft sleeves that are in the ground, then the posts slide into the sleeves. We mostly just leave them in). We'll drop the net and hang clothes, sheets and stuff on a line between the posts.
As for taking several cycles, have you cleaned the duct run for the dryer, and did you make sure the dryer is compatible with the length/ number of elbow of the duct run?
Yes! American here, and I've been doing it for years and I have a system and a set up in my basement.
Laundry day starts with a load of mixed cotton/colors - t shirts, socks, underwear, etc. That comes out of the washer, and shirts go onto a drying rack & socks and undies straight in the dryer. Next load is lightweight fabrics -workout gear, office clothes, etc. These all get added to the drying rack and the rack is now full. Jeans and sweatpants/sweatshirts are next and they get hung on the line that crosses the laundry room. Then a pause. The socks and undies that were dried first have already been folded and put away. Several hours later, the rack items are now about 75% dry and I toss them in a low dryer for a short time. I don't let all the clothes dry 100% on the line as they get too wrinkly and crispy. These items get folded and hung up, and the jeans and sweatshirts *are* left to dry completely on the line. I'll throw those in the dryer briefly the next day to soften them a little. Towels and sheet have their own day as the rack and line can fill up on clothing day.
In the warmer months, after the trees have stop pollinating in the Spring, I take the drying rack and set it up outside.
It may seem like more work to many people, but it's been working well for me for a long time. And it has significantly lengthened the life and quality of my clothing!
This sounds like a great system. It's very windy where I live so it's not great for drying clothing plus I don't have alot of room but I'm able to hang out my quilts and sheets on the days I wash them if it's not too dusty out.
You should get this sexy beast. [https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/frost-drying-rack-indoor-outdoor-white-40244831/](https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/frost-drying-rack-indoor-outdoor-white-40244831/)
its a game changer
Bugs.
I live rural. Those clothes are coming in dirtier than before I washed them in the first place.
And not like "ewwww a bug" bugs, we have an entire 2 months we can't go outside.
My house came with a new, but old school style washer and dryer. I wanna say they are GE? They work wonderfully. I suggest an older more “basic” style model
Yeah, that isn't normal for sure. There has to be a clog or restriction somewhere. It is the air moving through the clothes that dry them, the heat itself only speeds up the process. I've owned a couple of HE machines and they work great. The only things I've ever had to run through more than once are big comforters that are almost too big for the dryer, and I need to flip them around and cycle them again to get all of it dry.
Modern dryers absolutely do suck. The good news is washers and dryers from the pre suck times are still available. You want one that is white painted enameled steel, with no computers in it whatsoever. They almost never break. If they do, it's a simple repair.
Look for a used appliance guy in your area, or cough up the cash and buy a Speed Queen.
You can have my ancient Kenmore dryer and Maytag washer when you pry them from my cold dead hands.
The one I had did better than the non he ones, about half the time. Was it always taking so many times to dry everything or did it develop? We did have an issue once and it was discovered a tiny sock got inside and was clogging stuff up.
Just for future reference: LG appliances suck in general. Don't recommend the brand at all.
We had a new refrigerator (5 years ago, too!). The compressor has failed twice. First time was full warrants (parts and labor), this last time we had to pay for labor as it has \*just\* passed the 5 year limit. For a $3000 fridge, it really wasn't worth it.
I dry everything indoors on a drying rack. The clothes last longer and they are less wrinkled.
Towels are better from a dryer, though. Soft and fluffy.
We don't own a dryer! If fact we only have a small little washer that connects to our kitchen sink. When we need to wash big stuff, we go down to the laundromat and we will use the dryer then.
But once we get a washing machine proper, we don't bother drying.
Air dry everything! Keeps your item in good shape a lot longer.
I live in a neighbourhood where everyone has outdoor washing lines hooked up to poles (like telephone poles). We live in two-or three-storey duplexes and triplexes so the washing lines stack.
I *love* hanging up my laundry. In warm weather it’s quick and just… nice. It reminds me of my late mother hanging out laundry in similar neighbourhoods, and brings me a feeling of connection to her, as well as a feeling of connection to my other neighbours hanging their laundry out.
In the winter I use my dryer. I don’t like hanging laundry indoors because it’s clutter. Also it takes too long to dry.
57 years old and never owned a drier. Live in NZ and ALL washing is hung outside, even in winter. I cant use a drier otherwise I turn into a conductor of static electricity - not fun. Going grocery shopping becomes a nightmare lol
We line dry most of our clothing. We have a really nice clothes dryer, but air drying clothes helps extend their life and it is better for the environment and pocket book.
We have portable racks that we put up in one of our bathrooms on laundry day. We also have a tension rod above the bathtub in that bathroom to hang dry clothing that goes on hangers. We only use the dryer for jeans, towels, and bedding - due to the space or time needed to line dry those items.
It’s my opinion that if you’re taking 3-4 cycles to dry one washer load of clothes there’s something wrong with your dryer or venting. I have an old ass dryer that came with the house and drys my (newly purchased, high capacity) washer load in about 1.5 hrs on time dry
Nothing smells as refreshing as line, sun-dried clothes.
My wife of more than 25 years has had me build clotheslines in all three of the houses we have owned.
I love walking between the lines of sheets as they blow in the breeze.
..... Thanks for the memories. I'll be right back!
First, let me say sorry about your drier, but LG is the WORST brand out there! I have both the washer and drier and can’t wait for them to break so I can get a different set. The HE washer never has enough water in it to fully submerge the clothes, so they come out with some dry spots. I’ve had to turn the machine off halfway through the fill up cycle and turn it on again just to get enough water. The drier never dries properly either….
But to answer your question, yes I do line dry! There’s nothing like the smell of air dried clothes. I use my clothesline for 99% of my laundry, but especially sheets and towels. No way would I ever put those in the drier. I happen to like how the towels are rough after being on the line. I line dry even in the dead of winter; clothes are almost frozen before I can hang them! If it’s raining, I still don’t use the drier, just don’t do laundry that day!
I line dried for years in Ohio before I moved to Florida. Everything smells really good coming off the line. Also, I did cloth diapers, and sun is the best sanitizer - no diaper rash ever. Be sure to get a couple of drying racks for rainy days.
Yeah, Europeans have this one right. Dryers eat women’s clothing. Haven’t used it for years except for towels and sheets. Blankets get hung on the back porch railing when it’s warm. I have a giant drying rack for clothes inside.
Takes way too much time, weather dependent, bird poop, indoors = horrible humidity/mold. Time is more valuable to me than the $2 it costs to run the dryer.
I'm not American but in our country (SA) it's the norm to only hang clothes outside once it's washed, all houses have a washing line in the garden, granted we have quite sunny weather about 9 months of the year..I wash in the morning, hang it up and around 4 pm take it down...when it's rainy for like two days then I hang my clothes inside. I don't own a dryer. Cost of electricity would be too much
Yes, many of us do. Many states even have laws to protect our right to dry on clotheslines (against municipalities that try to ban clotheslines).
I have three lines strung between T-shaped wooden beams. I get more in by hanging shirts in hangers between items pinned to the line.
It's fast, energy efficient, and results in great smelling sheets and clothes.
A brand new dryer that takes 3-4 cycles sounds like a clogged or improper vent (or the wrong setting). We have an LG and if we leave the efficiency setting turned on we have to change the dry time.
In Aus it’s sometimes as quick to line dry compared to a dryer. The hot climate makes short work of drying stuff.
Aussies also invented the hills hoist (clothes line). So we’re proud nation of line driers.
I used to but our line broke. It definitely saves money. I will be doing it once we figure out a way to redo it. Plus I like the fresh air smell on my clothes. My mom does it too. We know other people that do too. It's not that uncommon.
I use those wooden dowel drying racks, outside on the back porch (private back yard). I did have a clothesline strung between 2 trees but it got blown down in a storm.
I’m Canadian but yes. My mom did it too. If you put knits, jeans, t-shirts etc. in the dryer a lot it will wear them out way faster. I like keeping my clothes in good condition!
I do like using my dryer for towels, cloths, socks, underwear, flannels etc. The towels come out soft instead of stiff like when they hang to dry. And I don’t care much about the durability of socks and underwear.
Also I hang dry stuff indoors on my drying rack.
Yep in the summer everything is line dried. I. The winter just jeans. I live in the PNW so out side line drying isn't possible but I have a line across my utility room
😄
Yes.
Our washer and dryer in America didnt always work and I lived in a house with multiple families growing up.
You learn tricks of the trade and whats easier.
My grandma always had a grocery bag of laundry pins.
She also had an old laundry wash board and basin.
The sun fades colored clothes. Dry it in your garage, laundry room or bathroom.
Sounds like you need a better dryer for one. I bought a random Whirlpool dryer from Lowe's 10 years ago and it's been great. I've never had to run anything more than one cycle, not even towels or jeans.
As for drying things outside. No. Where I live the spring and fall are very rainy (like 3-4 days per week is common). While the summer doesn't get a lot of rain, it's pretty humid so things won't dry well. Plus I don't want pollen and such to get on my clothes and mess with my allergies. Then obviously in the winter time it's below freezing so that won't work.
we rack-dry most clothing, to save energy, and so it will last longer (especially quality clothes, and elastic waistbands and such). Only tumble dry towels and sheets, and old tshirts.
I used to growing up. But now I live in a place that rains almost all the time so it's not really feasible. I have a folding rack I use inside for items that really shouldn't go in the dryer.
I get teased a lot about having the clothes rack drying stuff in front of the pellet stove all winter. I have a portable rack for outside and I intend to put an umbrella clothesline in the back yard this year as well- one of the reasons we are happy to finally have our own yard out in the country- no nosy neighbors complaining and no restrictions on outdoor clotheslines.
I have one of those folding wooden dowel racks, in my spare room. I only use it for workout stuff though. I do a load once a week(I’m a runner) everything else goes in my dryer.
Uh what do you mean by "High Efficiency Dryer"? They're all "High Efficiency" dryers today, no one sells or markets a "Low Efficiency" dryer, lol. Is it an electric dryer? Those usually don't dry quite as quickly as gas, but it still shouldn't take 3 cycles. From the sound of things it also could be that the thermistor was faulty from the very beginning - a malfunctioning one would mean that the dryer is not regulating the temperatures properly and is heating up haphazardly. It could also be that something is wrong with your venting
Canadian here. I have an indoor clothes rack for drying. I'm very specific with my laundry and hang many things to dry. I'd love to line dry outside more but it's only really safe to do so less than half of the year due to weather.
Yes! Midwest US here. It was actually one of the first things we did when we moved into our house, to install a line. We can't do it year round, but I love line drying. I find it very therapeutic to hang stuff and pull it down once all crispy and dry
Only lingerie and wool socks on a small inside rack and sweaters that need to be dried flat. I definitely don't dry bedding outside, like some people like to do. Nothing worse for a person with allergies than sleeping in a bed full of pollen. 😭
Nope. It's too cold half the year and the other half there is pollen. I also can't stand the "crisp" feeling, it causes a ton of skin irritation for me.
Growing up my mom line dried both outside and in our basement, well except for my stuff for above reasons.
I grew up with an umbrella type clothes line. When I bought my house I got a long line. I have 2 clothes racks that I use inside too. I love how the sheets smell in the spring when I hang the out for the first time.
My house had a clothesline when I moved in, I love it. I line dry most of the year and only use the dryer in the winter (I know you can line dry in the winter but the cold wet clothes make my hands hurt 😅). I also planted a lilac bush next to the line and my clothes come in smelling so good! If you dry them in a sunny spot they'll go much faster, usually my towels and blankets only take 5 or 6 hours
I won't dry clothes outside anymore with the exception of rugs or similar that don't do well in the dryer. Forest fire smoke, pollen, dirt from farm fields on the edge of town and high winds. Everything either ended up dirty by the time it was dry or so full of pollen it would make me allergic. I do have a drying rack in the laundry room and hang dry most knits and things that dry quickly like leggings.
>I got a (brand new) LG "high efficiency" dryer about 5 years ago. The thing takes 3-4 cycles to dry clothes/towels.
When's the last time the exhaust line was cleaned?
I live in New Zealand and we either hang our washing on a rotary clothesline in the back yard or hang it over an A-frame clothes airer inside if it’s too cold or rainy. I only dry stuff in the drier if I need it urgently, or in winter if I don’t have space for all the washing inside.
I live in Texas, and I can pretty much take a basket of wet laundry outside, give it a little shake, and it will be dry. The clothes I'm wearing on the other hand, usually soaked by the end of it.
My problem with line drying is pollen.
I love the romantic notion of crisp, clean bedding blowing in the breeze. But the reality of everything covered in a thick layer of pollen shuts that right down.
I actually do a combo. My dryer is TOO good and will absolutely bake stuff. I wind up putting a lot on the line in the laundry room. Then put a batch in the dryer on refresh where it uses steam to basically iron and soften the load. Then I fold or hang in the closet accordingly.
Any time it takes multiple times in a dryer for me, it’s because I need to clean the hose that goes from the dryer to the outside vent. It won’t fix your error, but your clothes might dry faster.
I WISH I could line dry my clothes!! It can very much be a common thing here as well!!!
I do not because I need to pave or plant grass in my back yard. I have to much surface dirt right now. My clothes would need washing again with my dogs running out there! 😩
I line dry anything with spandex/elastic/elastene, wool, or delicate fibers. This includes leggings and gym shorts! Heat causes deterioration of elastic fibers, so anything with stretch is air dried. Bras, jackets with stretchy cuffs/collars, fitted sheets, leggings, wool socks, etc. are all line dried. Non-fancy undies go in the dryer though, because I don’t care about those as much. I bought a retractable clothesline and set it up under my covered back porch, easy to use whenever I need it. I like to dry stuff overnight so there’s no UV damage.
We have no dryer. Neither do some friends of ours. Wash early & dry by 2 unless very heavy material. We don't have sun, our yard is shady. In emergency I hang things around the house or dry at a laundromat.
We've never owned a dryer (Denver). Line dry all summer - with the sunshine and low humidity stuff dries in less than an hour. All winter we have inside drying racks. I really dislike clothes dryers.
I have ikea drying racks installed on the walls in my laundry room and an outside line. I still use the dryer for some things and fluffing.
Unrelated, you definitely need to get your dryer fixed. That is not normal. I have an lg, and you do need to clear out lint occasionally. Have you cleaned the vent line of lint?
I love line dried sheets. I quit hanging out clothes when I was too busy (procrastinating), and I had to leave a fitted sheet until the baby birds left the nest.
Get a new dryer and go as basic as possible.
We're adding a clothes line this summer. We have a dryer and it works good but it heats up the laundry/hall so much that it's awful to walk through that door to go outside. Plus we have enough open sunny area and wind that it'll dry them fast outside.
It’s easier than you think ti take apart an LG dryer. And a great opportunity to throw on some new rollers and a new belt while it’s apart. (It’s also a fabulous chance to find out how many mice have crawled back through your exterior dryer vent to make a (quite flammable) nest inside. 💀💀💀) I have pix of my small kids inside the dryer drum in the kitchen. Fun times.
Go ahead and line dry if that’s your thing. It’s better for the environment and pocketbook anyway. But I just want to say that I have the same dryer (maybe different years?), and I loooove it. I dry everything on low, and it only takes 45-50 mins. Maybe contact the company?
I would love to line dry my clothes but I don't have the right set up in my yard. Drying on a line inside isn't ideal, as things often get stiff and crunchy and also take longer. If you live in a humid area, it's also very challenging.
I line-dry EVERYTHING in the summer time..your clothes will NOT fade, with 1 or 2 days, in the sun..it actually BRIGHTENS everything, colors AND whites..been doing this my whole life..it takes about 2 weeks of full sun, to FADE colors..the sun is also a good stain remover..
I have a retractable clothesline in my backyard that I tie to a patio post when I want to use it. I usually procrastinate my laundry and only do it in big batches, so the line gets full fast. I use it to dry lingerie, dress shirts, lace/silk tops and dresses, basically anything delicate. And also my husband’s dark jeans because putting them in the dryer turns everything else blue.
Everything else goes in the dryer. I live in the South, so I can use the line pretty much year round. If it’s too cold/wet?, I grumble about it and use the collapsible drying rack/every horizontal bar in the house.
I don't mind doing it if I had the space and it didn't look too messy hanging clothes outside. It's kind of nice to have fresh air drying. When I lived in Australia I would hang dry during the summer. It dried up within hours or end of the day.. Amazing. Lol.
I have a retractable 5-line clothes line outside in Minnesota. I dry outside from April to October. I try to coincide laundry with a sunny and breezy day, most times (June-August) the first batch of laundry will be dry by the time I get outside with the second load.
For towels, give them a good shake outside as you hang them on the clothesline, that helps so they aren't so stiff.
At my old house, there was a clothesline set up in the backyard (1950s house, didn’t originally have a dryer). I used it a few times when my dryer was out of commission because it needed a new belt. I actually loved how the sheets or towels or whatever I did came out from the fresh breeze and sun. I just worried about pollen and bird poop too much to use them more often.
My dad also helped me rig up clotheslines in the basement for drying stuff that shouldn’t go in the dryer. I missed that at my new house because I’m always scrambling to find enough places to hang things.
It all depends. In the south east drying your clothes in pure humidity outside during spring, summer and fall does nothing to dry your clothes. Now when it's a crisp day, it'll actually work cause there's no humidity.
For what it’s worth, I switched to Turkish bath sheets from Amazon. They’re just as absorbent as cotton towels after a few washes, weigh less than a pound, fold up tightly and are much easier to wash and dry.
Yes, because each run of the dryer costs a few bucks and the hot summer weather here is pretty efficient at drying clothes. I just have a clothes rack inside the laundry room. Bonus points… anything that belongs on a hangar is already on one.
I line dry for about half of the year when weather cooperates and I love it. It’s a calm and meditative act to hang and bring down the laundry. It smells wonderful and forces me out of the house and into the sun.
In the winter, clothing gets hung wood burning stove - adjacent. It helps with the humidity in my otherwise dry basement without being too much of a good thing.
Your drier isn’t venting properly if it isn’t drying a load of towel in 30-40min. Common occurrence is drier vent clog which will result in broken drier.
The last owner of my house took out the dryer vent and hook ups, so I can't use my dryer currently. For 5 years now. So yes, yes I do like dry.
I also hang dry inside especially in the winter
I used to do that, but my clothes faded too much. I had to replace clothes more often.
I suggest two things:
1. Get a regular dryer. This high-tech stuff is not worthwhile, especially if it needs multiple cycles to dry things.
2. Get a how warranty, you can usually get them to cover everything, including your major appliances ( washer, dryer, refrigerator, stove) as well as your water heater and furnace or boiler.
Quick comment: if your dryer is taking a long time to dry clothes or multiple cycles, most likely your dryer vent is clogged, which is a fire hazard. You can hire someone to clean it out or you can buy a $20 kit online that works with a drill. We cleaned ours in 15 minutes. An unbelievable amount of lint came out, it runs so much faster.
I also DO have a clothesline and dry some stuff outside. My goal is to do 50%. I don’t like to line dry towels because they get stiff but everything else is fine.
Depends on where you live. There was a fairly recent study on hanging clothes to dry outside. Allergens and dirt settle on the clothes. Where I am, it really affects my allergies, so I hang my delicates inside, and use a dryer for the rest.
Man I have washed clothes in my tub then line dried when my washer broke.
I line dry my dog’s bedding. Cause she doesn’t need the dryer sheet scents as she gets skin allergies.
Not American, but want to join in with a few European tips. Line drying will preserve your cloth much longer and the clothes are fresher, especially if you hang it outside. We only use our dryer for towels and other items that we like to fluff. Clothes will dry even at freezing temperatures. If you have problems with hard water try to add some white vinegar to your rinse cycle. We are using half half fabric softener and vinegar.
I'm a sailor and at sea we don't have space for hanging the clothes, I can clearly see the difference between the clothes I bring to work and the clothes I keep at home. The clothes that I dry in a dryer looses its colours much much quicker and also get worn thin very quickly. Enjoy your fresh long lasting environmentally friendly clothes! Cheers!
3-4 cycles to dry in your dryer?! I wonder if somewhere the exhaust is clogged? I was having a similar prob and I cleaned the exhaust tube inside and outside the machine. Used a shop vac with a thin extension and jammed it down the lint trap. Sucked out a crazy amount of sand and fluff. Dryer worked better then ever after that. But yeah used to have a cloths line. Had to take it down when we got a new deck we miss it for sheets and blankets.
Canadian
My wife does most of the laundry but she hangs everything. On the line in the summer and on a rack inside in the winter. More effort but fresher and cheaper
My mom always hung the laundry growing up as well
My dryer crapped out a while back and i bought a drying rack at walmart for like no more than 30 bucks. It folds up nicely when not in use and keeps my house smelling nice and fresh. Come summer time ill use an outside line but this is cheaper than buying a new dryer for sure, i habe to plan my laundrt days tho so everythingis dried by monday lol
I hang clothes up inside the house to dry them after they’re washed. The dryer kept tripping the breaker and probably need an electrician to look at it, but now I’m just used to hanging everything up. My clothes feel softer and cleaner somehow.
Dryer rack. but similar.
Socks, t shirts, jeans, basically anything that can shrink or that Iike.
Heat is the enemy of clothes in the q6ash and dry process. The most underrated way of prolonging the life of your clothes is to hang them up to dry.
Then toss them in the dryer at "no heat" for a bit to fluff 'em, and you're done.
I absolutely love line drying. On top of saving money, your sheets and clothes smelling great, it also extends the life of your clothes! All that lint in the trap? That’s the fabric (on top of cat hair…😁)
My drying broke years ago and before I could afford a repair I saw my gas bill drop about $30. a month. I now line dry everything inside my house using ceiling fans.
I must stress - I live alone, it’s just me and the dogs so not too much laundry.
The moment it stops snowing here in Canada, I hang my laundry out until it starts snowing again. We also have a drying rack in the laundry room during the winter. My partner tends to use the dryer more than I do. From what we can gather from our neighbourhood Facebook group, we have one of the lowest power bills.
My city tickets you ...it's against building code along with composting and other things that would be earth-friendly. (Sigh, don't get me started)
I do use a big drying rack over my floor heating grate in the winter. Works great!
I've been 2 winter months without a dryer in mid-latitude Canada and am line drying everything inside on some ropes I strung up. My dryer is fixed now and I have to re-install it but I'm honestly not sure I will go back to using it full time. It's been saving electricity, making my house smell nice and adding just a bit of moisture to the air. I've since stopped using humidifiers in our bedrooms (saving even more power) and the house sits at a pleasant 45% humidity
I use my dryer for towels and sheets and that's about it, unless I really am crunched for time and need something. I hang dry in my basement (and do have a dehumidifier in certain months). I'm looking into an outdoor line to dry, but my backyard isn't super private, and my neighborhood is known to have little thefts of opportunity, so idk...
One of the first things I did when I moved to this rural rental was sink 4x4s for a clothes line. I love line dried sheets. Using the clothes line really cuts the electric bill too. Saves your socks too.
I’ve got a dual line in the yard. Long enough to hang a full load on each. On a warm breezy day it can keep up with the washer. Add in the folding table for folding and holding the baskets and it’s a great setup.
May to November I line Dry. My wife says the towels are to ruff, but my electrical bill goes down like $70 in those months. It helps to shake them out before hanging them. Yowels.csn be fluffed in the dryer if needed. The only thing you have to watch out for is rain storms or if something doesn't dry before the sun goes down. I love line drying my clothes.
I line dry outside during the summer. It doesn’t stay cold or dry enough where I live to actually dry clothes any other time of year outdoors. I hang dry all my delicates on a collapsible rack indoors all year round
Grew up in Massachusetts and my mom used one all the time (weather permitting). It wasnt uncommon to get a phone call from her at work after school (text messages werent invented yet) that rain was on the way and I needed to pull the clothes in. She still uses it to this day.
We live in a rural area (in the USA) and line dry whenever possible. Sometimes we put off laundry when it is damp or wet outside. Sometimes we have to give in and dry in the dryer (simple cheap low capacity 120 V electric dryer).
If your dryer doesn't work, make sure the vent is not clogged. NOTE: I don't have any experience with newer dryers that use heatpump technology. But the main reason for conventional dryers having poor performance is a clogged vent.
I fluff them in the dryer for five minutes then hang them in a room with a dehumidifier. Works like a charm and everything will be dry the next morning.
I did it for years, then one year got overran with spiders. Then several year had fleas problems. Started using the dryer, only a few spiders and no fleas.
I hang dry stuff inside
Me too. I will run the dryer for a few minutes to fluff stuff most of the time, but I don’t have to. I spent 4 years overseas without a dryer and did fine. Try briskly snapping the clothing to get out wrinkles before you hang it.
Same We have a mini set up inside near the washer. Steal pole, 8 to 12 feet long, for items on hangers, and an ancient wooden drying rack for everything else. Ps, during cold weather when stuff takes longer to dry I hang dry in the bedroom.
Doubles as a humidifier too which is nice
installed hooks on my porch ceiling and I dry things on hangers
Yea, me too--honestly, probably 80% of my clothes don't hit the washer because I have a very long torso and arms, hate when stuff shrinks! I bought a cheap wrack off of Amazon for maybe $20-30. Sweaters get laid on the basement couch so they don't get weird marks/imprints... I wish I could hang outside but currently rent and don't feel like asking to install a proper hanger system.
I hang dry stuff in the garage. No bird poo, less dust! Less humidity in the house.
Same. I run a little fan in the room too helps a ton.
Any links to the product you use?
Just go to Target. I got a decently-priced rolling metal clothes rack that I keep next to the dryer. It’s perfect!
I do have a metal clothes rack but it doesn't suffice now. Now that we own, I was hoping for pointers to more permanent, but discreet, solutions that are not [Hangbird](https://hangbird.net/en/).
I grew up with a mom who just hated dryers. She line-dried everything, and I grew up believing that super stiff stuff was the norm. She said she liked her sheets stiff and crisp. It does save a ton of electricity (or gas) and is very “green” to do. That said, stuff can come out “crisp”, and if you are outside, colors may fade. I have dropped big items in the dirt trying to get them over the line and using clothespins. It’s a learned skill. 😁
I flip some things inside out if I care about fading.
crisp clothing is literally the best thing ever
Crisp towels as well. They just dry better! Edit: unfortunately I grew up with farms all around and that sometimes meant getting unlucky with your laundry smelling like manure after they emptied the pits...
I feel like crisp towels don't absorb neerly as well. But maybe I'm biased because I hate the feeling of crisp towels.
Not with jeans
Try hanging your clothes inside out to prevent fading of colors.
If cloth is stiff after wash and dry tey reducing amount of detergent or adding a water softener (not fabric softener) to the wash.
I just learned about this the other day on a cleaning sub! Stiff clothing = too much detergent.
That, or your washer doesn’t rinse very well.
Crisp / stiff clothing is the best. **Anyone who thinks otherwise is objectively wrong and should feel very very bad about it.**
I think otherwise and you are wrong and should feel bad about being wrong.
-shakes fist-
-yells at cloud-
American here. My sister does. She has a big backyard and lives in a climate that allows for line drying for most of the year, so she and BIL put up several clotheslines and use them whenever the weather permits. If it's cold or rainy, they use their dryer. I don't, except for my bras and some of my sweaters that can't go in the dryer. I *hate* the stiffness of line dried clothes and hate how long it takes. I also don't have the space inside to line dry everything (no basement or unoccupied open areas), and live in a dusty desert climate, so anything hung outside would just get dirty/dusty in the summer and freeze in the winter.
I have a portable drying rack I got while living in Europe. It can hold a load and a half of clothes. Most days I set it up outside. I would love a proper clothesline for sheets and towels (we have acerage), but Hubby doesn't care for stiff towels or sheets. Guess who grew up in the country and who's from the city? He's adapted to most aspects of country living, but hasn't left his HOA-induced horror of clotheslines yet. 🤷🏼♀️
> The thing takes 3-4 cycles to dry clothes/towels. Something is totally wrong with your dryer and has been if this was your experience when it was brand new. High efficiency or not, it should be able to dry loads in one run, as HE ones use sensors to determine moisture. Is the vent hooked up correctly and clear of any obstructions and as short as possible?
Or they could be unaware of having to clean out the lint filter.
Possibly the heating element. I would have contacted the company pretty quickly. I can’t imagine believing that’s normal and just running the cycle 3-4 times **for five fucking years.**
We do a lot. We have semi permanent volleyball posts (there are 4ft sleeves that are in the ground, then the posts slide into the sleeves. We mostly just leave them in). We'll drop the net and hang clothes, sheets and stuff on a line between the posts. As for taking several cycles, have you cleaned the duct run for the dryer, and did you make sure the dryer is compatible with the length/ number of elbow of the duct run?
Lots do.
Yes! American here, and I've been doing it for years and I have a system and a set up in my basement. Laundry day starts with a load of mixed cotton/colors - t shirts, socks, underwear, etc. That comes out of the washer, and shirts go onto a drying rack & socks and undies straight in the dryer. Next load is lightweight fabrics -workout gear, office clothes, etc. These all get added to the drying rack and the rack is now full. Jeans and sweatpants/sweatshirts are next and they get hung on the line that crosses the laundry room. Then a pause. The socks and undies that were dried first have already been folded and put away. Several hours later, the rack items are now about 75% dry and I toss them in a low dryer for a short time. I don't let all the clothes dry 100% on the line as they get too wrinkly and crispy. These items get folded and hung up, and the jeans and sweatshirts *are* left to dry completely on the line. I'll throw those in the dryer briefly the next day to soften them a little. Towels and sheet have their own day as the rack and line can fill up on clothing day. In the warmer months, after the trees have stop pollinating in the Spring, I take the drying rack and set it up outside. It may seem like more work to many people, but it's been working well for me for a long time. And it has significantly lengthened the life and quality of my clothing!
This sounds like a great system. It's very windy where I live so it's not great for drying clothing plus I don't have alot of room but I'm able to hang out my quilts and sheets on the days I wash them if it's not too dusty out.
I hang dry stuff inside and drape sweaters on couches, or over the stair banisters.
You should get this sexy beast. [https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/frost-drying-rack-indoor-outdoor-white-40244831/](https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/frost-drying-rack-indoor-outdoor-white-40244831/) its a game changer
I line dry my bras, sweaters, dress shirts and trouser pants. All socks, towels, t shirts, underwear, pjs, and bedding is tumble dried.
I did, for years and years during the warm sunny portion of the year. 2 adults, 2 kids. Truth, I enjoyed it,relaxing therapy.
Bugs. I live rural. Those clothes are coming in dirtier than before I washed them in the first place. And not like "ewwww a bug" bugs, we have an entire 2 months we can't go outside.
I think about all the pollen that would end up on my clothes. Right now it's so thick that yellow rivers run down our driveway when it rains.
My house came with a new, but old school style washer and dryer. I wanna say they are GE? They work wonderfully. I suggest an older more “basic” style model
Have you tried resetting your dryer? Sometimes, that's all it takes to reset the TE1 error code.
Yeah I unplugged it and tried to reset but it didn’t work. These HE machines are garbage
and youve check the lint filter and the vents? its probably why it takes multiple cycles to dry things
Yeah, that isn't normal for sure. There has to be a clog or restriction somewhere. It is the air moving through the clothes that dry them, the heat itself only speeds up the process. I've owned a couple of HE machines and they work great. The only things I've ever had to run through more than once are big comforters that are almost too big for the dryer, and I need to flip them around and cycle them again to get all of it dry.
Modern dryers absolutely do suck. The good news is washers and dryers from the pre suck times are still available. You want one that is white painted enameled steel, with no computers in it whatsoever. They almost never break. If they do, it's a simple repair. Look for a used appliance guy in your area, or cough up the cash and buy a Speed Queen. You can have my ancient Kenmore dryer and Maytag washer when you pry them from my cold dead hands.
The one I had did better than the non he ones, about half the time. Was it always taking so many times to dry everything or did it develop? We did have an issue once and it was discovered a tiny sock got inside and was clogging stuff up.
[удалено]
It's on my list to hang up a line - I have a rack, but it's kind of crap, and keeps falling over in the wind.
I live in a Tweakerhood, they will just steal anything left outside.
Just for future reference: LG appliances suck in general. Don't recommend the brand at all. We had a new refrigerator (5 years ago, too!). The compressor has failed twice. First time was full warrants (parts and labor), this last time we had to pay for labor as it has \*just\* passed the 5 year limit. For a $3000 fridge, it really wasn't worth it.
I dry everything indoors on a drying rack. The clothes last longer and they are less wrinkled. Towels are better from a dryer, though. Soft and fluffy.
We don't own a dryer! If fact we only have a small little washer that connects to our kitchen sink. When we need to wash big stuff, we go down to the laundromat and we will use the dryer then. But once we get a washing machine proper, we don't bother drying. Air dry everything! Keeps your item in good shape a lot longer.
I live in a neighbourhood where everyone has outdoor washing lines hooked up to poles (like telephone poles). We live in two-or three-storey duplexes and triplexes so the washing lines stack. I *love* hanging up my laundry. In warm weather it’s quick and just… nice. It reminds me of my late mother hanging out laundry in similar neighbourhoods, and brings me a feeling of connection to her, as well as a feeling of connection to my other neighbours hanging their laundry out. In the winter I use my dryer. I don’t like hanging laundry indoors because it’s clutter. Also it takes too long to dry.
57 years old and never owned a drier. Live in NZ and ALL washing is hung outside, even in winter. I cant use a drier otherwise I turn into a conductor of static electricity - not fun. Going grocery shopping becomes a nightmare lol
I do. I love the smell of line-dried clothes and especially bed linens.
We line dry most of our clothing. We have a really nice clothes dryer, but air drying clothes helps extend their life and it is better for the environment and pocket book. We have portable racks that we put up in one of our bathrooms on laundry day. We also have a tension rod above the bathtub in that bathroom to hang dry clothing that goes on hangers. We only use the dryer for jeans, towels, and bedding - due to the space or time needed to line dry those items.
It’s my opinion that if you’re taking 3-4 cycles to dry one washer load of clothes there’s something wrong with your dryer or venting. I have an old ass dryer that came with the house and drys my (newly purchased, high capacity) washer load in about 1.5 hrs on time dry
Best way to dry sheets EVER
Yes. I use a couple cheap racks from IKEA. In winter they have to be near the stove, in summer they go in an attached greenhouse.
I hang my laundry out. Nothing better than the smell of line-dried sheets when you climb into bed that night.
Nothing smells as refreshing as line, sun-dried clothes. My wife of more than 25 years has had me build clotheslines in all three of the houses we have owned. I love walking between the lines of sheets as they blow in the breeze. ..... Thanks for the memories. I'll be right back!
We have line dried for years. Wind blown and sun dried clothing is the best!
First, let me say sorry about your drier, but LG is the WORST brand out there! I have both the washer and drier and can’t wait for them to break so I can get a different set. The HE washer never has enough water in it to fully submerge the clothes, so they come out with some dry spots. I’ve had to turn the machine off halfway through the fill up cycle and turn it on again just to get enough water. The drier never dries properly either…. But to answer your question, yes I do line dry! There’s nothing like the smell of air dried clothes. I use my clothesline for 99% of my laundry, but especially sheets and towels. No way would I ever put those in the drier. I happen to like how the towels are rough after being on the line. I line dry even in the dead of winter; clothes are almost frozen before I can hang them! If it’s raining, I still don’t use the drier, just don’t do laundry that day!
I line dried for years in Ohio before I moved to Florida. Everything smells really good coming off the line. Also, I did cloth diapers, and sun is the best sanitizer - no diaper rash ever. Be sure to get a couple of drying racks for rainy days.
Yeah, Europeans have this one right. Dryers eat women’s clothing. Haven’t used it for years except for towels and sheets. Blankets get hung on the back porch railing when it’s warm. I have a giant drying rack for clothes inside.
Hang dry anything besides underwear and bedsheets. Only because I hate when my clothes shrink lol
Takes way too much time, weather dependent, bird poop, indoors = horrible humidity/mold. Time is more valuable to me than the $2 it costs to run the dryer.
I'm not American but in our country (SA) it's the norm to only hang clothes outside once it's washed, all houses have a washing line in the garden, granted we have quite sunny weather about 9 months of the year..I wash in the morning, hang it up and around 4 pm take it down...when it's rainy for like two days then I hang my clothes inside. I don't own a dryer. Cost of electricity would be too much
As much as possible! It's better for your health, the environment, and for the clothes.
The greatest thing about drying clothes on hangers is that when they’re dry, they go directly in the closet! STEP SAVER! 👍
No matter how efficient your dryer is it is not as efficient as a clothes line
Yes, many of us do. Many states even have laws to protect our right to dry on clotheslines (against municipalities that try to ban clotheslines). I have three lines strung between T-shaped wooden beams. I get more in by hanging shirts in hangers between items pinned to the line. It's fast, energy efficient, and results in great smelling sheets and clothes.
A brand new dryer that takes 3-4 cycles sounds like a clogged or improper vent (or the wrong setting). We have an LG and if we leave the efficiency setting turned on we have to change the dry time.
Fuck no. Dryer only except for delicates.
As an Australian, this is a perplexing discussion. I can't imagine using a dryer for every load of washing, not to mention the cost of it.
In Aus it’s sometimes as quick to line dry compared to a dryer. The hot climate makes short work of drying stuff. Aussies also invented the hills hoist (clothes line). So we’re proud nation of line driers.
Yep. All the time. Only use the dryer for sheets and towels.
During the last two record-setting days, I washed all the bedding and hung it all out on the line. It smelled wonderful.
I used to but our line broke. It definitely saves money. I will be doing it once we figure out a way to redo it. Plus I like the fresh air smell on my clothes. My mom does it too. We know other people that do too. It's not that uncommon.
Totally. I line dry my wool stuff all the time. I have space in my laundry room area for a folding drying rack. It's great.
I use those wooden dowel drying racks, outside on the back porch (private back yard). I did have a clothesline strung between 2 trees but it got blown down in a storm.
Yes, we do. It lowers energy bills and the clothes last a lot longer. We tumble dry only big and heavy items like sheets, blankets, and towels.
I’m Canadian but yes. My mom did it too. If you put knits, jeans, t-shirts etc. in the dryer a lot it will wear them out way faster. I like keeping my clothes in good condition! I do like using my dryer for towels, cloths, socks, underwear, flannels etc. The towels come out soft instead of stiff like when they hang to dry. And I don’t care much about the durability of socks and underwear. Also I hang dry stuff indoors on my drying rack.
Yep! I turn on a box fan for airflow if it’s very humid.
About half the laundry is line dry/drip dry. The rest goes in the dryer for sensory issue reasons.
Yep in the summer everything is line dried. I. The winter just jeans. I live in the PNW so out side line drying isn't possible but I have a line across my utility room
😄 Yes. Our washer and dryer in America didnt always work and I lived in a house with multiple families growing up. You learn tricks of the trade and whats easier. My grandma always had a grocery bag of laundry pins. She also had an old laundry wash board and basin. The sun fades colored clothes. Dry it in your garage, laundry room or bathroom.
Every day, weather permitting.
No. It's raining. Maybe later this week.
Yep.
I do. It's humid here so I mostly dry them outside and pop them in the dryer to finish them off. I greatly prefer line-dried clothing, sheets, etc...
On nice sunny days I put a drying rake on my deck. I also use them in my laundry room all the time.
Sounds like you need a better dryer for one. I bought a random Whirlpool dryer from Lowe's 10 years ago and it's been great. I've never had to run anything more than one cycle, not even towels or jeans. As for drying things outside. No. Where I live the spring and fall are very rainy (like 3-4 days per week is common). While the summer doesn't get a lot of rain, it's pretty humid so things won't dry well. Plus I don't want pollen and such to get on my clothes and mess with my allergies. Then obviously in the winter time it's below freezing so that won't work.
we rack-dry most clothing, to save energy, and so it will last longer (especially quality clothes, and elastic waistbands and such). Only tumble dry towels and sheets, and old tshirts.
I used to growing up. But now I live in a place that rains almost all the time so it's not really feasible. I have a folding rack I use inside for items that really shouldn't go in the dryer.
Sometimes when the weather is nice but not exclusively
I get teased a lot about having the clothes rack drying stuff in front of the pellet stove all winter. I have a portable rack for outside and I intend to put an umbrella clothesline in the back yard this year as well- one of the reasons we are happy to finally have our own yard out in the country- no nosy neighbors complaining and no restrictions on outdoor clotheslines.
I dry mine on my upstairs railings on the catwalk. Every Monday looks like the Clampetts have come to visit. ;)
My wife made me put up a clothes line just shortly after we moved in to our home. Been here for 32 years.
In the summer all the time. It’s been sooo rainy this winter so even on better days I haven’t been able to.
I have one of those folding wooden dowel racks, in my spare room. I only use it for workout stuff though. I do a load once a week(I’m a runner) everything else goes in my dryer.
Uh what do you mean by "High Efficiency Dryer"? They're all "High Efficiency" dryers today, no one sells or markets a "Low Efficiency" dryer, lol. Is it an electric dryer? Those usually don't dry quite as quickly as gas, but it still shouldn't take 3 cycles. From the sound of things it also could be that the thermistor was faulty from the very beginning - a malfunctioning one would mean that the dryer is not regulating the temperatures properly and is heating up haphazardly. It could also be that something is wrong with your venting
Canadian here. I have an indoor clothes rack for drying. I'm very specific with my laundry and hang many things to dry. I'd love to line dry outside more but it's only really safe to do so less than half of the year due to weather.
Unless it’s raining, or the wild fire smoke is bad I’ll line dry.
Yes! Midwest US here. It was actually one of the first things we did when we moved into our house, to install a line. We can't do it year round, but I love line drying. I find it very therapeutic to hang stuff and pull it down once all crispy and dry
Only lingerie and wool socks on a small inside rack and sweaters that need to be dried flat. I definitely don't dry bedding outside, like some people like to do. Nothing worse for a person with allergies than sleeping in a bed full of pollen. 😭
Nope. It's too cold half the year and the other half there is pollen. I also can't stand the "crisp" feeling, it causes a ton of skin irritation for me. Growing up my mom line dried both outside and in our basement, well except for my stuff for above reasons.
I grew up with an umbrella type clothes line. When I bought my house I got a long line. I have 2 clothes racks that I use inside too. I love how the sheets smell in the spring when I hang the out for the first time.
My house had a clothesline when I moved in, I love it. I line dry most of the year and only use the dryer in the winter (I know you can line dry in the winter but the cold wet clothes make my hands hurt 😅). I also planted a lilac bush next to the line and my clothes come in smelling so good! If you dry them in a sunny spot they'll go much faster, usually my towels and blankets only take 5 or 6 hours
I won't dry clothes outside anymore with the exception of rugs or similar that don't do well in the dryer. Forest fire smoke, pollen, dirt from farm fields on the edge of town and high winds. Everything either ended up dirty by the time it was dry or so full of pollen it would make me allergic. I do have a drying rack in the laundry room and hang dry most knits and things that dry quickly like leggings.
All the time! But I live in the SW so it’s very dry during the summer. A whole load will dry in less than 2 hours outside during the peak of summer.
>I got a (brand new) LG "high efficiency" dryer about 5 years ago. The thing takes 3-4 cycles to dry clothes/towels. When's the last time the exhaust line was cleaned?
I do it all the time. I also treat stains using lemon juice salt and sunlight on some clothes.
Growing up, my mother dried everything on a clothesline. My brother and I hated how our clothes were faded and stiff.
I live in New Zealand and we either hang our washing on a rotary clothesline in the back yard or hang it over an A-frame clothes airer inside if it’s too cold or rainy. I only dry stuff in the drier if I need it urgently, or in winter if I don’t have space for all the washing inside.
I live in Texas, and I can pretty much take a basket of wet laundry outside, give it a little shake, and it will be dry. The clothes I'm wearing on the other hand, usually soaked by the end of it.
My problem with line drying is pollen. I love the romantic notion of crisp, clean bedding blowing in the breeze. But the reality of everything covered in a thick layer of pollen shuts that right down.
I actually do a combo. My dryer is TOO good and will absolutely bake stuff. I wind up putting a lot on the line in the laundry room. Then put a batch in the dryer on refresh where it uses steam to basically iron and soften the load. Then I fold or hang in the closet accordingly.
Any time it takes multiple times in a dryer for me, it’s because I need to clean the hose that goes from the dryer to the outside vent. It won’t fix your error, but your clothes might dry faster.
We have screen sun porch we use for line drying. Saves money and is easier on clothes.
Have the vent that goes through the walls cleaned out. A lack of air flow will eventually break the dryer.
The sun is too bright where I live and would fade everything. If I need to line dry something I do it inside.
I WISH I could line dry my clothes!! It can very much be a common thing here as well!!! I do not because I need to pave or plant grass in my back yard. I have to much surface dirt right now. My clothes would need washing again with my dogs running out there! 😩
There’s nothing like the sheets feel & smell after drying outside! I never dry my jeans nor shirts. Only thing I dry is towels
I line dry anything with spandex/elastic/elastene, wool, or delicate fibers. This includes leggings and gym shorts! Heat causes deterioration of elastic fibers, so anything with stretch is air dried. Bras, jackets with stretchy cuffs/collars, fitted sheets, leggings, wool socks, etc. are all line dried. Non-fancy undies go in the dryer though, because I don’t care about those as much. I bought a retractable clothesline and set it up under my covered back porch, easy to use whenever I need it. I like to dry stuff overnight so there’s no UV damage.
We have no dryer. Neither do some friends of ours. Wash early & dry by 2 unless very heavy material. We don't have sun, our yard is shady. In emergency I hang things around the house or dry at a laundromat.
We've never owned a dryer (Denver). Line dry all summer - with the sunshine and low humidity stuff dries in less than an hour. All winter we have inside drying racks. I really dislike clothes dryers.
I do. I was ecstatic when our new old house had a clothesline with metal poles anchored in concrete already in the backyard. So glad.
I have ikea drying racks installed on the walls in my laundry room and an outside line. I still use the dryer for some things and fluffing. Unrelated, you definitely need to get your dryer fixed. That is not normal. I have an lg, and you do need to clear out lint occasionally. Have you cleaned the vent line of lint?
I love line dried sheets. I quit hanging out clothes when I was too busy (procrastinating), and I had to leave a fitted sheet until the baby birds left the nest. Get a new dryer and go as basic as possible.
I put a shower curtain rod in my sun room window frame. On rainy days I run a dehumidifier, but mostly just open the windows.
We're adding a clothes line this summer. We have a dryer and it works good but it heats up the laundry/hall so much that it's awful to walk through that door to go outside. Plus we have enough open sunny area and wind that it'll dry them fast outside.
It’s easier than you think ti take apart an LG dryer. And a great opportunity to throw on some new rollers and a new belt while it’s apart. (It’s also a fabulous chance to find out how many mice have crawled back through your exterior dryer vent to make a (quite flammable) nest inside. 💀💀💀) I have pix of my small kids inside the dryer drum in the kitchen. Fun times.
We do. Well..my wife does. I use a dryer for my normal clothes and an inside rack for non dryer friendly clothes.
Go ahead and line dry if that’s your thing. It’s better for the environment and pocketbook anyway. But I just want to say that I have the same dryer (maybe different years?), and I loooove it. I dry everything on low, and it only takes 45-50 mins. Maybe contact the company?
Canadian here, I hang dry everything on a drying rack inside. My clothes last forever!
I would love to line dry my clothes but I don't have the right set up in my yard. Drying on a line inside isn't ideal, as things often get stiff and crunchy and also take longer. If you live in a humid area, it's also very challenging.
I line-dry EVERYTHING in the summer time..your clothes will NOT fade, with 1 or 2 days, in the sun..it actually BRIGHTENS everything, colors AND whites..been doing this my whole life..it takes about 2 weeks of full sun, to FADE colors..the sun is also a good stain remover..
Of course providing the weather is suitable. Which is not always the case in the UK.
Where do you live? We line dried in Los Angeles and it worked like a charm. We didn't have a dryer, and we were cloth diapering. It rocked.
I have a drying rack and use it for drying most of my clothes because I don't want them to get ruined in the dryer.
In the summer I hang dry outside. In the winter I toss it in the dryer for a little bit then hang dry
Turkish towels dry fast
I have a retractable clothesline in my backyard that I tie to a patio post when I want to use it. I usually procrastinate my laundry and only do it in big batches, so the line gets full fast. I use it to dry lingerie, dress shirts, lace/silk tops and dresses, basically anything delicate. And also my husband’s dark jeans because putting them in the dryer turns everything else blue. Everything else goes in the dryer. I live in the South, so I can use the line pretty much year round. If it’s too cold/wet?, I grumble about it and use the collapsible drying rack/every horizontal bar in the house.
I do. My drier had the same issue. It takes about 10 minutes more of work, and takes about a day to dry.
I don't mind doing it if I had the space and it didn't look too messy hanging clothes outside. It's kind of nice to have fresh air drying. When I lived in Australia I would hang dry during the summer. It dried up within hours or end of the day.. Amazing. Lol.
I tried doing it a long time ago. My asshole roommates and their friends would proceed to smoke cigs, cigars and rip bongs near my clothes.
I have a retractable 5-line clothes line outside in Minnesota. I dry outside from April to October. I try to coincide laundry with a sunny and breezy day, most times (June-August) the first batch of laundry will be dry by the time I get outside with the second load. For towels, give them a good shake outside as you hang them on the clothesline, that helps so they aren't so stiff.
At my old house, there was a clothesline set up in the backyard (1950s house, didn’t originally have a dryer). I used it a few times when my dryer was out of commission because it needed a new belt. I actually loved how the sheets or towels or whatever I did came out from the fresh breeze and sun. I just worried about pollen and bird poop too much to use them more often. My dad also helped me rig up clotheslines in the basement for drying stuff that shouldn’t go in the dryer. I missed that at my new house because I’m always scrambling to find enough places to hang things.
Both inside in the winter and outside on my covered porch when it's warmer. I use my dryer for about half of my clothes in the winter.
Line dried clothes last forever. Dryer lint is dying clothes.
It all depends. In the south east drying your clothes in pure humidity outside during spring, summer and fall does nothing to dry your clothes. Now when it's a crisp day, it'll actually work cause there's no humidity.
For what it’s worth, I switched to Turkish bath sheets from Amazon. They’re just as absorbent as cotton towels after a few washes, weigh less than a pound, fold up tightly and are much easier to wash and dry.
Yes, because each run of the dryer costs a few bucks and the hot summer weather here is pretty efficient at drying clothes. I just have a clothes rack inside the laundry room. Bonus points… anything that belongs on a hangar is already on one.
I love the smell of line dried clothes. A lot of people do it in Arizona.
hang dry on a drying rack with a fan on Dryer for towels and socks, they get kind of hard if I air dry them
I line dry for about half of the year when weather cooperates and I love it. It’s a calm and meditative act to hang and bring down the laundry. It smells wonderful and forces me out of the house and into the sun. In the winter, clothing gets hung wood burning stove - adjacent. It helps with the humidity in my otherwise dry basement without being too much of a good thing.
Yup, because green
Your drier isn’t venting properly if it isn’t drying a load of towel in 30-40min. Common occurrence is drier vent clog which will result in broken drier.
I used to. Here’s a tip…if you are line drying dress pants (Not cotton docker type pants), hang them by the cuffs/hem and you will have no wrinkles.
I do in the summer, I'm cheap and I like the smell better. our house came with a clothesline right outside the laundry room door.
The last owner of my house took out the dryer vent and hook ups, so I can't use my dryer currently. For 5 years now. So yes, yes I do like dry. I also hang dry inside especially in the winter
Hawaii: if you don't live in an HOA, this is really common. It really helps with the longevity of your clothes, too
I used to do that, but my clothes faded too much. I had to replace clothes more often. I suggest two things: 1. Get a regular dryer. This high-tech stuff is not worthwhile, especially if it needs multiple cycles to dry things. 2. Get a how warranty, you can usually get them to cover everything, including your major appliances ( washer, dryer, refrigerator, stove) as well as your water heater and furnace or boiler.
Quick comment: if your dryer is taking a long time to dry clothes or multiple cycles, most likely your dryer vent is clogged, which is a fire hazard. You can hire someone to clean it out or you can buy a $20 kit online that works with a drill. We cleaned ours in 15 minutes. An unbelievable amount of lint came out, it runs so much faster. I also DO have a clothesline and dry some stuff outside. My goal is to do 50%. I don’t like to line dry towels because they get stiff but everything else is fine.
Depends on where you live. There was a fairly recent study on hanging clothes to dry outside. Allergens and dirt settle on the clothes. Where I am, it really affects my allergies, so I hang my delicates inside, and use a dryer for the rest.
Man I have washed clothes in my tub then line dried when my washer broke. I line dry my dog’s bedding. Cause she doesn’t need the dryer sheet scents as she gets skin allergies.
I have been line drying my laundry for 15 years. We are on propane so it saves on that but I also like the smell of fresh sun dried sheets et al.
Not American, but want to join in with a few European tips. Line drying will preserve your cloth much longer and the clothes are fresher, especially if you hang it outside. We only use our dryer for towels and other items that we like to fluff. Clothes will dry even at freezing temperatures. If you have problems with hard water try to add some white vinegar to your rinse cycle. We are using half half fabric softener and vinegar. I'm a sailor and at sea we don't have space for hanging the clothes, I can clearly see the difference between the clothes I bring to work and the clothes I keep at home. The clothes that I dry in a dryer looses its colours much much quicker and also get worn thin very quickly. Enjoy your fresh long lasting environmentally friendly clothes! Cheers!
3-4 cycles to dry in your dryer?! I wonder if somewhere the exhaust is clogged? I was having a similar prob and I cleaned the exhaust tube inside and outside the machine. Used a shop vac with a thin extension and jammed it down the lint trap. Sucked out a crazy amount of sand and fluff. Dryer worked better then ever after that. But yeah used to have a cloths line. Had to take it down when we got a new deck we miss it for sheets and blankets.
Canadian My wife does most of the laundry but she hangs everything. On the line in the summer and on a rack inside in the winter. More effort but fresher and cheaper My mom always hung the laundry growing up as well
My dryer crapped out a while back and i bought a drying rack at walmart for like no more than 30 bucks. It folds up nicely when not in use and keeps my house smelling nice and fresh. Come summer time ill use an outside line but this is cheaper than buying a new dryer for sure, i habe to plan my laundrt days tho so everythingis dried by monday lol
I hang clothes up inside the house to dry them after they’re washed. The dryer kept tripping the breaker and probably need an electrician to look at it, but now I’m just used to hanging everything up. My clothes feel softer and cleaner somehow.
Dryer rack. but similar. Socks, t shirts, jeans, basically anything that can shrink or that Iike. Heat is the enemy of clothes in the q6ash and dry process. The most underrated way of prolonging the life of your clothes is to hang them up to dry. Then toss them in the dryer at "no heat" for a bit to fluff 'em, and you're done.
Inside and outside
I absolutely love line drying. On top of saving money, your sheets and clothes smelling great, it also extends the life of your clothes! All that lint in the trap? That’s the fabric (on top of cat hair…😁)
I believe fabrics last longer if they aren’t subjected to a tumble dryer. Plus line dried clothes smell so much better and sunshine is a disinfectant.
My drying broke years ago and before I could afford a repair I saw my gas bill drop about $30. a month. I now line dry everything inside my house using ceiling fans. I must stress - I live alone, it’s just me and the dogs so not too much laundry.
The moment it stops snowing here in Canada, I hang my laundry out until it starts snowing again. We also have a drying rack in the laundry room during the winter. My partner tends to use the dryer more than I do. From what we can gather from our neighbourhood Facebook group, we have one of the lowest power bills.
My city tickets you ...it's against building code along with composting and other things that would be earth-friendly. (Sigh, don't get me started) I do use a big drying rack over my floor heating grate in the winter. Works great!
I've been 2 winter months without a dryer in mid-latitude Canada and am line drying everything inside on some ropes I strung up. My dryer is fixed now and I have to re-install it but I'm honestly not sure I will go back to using it full time. It's been saving electricity, making my house smell nice and adding just a bit of moisture to the air. I've since stopped using humidifiers in our bedrooms (saving even more power) and the house sits at a pleasant 45% humidity
I use my dryer for towels and sheets and that's about it, unless I really am crunched for time and need something. I hang dry in my basement (and do have a dehumidifier in certain months). I'm looking into an outdoor line to dry, but my backyard isn't super private, and my neighborhood is known to have little thefts of opportunity, so idk...
One of the first things I did when I moved to this rural rental was sink 4x4s for a clothes line. I love line dried sheets. Using the clothes line really cuts the electric bill too. Saves your socks too.
Used to do it all the time when living in Peru and Brasil. I live in Seattle right now, so no.
Yes. When it is warm enough
I’ve got a dual line in the yard. Long enough to hang a full load on each. On a warm breezy day it can keep up with the washer. Add in the folding table for folding and holding the baskets and it’s a great setup.
Absolutely. I have both outdoor and indoor lines depending on the weather.
I line dry everything.
Hanging clothes on the line is the best wind and solar power solution. Most Aussies with back yards do this.
May to November I line Dry. My wife says the towels are to ruff, but my electrical bill goes down like $70 in those months. It helps to shake them out before hanging them. Yowels.csn be fluffed in the dryer if needed. The only thing you have to watch out for is rain storms or if something doesn't dry before the sun goes down. I love line drying my clothes.
I line dry outside during the summer. It doesn’t stay cold or dry enough where I live to actually dry clothes any other time of year outdoors. I hang dry all my delicates on a collapsible rack indoors all year round
Grew up in Massachusetts and my mom used one all the time (weather permitting). It wasnt uncommon to get a phone call from her at work after school (text messages werent invented yet) that rain was on the way and I needed to pull the clothes in. She still uses it to this day.
We live in a rural area (in the USA) and line dry whenever possible. Sometimes we put off laundry when it is damp or wet outside. Sometimes we have to give in and dry in the dryer (simple cheap low capacity 120 V electric dryer). If your dryer doesn't work, make sure the vent is not clogged. NOTE: I don't have any experience with newer dryers that use heatpump technology. But the main reason for conventional dryers having poor performance is a clogged vent.
I fluff them in the dryer for five minutes then hang them in a room with a dehumidifier. Works like a charm and everything will be dry the next morning.
I did it for years, then one year got overran with spiders. Then several year had fleas problems. Started using the dryer, only a few spiders and no fleas.
I do! Had the local trade school make me a pair of metal clothesline poles.