Twitter Facebook RSS Bloglovin Pinterest Instagram Image Map

Saturday, July 13, 2013

Hang Your Laundry To Dry

During the entire month of June, we only used our clothes dryer maybe 5 times.
It was so hot here in southwest Arkansas that I decided 
to hang the majority of our laundry to dry. 
It makes a lot of sense for us:
we have a deck with no shade that gets so hot you cannot walk on it with bare feet, 
and we don't own patio furniture yet. 
Our deck was basically "dead space" that we weren't able to use.
That made me a little sad :-(

I figured, "If it gets that hot out there, why can't I use that to my benefit?"
I'd read a lot about "living green" and using the dryer less to save money and energy,
and these sounded like good things to me!
So my research on clothes drying racks began.
My 3 criteria were that it had to be portable, collapsible, and durable.
This one, which I found on Amazon, is just right.

  photo household_essentials_dryer.jpg
It holds quite a bit of laundry -- just yesterday,
I dried a set of queen sheets, several towels, plus socks on it!
The lines are made of vinyl, and they are quite durable. 
They can be tightened and re-knotted if they become too loose. 
I would say it's my main "work horse" when it comes to drying clothes, 
but it's certainly not the only one. 

 photo DSCF3999.jpg

I have another drying rack that I've owned about 6 years. 
It was actually a wedding gift and was purchased at Wal-Mart. 
It has gotten a bit wobbly over the years, 
but it still has a lot of work left in it. 
Since it's lower to the ground, I don't use it for long items like sheets. 
It does a good job drying bath and dish towels, socks, t-shirts, and undergarments.
This accordion-style dryer folds flat and is a good choice for people with small spaces.
Different versions of it are also available on Amazon, and Wal-Mart probably still sells it, too.

What if you don't have either of these racks, but still want to hang laundry to dry? 
You still have options!
If my DH and I do several loads of laundry in a row and my racks are both full, 
I also hang clothing in the doorways using coathangers
and I love to hang clothes in my upstairs bathroom, too. 
It has a tub/shower combo, and the previous owners updated the shower curtain rod 
to one of the nicer types that gives one more elbow room.
However, when we moved in, I found the old tension shower rods in the basement storage room! 
This is a trick from my granny: 
put an extra shower curtain rod in the center of the shower area and use it for a clothes drying rod.

 photo DSCF4004.jpg

It doesn't impede the shower head or bother anyone showering at all. 
(Unless someone is really tall, in which case it can easily be taken down and replaced later.) 
So handy, and didn't cost me a thing!
Just be sure to balance the clothing evenly along the rod so it doesn't fall down.
I also hang clothes to dry on the towel bar inside the shower,

 photo DSCF4008.jpg

and on the robe hooks outside the shower.

 photo DSCF4005.jpg

Tips for Hanging Laundry to Dry:
  •  Save your time - if you know an item will eventually go on a hanger, hang it to dry that way!
  • Turn colored clothing inside out to dry, since the sun fades things (or hang dry these things inside).
  • You may have to rearrange or refold larger items on the line so they dry evenly.
  • Racks can also be used indoors, too! Great for rainy or humid days.
  • Be sure to shake laundry out before you hang it to minimize wrinkles.
  • Your family may prefer some items to still be dried in the electric dryer due to texture (my DH prefers washcloths and his undershirts go in the dryer).
Do you ever hang laundry to dry? 
Please share any tips or questions you have in the comments! 

Pin It!

This post linked to:
Share Your Creativity @ It's Overflowing!
Serenity Saturday @ Serenity You
  Saturday SHOW-Licious Craft Showcase @ Sewlicious Home Decor
Met Monday @ Between Naps on the Porch
  Amaze Me Mondays @ Dwellings - The Heart of Your Home
Make It Pretty Monday @ The Dedicated House
Mod Mix Monday @ Mod Vintage Life
Sunny Simple Monday @ Sunny Simple Life 
Masterpiece Monday @ Boogie Board Cottage
Mop It Up Monday @ I Should Be Mopping The Floor  
Creative Bloggers' Party @ Homemaker on a Dime  
What'd You Do This Weekend @ Recipes and Ramblings 
Inspire Me Tuesday @ A Stroll Thru Life
The Scoop @ Cedar Hill Ranch
Efforts and Assets Party @ Hickory Trail Blog
  Terrific Tuesdays @ Adventures of a DIY Mom
TOO cute Tuesdays @ Funky Polka Dot Giraffe
Tuesday's Treasures @ My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia
Anti-Procrastination Tuesday @ New Nostalgia
Penny Pinching Party @ The Thrifty Home
Works For Me Wednesdays @ We Are That Family
What I Whipped Up Wednesdays @ Sugar and Dots
Fluster's Creative Muster Link Party @ Fluster Buster
We Did It Wednesday @ Sew Much Ado
What's It Wednesdays @ Ivy and Elephants 
Cast Party Wednesday @ Lady Behind The Curtain
Show and Share @ Southern Lovely
Wonderful Wednesday Blog Hop @ Ducks 'n a Row
Catch a Glimpse Party @ A Glimpse Inside
Thrifty to Nifty @ A Jennuine Life
Time Travel Thursday @ The Brambleberry Cottage
All Things Thursday Link-Up @ All Things With Purpose
Thursday's Treasures @ Chocolate Chocolate and More! 
Hookin Up with HoH @ House of Hepworths
Create and Share Friday @ Trendy Treehouse
Frugalicious Fridays @ Finding Fabulous
Featured Nest Friday @ French Country Cottage
Craftionary link party @ Craftionary

13 comments:

  1. Oh I love the smell of fresh linens hung on the line. These are some really inventive ideas. Thanks tons for joining Inspire Me. Hugs, Marty

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Marty - we love the fresh smell, too, especially in our sheets!

      Delete
  2. So happy to see your post with the collapsible drying umbrella! I have a very, very small backyard but have room for something like that. I love sheets and pillow cases dried on the line. My also like to dry my bathroom rugs, jeans and kitchen throw rug outside as opposed to throwing in the dryer. I am going to order that clothesline from Amazon today!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Suzan, I think you will love it! Glad to have helped :-)

      Delete
  3. I rarely use my clothes line outside and prefer to hang them inside on an airer, that way I dont need to worry about what the weather is doing outside but admittedly they do take longer to dry. I want a dryer Iv never had one! Its on my wishlist when the laundry is renovated.

    ReplyDelete
  4. An easy and old timey thing to do to go green. My grandmother and mother had clotheslines built into their backyard. Thanks for the reminder and for sharing at What'd You Do This Weekend.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I have line-dried almost all my laundry since 1990. It saves a ton of money, both on the electric bill and by making clothes last longer, and it doesn't take much time. Because I work outside the home, I'm often hanging laundry after dark and can't rush out to get it if the weather changes, so I have indoor clotheslines in my basement. Here are my detailed tips on line-drying:
    http://articles.earthlingshandbook.org/2009/10/21/line-drying-laundry/
    ---'Becca

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. 'Becca, thank you for sharing! I have a basement room that doesn't get much use and this sounds like an amazing use of space!

      Delete
  6. This is a pretty cool post, Melody. I'd love to have you share at my party, too. Do you have any social media? I'd love to follow you. Linda

    http://www.craftsalamode.com/2013/07/what-to-do-weekends-29.html

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Linda! I'd love to link up with your party and will definitely come visit!

      All of my social media are available at the top center of my blog, in the pink tag that says "Follow Me." I am available on Twitter, Facebook, RSS, Bloglovin, Instagram, and Pinterest. Just click and follow!

      Delete
  7. I don't have an outdoor space to hang clothes but I do hang the line-dry clothes in my laundry room. Hanging them on their own hangers is a great idea! I do find that some need a little bit of tossing in the dryer, after they are almost dry on the hanger, to get some wrinkles out. No big deal. Just part of a process.

    Thanks so much for sharing this on Wonderful Wednesday Blog Hop on Ducks n' a Row!
    Blessings,
    Sinea from Ducks ‘n a Row

    ReplyDelete
  8. You are so smart to take advantage of your hot deck.....great idea.
    Also love the extra rod in you shower....

    ReplyDelete
  9. Thank you for coming to my party!! I remember hanging laundry for my mother when I was a kid. I hated that job! ha ha Such a necessary part of life, huh? Keeping clothes clean... Have a great week. Linda craftsalamode.com

    ReplyDelete