Clotheslines are for more than just those who want to be quaint
The lack of posting this week has been because I’ve been at the hospital all week with on of my family members. If this were a political blog, I’d have a lot to say about the health care system, but it’s a green blog so I’ll stay on topic.
I’m at the hospital right now looking at the local newspaper that gets delivered every day with breakfast. Interesting little teaser at the top of the front page “Clotheslines Make Comeback” in Home & Garden section. Of course, I turn to the piece. I’m not impressed.
The two empty-nester neighbors who were featured in the piece share a clothesline or as the piece puts it “a quaint air freshener.” The piece makes it clear that it’s all well and good for these two women who don’t have much better to do to hang out their clothes but for busy big families or people with allergies, it’s just not practical. I understand the allergy part – but indoor clotheslines can take care of that. The automatic out for big families, though, well, I’ve got a problem with that.
While I wouldn’t categorize my family as big (there’s four of us), we are pretty busy and laundry still gets hung out. It is an effort. I have help, though. It’s the rest of the family.
My kids, at 7 and 10, already know how to do laundry. They can separate the clothes, put them in the washer, put them in the dryer if that’s where they go (usually the mounds of socks and towels) and hang them on the line. Often I do the hanging on the line because I like to do it. But, they usually get them off the line. My husband helps, too.
Line drying isn’t just for empty-nesters who are quaint. It’s for everyone with a backyard where it’s legal (yes, legal, there are some places where it’s illegal – I’ve ranted about that before). It’s for anyone who can string a line in their basement or laundry room. It’s for those who can hang things on their shower rod. It’s for those who want to save a significant amount of money on their energy bill each year. It’s for those who want to save greenhouse gasses for entering our atmosphere.
Line drying may not be an option for some people. But to imply that if a family is big it’s out of the question is ridiculous.
Image: Peter Blanchard
I couldn’t agree more with you Robin. Big families should have all the more reason to dry clothes outside. It’s not yet legal for me to dry clothes outside in my neighborhood but I have an indoor pulley system ceiling-mounted drier which I love. I wish someone sold these here – they are common in the UK.
Big families just mean there’s more people to help. I don’t understand why they should be exempted. As a matter of fact, because they probably have a lot more wash, they are saving a lot more energy by hanging it out. Great article. I enjoy your rants.
We have lived in various places in the world both wet and dry and have always had a clothes line. In the Uk we strung one up above the radiator so that when the heating came on it dried the clothes at the same time. Here in the UAE there is no need for a dryer – thank goodness! We hang it all up – like you my kids do their own laundry and even iron it!
Love this! I used to dry all my clothes on a line when I lived in NM. It was so easy. I have to say it’s harder now since I do so much laundry late at night (yes this is an excuse) and the sun isn’t strong or out all that much here in RI and my basement has a mold problem so clothes smell aweful if I try to dry them there. Still been wanting a great clothesline like mine in NM- this post might just give me the drive to follow through!