[Greenbuilding] drying clothes

[Bob Waldrop]

I'd like to note that there are ways to increase the "efficiency" of a 
clothes line in terms of the amount of clothing that can dry on the line. 
After hanging the shirts and sheets, I go back and use the same clothes pins 
that are holding the shirts and sheets on the line to hold socks, wash 
clothes, handkerchiefs, pillow cases, i.e. any small light items.  So this 
gets more items per square foot of line and also limits the amount of 
clothes pins.

regarding clothes pins, Dollar stores sell them, but I've found that over 
time it is better to buy the slightly more expensive brands sold at hardware 
stores like Ace.  They don't fall apart so fast.

My clothes lines are close together, there is only about a foot between 
them.

I hang the shirts by the tails, one clip per tail, spread out like they were 
wings.  I put up one shirt, then go back to its first wing, and start the 
next shirt about 4" from the first clothes pin, so the shirts overlap a bit. 
After a few shirts, I use the last tail clothes pin for one shirt for the 
first tail clothes pin for the next shirt.  this allow you to put a lot of 
shirts on a line.  (I don't know if I am explaining this well enough so it 
is understandable.  I started and abandoned this email three times after 
failing to craft a satisfactory explanation, lol.

More than once my clothes on the line have been caught by a quick rain 
squall. I just figure 'one last rainwater rinse won't hurt them' and it 
doesn't.

I've never had bird poop on my clothes and my lines are under trees in the 
shade -- which is, I think, a good idea, since it is more comfortable 
hanging clothes out to dry during the summer in the shade than in full 
sunlight, and they dry just as fast in the shade as they do in the sun (at 
least this is true in central Oklahoma).

Another reason for line drying is that clothes dryers beat your clothes to 
death.  Dryer lint is, after all, bits and pieces of your clothing that has 
been beaten out of them by the action of the dryer.  With clothes drying, 
there is no "clothes line lint'.

for me and my house, the feel and smell of air dried clothes is a luxury 
that is truly value priced.

Bob Waldrop, Okie City
www.energyconservationinfo.org