Laundry Experiment: Cold Water and Line Drying
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The challenge? Wash your clothes in cold water and dry them on the line for 30 days.
Hmmm…. me thinks, I can handle that.
In fact, I was already washing our clothes in cold water and I had some experience with line drying. I also had some residual fear of bees and moths from said line drying experience. But, you know me, I’m always up for a challenge. I figured I’d find a way around that. And I did.
Yes, yes, I did.
- Up to 10% of a home’s energy use is due to the clothes dryer. Reducing the usage (or not having it at all) was saving me a few bucks.
- Line drying is a very savvy, green thing to do. You’re cool if you dry your clothes this way.
So, to dry your clothes on the line can make you cool and richer. Who knew?
Some observations from the first 2 weeks of the challenge:
As you can see, I’m drying the clothes indoors. Oh, let me count the reasons why… One, the weather here in San Diego is often cool and overcast. Not the most efficient clothes drying weather. Two, I won’t forget them outside. Three, I have this fear of bees.
I’m finding that I can fit two loads of clothes on this indoor clothes rack. So, if I wash and hang two loads at night, they are usually dry by morning. And, if I do the same in the morning, they are ready to be folded by bedtime. This means I can get four loads washed and dried in a 24 hour period. This is proving to be sufficient, even in a family of 8. Kids clothes dry quickly, which is a big plus.
Tricks to line drying
- Dry clothes that are destined for the closet on hangers. You don’t have to mess with clothespins. As soon as they are dry, hang them up!
- Pin tshirts on the line upside down. This way the “crunchy” part caused by the pinching of the clothespin will be on the bottom hem and not on their shoulders.
- Hang socks by the toe for the same reason.
- Don’t forget your clothes outside after dark or the bees might get them.
I also found some tips to make line drying easier:
- wash the load at night or first thing in the morning so that it has enough daytime to dry. Clothes take longer to dry in cool weather.
- shake out each article of clothing to help eliminate the wrinkles.
- hang tshirts and socks upside down so that the marks from the clothes pins aren’t as noticeable.
- hang shirts on hangers on the line. Takes just a few seconds to slip them on and makes collecting the dried clothes a snap. Putting them away is even easier.
- sheets dry really quickly. Just fold them in half and then fold them over the line.
- hang jeans by folding them over the line. Flip them halfway through to dry the other side.
- don’t leave clothes out after dark as they can attract insects, such as bees and moths. (Ask me how I know.)
- check the weather so you don’t have to rush out in a downpour, collect your clothes, and rewash them. (Ask me how I know.)
While we are back to having a running dryer, I have still left the clothes line up. Once I get over my bee/moth phobia, me and my clothes pins will be back in business.
What’s been your experience with cold water wash and line drying?
Disclosure: Seventh Generation and My Blog Spark provided me with a “Project Laundry Line” kit that included Seventh Generation Natural 2x Concentrated Laundry Liquid, a portable laundry line, clothes pins, a laundry basket, and a Flip camera to record my experience. I was not compensated in any way for participating in this challenge or offering this giveaway, nor was I required to do so. My opinions are my own. For more information, please see my disclosure policy.
having two lil kids age 6 and 4 there are stains that need extra help, what is the best stain booster to use that wont harme the cloths but be tough???? oh and cheap sense were a one very very small income family.
I have been using this clothes drying rack to dry my clothes in the house for a couple years. I have two of them and set them up in different places depending upon the time of day. It was great to get rid of the dryer out of the house. Since it is the second largest energy hog after the refrigerator. I really noticed a difference in my utility bill when we made the switch.
To help keep clothes soft I just give them a little movement as I walk past them through out the day. That seems to be plenty enough like a slight breeze to keep them from drying stiff.
We often get brief afternoon rainshowers, so I struggle with taking clothes outside for drying (I only do line drying for my cloth diapers).
Are you finding that having all your laundry in your hallway is kind of annoying? I think that would get on my nerves a bit!
Well, I’ve started doing four loads in one 24 hour period and that gets it over with for a few days.
I wash almost everything in cold and line dry everything as much as possible. I have five kids with four of them six and under. The whites and stuff with stains going in a warm/cold load with Oxyclean. Since I have two still in diapers, those loads are done in Hot/Cold.
However, I have the most incredible clothesline so I can dry stuff outside for about 3/4 of the year here in Pennsylvania. My husband built a very solid clothesline for me last year out of 4 x 4 posts with four lines after years and years of making due with running lines through the porch railing and around a tree that is now gone. You can see one of the posts with the hooks in this post: http://mydailyround.blogspot.com/2009/06/cadillac-of-clotheslines.html
I grew up with my mom only hanging out clothes on a line. When it rained she hung them inside. We didn’t even get a dryer until we moved to MA and there were 6 kids’ worth of laundry to do. So now as a mom I try to only dry my clothes outside. I’ve always washed in only cold water b/c I knew it was a money saver. When it’s cold or rainy we hang a lot of things on hangers in doorways or on the drying rack. It’s funny that this post just came up b/c I just had an issue three days ago that I’ve never had before. I got home to take in the clothes (very thankful that the forecasted thunderstorms hadn’t hit) and noticed what I think is bird poop on my husband’s school khaki shorts (he’s a PE teacher). We tried soaking them in Oxi Clean and doing Shout spray but the stain is still there a little bit. It’s a brownish stain, not white or gray like bird poop usually is. Any suggestions? He was annoyed and wants me to start hanging things indoors again. But when it’s 90 degrees and a whole load dries in 2 hours, how can I resist??
I am not a good stain fighter. Anybody else have ideas?
@Caroline,
When I have a stain that hasn’t quite come out, I let it hang dry so the dryer doesn’t set the stain in, and then try again. Sometimes it just takes a couple washes. I have a squirt bottle of white vinegar that I squirt on stains and I usually add a cup of baking soda to lights and whites. I also use stain stick. That helps keep the colors bright, especially my daughter’s light yellows and pinks that often become dull when washed with my boy’s clothes.
I’m going to start stocking vinegar in the laundry room!
I am a strictly cold water washer since about March, and have been hang drying all of our pants since then as well. They just take too long to machine dry and if I do them at night they’re usually dry by morning. Everything else goes in the machine dry.
I line dry (or rather, shower rod dry) almost all of my work clothes… most are blends of some sort and most are black (makes me look skinnier and I need all the help I can get) — a dryer is not the best friend of black clothes. I also line dry most of my daughter’s school blouses and such. She’s 15, and most of her clothes are not the sort that benefit from a dryer. Jeans, undies, towels, pjs, tshirts and socks all go in the dryer. I want those to be comfy.
Before we moved in November, we had a clothesline. I miss it terribly. So in the new house, I’m trying to figure out where to put one. But I love clothes dried outside, especially sheets. No better smell in the world then line dried clothing and sheets. The towels went in the dryer. Everything else outside on the line. Cannot wait to have a clothesline again. For me, when I took things off the line, they got a good “snap” before they are put in the basket, and that pretty much took care of any bugs that might be clinging. Earwigs was the big problem. My husband still “snaps” his jeans before he puts them on, I asked him why and he said habit.
Now, I’m not with you on the smell. Must be the chapparal around here or something. But, I don’t like the outdoor smell. That’s funny about the snap. And the ear wigs would totally freak me out. That would kill the deal. Good for you for persevering. 😉
I may be weird, but I find it relaxing to hang slothes on the line 🙂 I will usually start the washer when we go to bed — then, first thing in the morning I hang it out. I love it!
The only issue we have here in Newfoundland is that the weather is not always the best. But, we do have lots of wind, so the sun doesn’t always have to be shining to get my clothes dried.
I think it is relaxing, too. A moment to slow down instead of rush.
I always wash in cold, unless someone had an accident (either in their clothes or their bed) and always felt like clothes get nice and clean. I also hang dry about 30% of our clothes (indoor, like you, because it gets too windy/dust storms here). Clothes last so much longer. Colors more vibrant, less shrinkage, plus it saves energy.