Groanin' under the Weight

[digitS']

My clothesline is groanin' under the weight, that is .

I can see into the backyards of most of the houses in my neighborhood. Not every one, but most - and, nobody else hangs their clothes out! Mine are beneath the deck roof and, yes, it restricts movement around the deck but not much. Besides, it's like 6' from the backdoor and the utility room.

A person on the neighbor's deck looks directly into our backyard. I have apologized to the neighbor on several occasions for not being more "citified" with my country ways . . . The last time, she said, "We like it." I was surprised and noticed that her husband didn't say anything . . .

The other day, she was out at the barbeque and looked over very pointedly as I was taking down the laundry after a day in the fresh air. I thought that was a little different since she seldom seems to pay any direct attention to what I'm up to. A few moments later, when her company arrived, I realized the reason for the look. It must have been a kind of a "Thank Heavens!" moment.

Hey, I have a discrete line of t-shirts on the outside before the row of more personal garments. The denim is at the end where sunlight will fall on them, as is my habit. Socks are hung individually but DW's polyester is doubled. Loaded line - 2 loads.

I can understand that in some places with high humidity drying wouldn't be so successful. And, there are HOA's . . . am I the only person who hangs the laundry outdoors in the 21st century?

I was given a gift the other day. It is a simple timer for the electric outlet, supposed to be for cell phone charging and such, it says.

What is that new term - vampire electronics? I mean, what does a cell phone "pull?" One study said .1 to .14 of a watt. How does that compare to running a 220watt clothes dryer for an hour? It doesn't take me 1 hour for hanging out & bringing them in and I've hung 2 loads.

Steve
who is a little disturbed to learn that his computer pulls nearly 50 watts in sleep mode. needs to do better there . . .

 

[Ridgerunner]

Steve, we hang all the clothes we can on the line. Ive got four lines, each maybe 25 feet long. Sometimes they are pretty full. Were a lot more out in the country than you are but I dont see any other neighbors hanging clothes on the line.

Im not going to go into a lot of philosophical reasons to do it. Thatll probably vary some between us. But it just seems like the right thing to do when you can.

 

[canesisters]

Used to - LOVE the smell of it.
But then my sister in law dumped her lab here and Rosie thinks that is the BEST TUG-O-WAR GAME EVER!

 

[thistlebloom]

I hang my clothes out as much as possible. Even some days mid winter I can get clothes at least partially dried and them finish them in the dryer. My 3 lines are about 25' long, but considerably further from the house than Steves. So, I won't hang in the winter if it's going to require snowshoes and a dog team.

I like the look of an organized hanging! And you can't beat the smell. There's nothing more satisfying than sleeping under air dried sheets, it leads to deeper breathing I'm sure.

 

[Stubbornhillfarm]

We're out in the country. But our set up when I say it outloud sounds pretty funny.

We have a deck off our 2nd story master bedroom (sounds way more glamourus than it is) and we have our clothes line on one of those wheel things attached from the deck off the bedroom to a tree in the back yard. That way when we pull the clothes in, they are only steps away from being taken care of.

I love the smell and the $$ savings. I only hang clothes 3 seasons of the year.

However, I was watching a documentary about the Amish and saw the Amish women in Penn. hanging out the laundry while it was snowing. I felt a little guilty. If they can do it in the winter, why can't I? Maybe I'll try it some windy winter day.

P.S. Your neighbor should be appreciative that you selectively hang your clothes. But that could make for some very funny dinner conversation for them and their guest if you shake up the order a bit!

 

[journey11]

I started hanging most of our clothes to dry back when I first got married. My husband swears the dryer shrinks his t-shirts and jeans and my MIL convinced me that the dryer will fade your colors and wear out your fabrics much faster. This is certainly true. I still have t-shirts from 10 years ago that haven't faded. I do run the towels and the socks and undies and the kids tiny clothes through the dryer, since they are so small and numerous (and I like the towels to be fluffier.)

I have 4 strands of clothesline running underneath my elevated back deck. The laundry is in the basement and all I have to do is step out the back door. This keeps the birds off of them (no poo!) and keeps the sunlight from fading them. I also have another line running across the floor joists in the basement and use it mostly in the winter. I love that the woodstove can dry a pair of jeans overnight!

I like to hang whites on the line that reaches the afternoon sun. The sun will bleach them nicely and there is something about leaving the whites overnight in the dew, then to be bleached by the sun that will get out almost any stain. My grandma told me that she and her MIL would always lay their bed linens and other whites on the lawn to catch the dew, then hang them in the morning to dry in the sun and that would keep them very white. I've been told it is some kind of enzyme reaction, but I can't verify that.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I turn my T-shirts and some other stuff inside out when I hang them to keep the sun from bleaching them.

 

[majorcatfish]

something about getting into bed with sheets that have been dried on the clothes line.

hurry for spring.....

 

[Nyboy]

I think clothes that are line dryed very stiff, clothes out of the dryer much softer. Is there some secret to line drying?

 

[thistlebloom]

Yes, line dried clothes are stiffer, but if there's a good breeze they dry a little softer. But still crisp. I always say that you don't even have to take one of my sundried towels off the towel bar, just walking by it will suck all the water off you!