How do you get your washing dry?
By katsalot1
@katsalot1 (1618)
April 17, 2009 10:48am CST
I just got my washing in off the clothes line in the garden, and I was reminded of something someone had told me about getting washing dry in humid countries. They were saying that they had to get the washing dry inside because the air was too wet ourside. I only hang my washing out on sunny days, which in the UK means not many days in winter, so quite often have to hang it over our boiler. I do use a tumble dryer occasionally, but our dryer is very old, and shrinks everything except towels and sheets. I know a lot of people now have washer/dryer machines. How do you get yours dry?
2 people like this
8 responses
@3SnuggleBunnies (16374)
• United States
30 Jan 10
In winter sometimes I put them on hangers in closets or on over the door hooks to dry. I used to hang in the basement til everything smelled like basement & that's not good. Once it warms up I usually line dry I'd say 2/3's of my wash. Especially w/ having a HE washer now stuff tends to have alot more lint stuck to the cothes than a regular washer.
1 person likes this
@3SnuggleBunnies (16374)
• United States
2 Feb 10
I hate smelling like dinner too! I used to have the litter box in the bathroom & I kept my hubby's uniforms in there but because they started smelling like litter box, we had to relocate the litter box.
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@katsalot1 (1618)
•
2 Feb 10
Wet washing certainly seems to pick up smells. When I hang my washing over the boiler, it seems to pick up smells from the cooker, which is nearby - particularly the smell of cooked oil! I think that line drying is definitely best if it is possible.
@SomeCowgirl (32191)
• United States
18 Apr 09
Right now we use my fiance's parents washing machine. Now once we have our own place I think I'll use more a clothesline outside as it will save energy and the environment. I'm not sure about humid countries, I always thought humid meant hot but not damp. Tropical, I guess is the word I'd use instead of humid. I read the definition online just now though and see that humid is about moisture. Well I learn something new every day!
1 person likes this
@katsalot1 (1618)
•
18 Apr 09
Hanging it outside is the cheapest option, and it's good as long as you don't have lots of smelly pollutants in the air.
1 person likes this
@SomeCowgirl (32191)
• United States
19 Apr 09
Yea I'd have to agree. We live in a rural area though so we wouldn't have anything to worry about pollutants. Now hanging it high enough that animals didn't get to it... lol.
1 person likes this
@happythoughts (4109)
• United States
24 Apr 09
We use our tumble dryer most of the time. I have a great indoor clothes line that we put up in the bathroom when we have the time to dry one load at a time. I would like to save some energy and dry on the line more but I just could not keep up with the laundry I need to do.
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@katsalot1 (1618)
•
24 Apr 09
It must be very difficult if you have a lot of washing to dry. You'd need a very long washing line and plenty of good weather!
@cream97 (29086)
• United States
18 Apr 09
Hi, katsalot1! I get mines dried by the dryer at the laundromat. And when I used to stay with my grandmother, I would hang the clothes out on the line when it was sunny and cold. I hated doing this, because I did not like the smell that the air gave on my freshly washed clothing. it had a raw smell to it and it smelled a little stale too. I would rather dry them in the dryer and put fabric softner sheets on them. I used to have a dryer in 2007, but that was when we was renting a trailer from a mobile home park. And, I loved waiting on the dryer to dry my clothes.
1 person likes this
@katsalot1 (1618)
•
18 Apr 09
Yes, it can sometimes smell funny, especially when someone decides to light a bonfire nearby!
@ronnyb (6113)
• Jamaica
10 Jul 09
Well fortunately for me I live in the tropics and I dont have a dryer so I have to handwash as well as hang my clothes on the line and allow the sun to dry them.In cases where it is raining a lot then I might hand some of the well needed ones behind the refridgerator.
1 person likes this
@katsalot1 (1618)
•
11 Jul 09
Hanging clothes to dry behind the fridge is something I've never thought of, but they do give off quite a bit of heat don't they?
@momoftwo (94)
• United States
25 Apr 09
Funny, you should ask. In an effort to save money and use less energy, I just made a clothesline last week. I have it where it's easy to put up and take down and it is outside. I'm in Florida, so I should be able to use it for most of the year.
The only problem I've come across so far is the clothes don't seem as soft. So I'm going to try a fabric softner for the wash. Other than that, it's worked out great and I'm exited to see how much my electric bill decreases.
1 person likes this
@katsalot1 (1618)
•
25 Apr 09
That's good. Tumble dryers use a lot of electricity so it should make a big difference.
@3SnuggleBunnies (16374)
• United States
18 Apr 09
In spring to early fall I usually line dry the majority on a clothes line outside. In winter I'll either hang it in the bathroom or in the dryer. One has to save their pennies where they can ;0)
@thea09 (18305)
• Greece
10 Jul 09
Hi katsalot, I put my washing to dry outside but not on a clothes line, I have a free standing drying thing with many lines attached to a metal frame. The advantage of this is I can just pull it inside if it starts to rain or bring it inside if it is going dark. It is very humid here at the moment, the tempreture is 39C but that does not stop the washing from drying. It takes longer to dry in winter if it is damp or pouring then it has to dry on it's frame inside.
