don't hang your clean laundry in public
By jb78000
@jb78000 (15139)
November 11, 2009 10:38am CST
or private. this concerns america's crippling addiction to the tumble drier. i recently discovered that 80% of households there have a tumble drier (with most of the rest using them in laundrettes) and most americans view them as one of the basic necessities of life.
this seemed a little strange - why not washing lines given the climate in some parts? - and upon further intensive investigation (all 5 minutes of it) i discovered there appeared to be two main reasons for it. one is the fear that if you use an outdoor washing line (and for some reason an indoor clothes drier too) people will think that your house is full of farm animals and your bathtub only used for making gin. and the other is that some people don't want the neighbours to see their undies.
neither really makes a lot of sense - tumble driers use up a significant proportion of a households energy and even if you couldn't care less about the environment then surely money is something you are interested in? also they are not good for your clothes.
so if you are an american what is the reason for this - what i suggested above or something else? if you are not and like me have no idea then what are you - a hanger or a tumbler?
incidently tumble driers do actually exist in this country (uk) but not everyone has or uses them. washing lines are often useless given the climate but a lot of people have indoor clothes driers.
6 people like this
20 responses
@dawnald (85146)
• Shingle Springs, California
11 Nov 09
yeah well, a society that's more interested in appearances than practicality...
Don't get me wrong, I like my dryer, and it's much easier than hanging stuff up, but I could see myself doing it. I'm going to bet though, that if I look at the ccrs for my neighborhood, it's either forbidden altogether or not allowed to be seen from the street.
3 people like this
@celticeagle (168856)
• Boise, Idaho
11 Nov 09
Crippling addiction to the tumble dryer. Boy! You are really reaching on this one my little blue bunny friend. I tumble in winter and have even been known to line dry in the summer. That fresh scent is worth it. My grama always line dried. Course she washed the old fashioned way also. I used to hand dry on one of those wooden indoor dryer too.
2 people like this
@celticeagle (168856)
• Boise, Idaho
12 Nov 09
Never heard it called a clothes horse before. Roof falling in? Hanging from the ceiling? Wow!
1 person likes this
@jb78000 (15139)
•
12 Nov 09
i knew there was something funny about writing tumble drier. i've never written about tumble dryers before although i have written about things being drier. hmmmn. there goes my new career of writing about household appliances. 
. anyway celtic this discussion was meant to be a bit tongue in cheek and thea i used to call the very solid ones clothes horses but not the flimsy ones like what i've got.
. anyway celtic this discussion was meant to be a bit tongue in cheek and thea i used to call the very solid ones clothes horses but not the flimsy ones like what i've got.
@anne25penn (3305)
• Philippines
12 Nov 09
I hang my clothes out to dry on a line and I don't worry about dust, pollen or even bird poo. Nothing of this sort has ever happened with my laundry and I like the smell of clothes dried out in the sun. I live in a tropical country, so the weather is always good to hang your clothes out to dry in the sun. Not too windy too, so I have no fears of my laundry flying over someone else's property or in the ground where I have to wash it again.
But don't tag us as primitive, there are a lot of condominium buildings here where a washer and dryer is required and you cannot hang your laundry on the balcony. I own a unit in the business district in the Metro but prefer to stay here in my rustic home in the outskirt of Manila where I can hang my clothes on a line, and do my barbecue without the building admin fining me.
@jb78000 (15139)
•
12 Nov 09
when i lived in a hot country it was great - if you were working in the afternoon you could wash something in the morning and it would be dry an hour later. i don't understand this thing of not being allowed to hang clothes on the balcony - are they considered unsightly or what?
1 person likes this
@grandpa_lash (5225)
• Australia
11 Nov 09
Being an Aussie, where most of us seem to think we're Americans in training, I also live in a society where every other house has a tumble dryer, even in sunny Queensland. Even we have one, but I think we've used it twice in four years, during the wet season (or what has, of late, been laughingly referred to as the wet season).
As for all your respondents who claim that outside drying is bad, I've never noticed any problems, but then I could probably sleep with a bushel of peas under my mattress. I love the smell and freshness of sun-dried clothes. And I love our electricity bill - well, relatively, anyway.
Lash
2 people like this
@cloudwatcher (6861)
• Australia
11 Nov 09
"outside drying is bad" - The ONLY thing wrong with outside drying here is that the sun fades everything, but if we bring it in within an hour, that is minimised and we still get the lovely sun-dried freshness.
2 people like this
@jb78000 (15139)
•
12 Nov 09
aussieland is not the only place with americans in training. my sister has for reasons best known to herself got a dishwasher. now this i can understand the point of in a big household but it doesn't exactly save any time when there are just two of you. don't think they have a tumble dryer though (actually they probably do come to think of it).
@kprofgames (3091)
• United States
12 Nov 09
Having a clothesline will give people the impression that your house is full of farm animals? That you make gin in your bathtub? ROFLAMO.
I'm sorry. I've used a clothesline for the better part of 20 years. I don't care if my neighbors see whe kind of clothes we have, but I do know that you have to watch it when you hang your clothes on the line because in a town they can be stolen. I live out in the country now and the two main reason I use the clothes line is because it saves on electricity and the dryer doesn't heat up the house in the summer time.
2 people like this
@kprofgames (3091)
• United States
12 Nov 09
I do think a large part of it is because it is easier to just throw the clothes in and turn a button. I have always hung them out and it takes work, especially when you're washing all the bedding/rugs and what nots in the house. I just like the smell of everything that hangs outside. And on a really windy day, I can dry them faster when hang them out.
2 people like this
@jb78000 (15139)
•
12 Nov 09
well i certainly don't think that, nor does anyone else here, but i was wondering about the reason many americans (and it seems others) are allergic to clothes lines. anyway i understand it does save quite a lot of electricity if you hang your clothes rather than tumble them.
1 person likes this
@PeacefulWmn9 (10420)
• United States
12 Nov 09
Hm, well I used to love to hang clothes outside on the line to dry, or inside in the winter. I still hand wash and hand delicate things and lightweight sweaters and hang them inside.
For the rest, I now have no choice but to use the dryer in the apartment complexe's laundry room. I have a condition that makes it too difficult to walk to the lines. And too much laundry to hang it all inside to dry...my place isn't large enough.
But...I loved hanging laundry out for all those years and I miss it!
Many people do hang laundry to dry in the area where I live. :)
Karen2 people like this
@jb78000 (15139)
•
12 Nov 09
hiya karen,yes i got the impression that it wasn't everywhere in the states that was like that. big place. my washing machine is fairly compact so there is never all that much laundry to hang at any one time. sorry to hear that you have difficulty walking far by the way
. my washing machine is fairly compact so there is never all that much laundry to hang at any one time. sorry to hear that you have difficulty walking far by the way1 person likes this
@xfahctor (14118)
• Lancaster, New Hampshire
16 Nov 09
Lol, have you ever seen where I live? We have a winter that lasts almost 7 months, a cold spring and fall....and though we sometimes have some pretty hot summers, they are usualy very humid summers. Now, I have been known to hang out my laundery on the nicer days, but it isn't always practical for me or our climate up in my neck of the woods.
My electricity is included in my rent and we have a small launderymat in my complex, and even thought the dryers suck royaly, it's still more productive than hanging out cloths to dry in -30F temperatures or in relative humidty of 80%.
1 person likes this
@jb78000 (15139)
•
16 Nov 09
hmmmmmn. i was getting suspicious about your claimed nationality when i saw you forgetting to translate minor british swearwords into american before posting x, now your description of seasons (apart from the clearly imaginary hot summers) is all i need to start a konvincing konspiracy theory that you are actually based in aberdeen. 
anyway we can't hang outside very often, which is why usually things are hung on the dryer in the kitchen.
anyway we can't hang outside very often, which is why usually things are hung on the dryer in the kitchen.
@Hatley (163776)
• Garden Grove, California
11 Nov 09
hi bluebunny well here in the US an awful lot of us have to live in apartments as we do not have the huge costs of buying houses, so our apartment managers would not let any one hang clothes out in public, thence laundry room with washers and driers. also not very much space anyway for clothes lines. those who live on large acreages can put up lines. I grew up on a farm and was used to hanging clothes out to dry.but I stillthink the drier is a great invention myself. it is certainly getter than having to hand your clothes on chairs and tables as you would have to do in most apartments. I am a bit surly this morn as my nice 8 was dumped down to a 5 for no apparent reason as were a whole lot of others here, so hope this is some sort of glitch.
2 people like this
@jb78000 (15139)
•
11 Nov 09
hiya hatley - i felt the same when i saw my brand new five. was thinking 'oh blast, who have i annoyed now?' - but we are all in the same boat. just hope it doesn't affect earnings. anyway lots of us here live in flats too and although many share a garden with a clothes line the weather means hanging outside would just make your clothes wetter. hence the use of clothes driers inside.
2 people like this
@SomeCowgirl (32191)
• United States
17 Nov 09
We will most likely get a washer and drier when we have our own place. Though I'd like to get one of those old washers, the wringer washer? But I haven't discussed it with hubby in full because we're not ready for a house yet. Though I do believe we'll get a line to put our clothes on, or hang them with hanger and clothespin across the shower rod.
We live in a rural area of the USA, so I don't know if that makes a difference or not...
1 person likes this
@SomeCowgirl (32191)
• United States
2 Dec 09
Yea, that kind of makes no sense, getting a tumbler but not using it much. Hmm, well I assume tumbler is the tumble washer and dryer like may tag? lol... hmm, like I said it's something to be discussed when my husband and I have our own place, which hopefully will be this time next year!
@lyzabelle (1668)
• Philippines
11 Nov 09
We always dry out clothes using lines.
But we don't hang it when so many people are round.
Out hanging are for wet clothes only. We don't have dryer.
1 person likes this
@jb78000 (15139)
•
11 Nov 09
when i was growing up my grandparents had a circular affair and they would hang the undies on the inside and everything else around the outside. why they did this i don't know since it was in their garden and the only people that would see were themselves and their family and friends.
1 person likes this
@thea09 (18305)
• Greece
11 Nov 09
Hi rabbit, I use a metal type clothes drier which I can put out and then pull in. A tumble dryer causes unnecessary condensation leading to muxla. Also it eats up electricity which costs a fortune out here. We keep our washing machines in the bathroom in Greece and don't have tumble driers.
My suspicion is that Americans use them so they don't need to iron clothes. Also they only expect other nations to be environmentally friendly, a bit like the old worry about what if every Chinese person suddenly got a fridge but it's okay for us to have them. It is possible that there are a lot of perverts over the pond who like to run off with other peoples undies. Whilst knowing full well it will be very difficult to dry clothes in the winter months I wouldn't accept a gift of a drier as the mouxla would go into a breeding frenzy. Most excellent discussion by the way if I may say so.
1 person likes this
@thea09 (18305)
• Greece
12 Nov 09
I'd love one of those huge American fridges as there's never enough room in mine when I do a massive shop up in town and not all the salads will fit in the salad drawer.
But I can't believe that people don't hang their washing outside because the neighbourhood doesn't allow it. You're more up on all these environment facts than me jb but it seems that over the pond there isn't much committment to cutting back on electric. It's only November but I've just responded to a discussion about them sticking up whole loads of xmas lights which is just a blatant waste of electricity. Over here we are meant to cut back on all these environmental nuisances but over the pond they are encouraged to use more. Seems a bit ludicrous to me. I certainly never thought that a line of drying washing could be seen as offensive and what is all this about apartments not being allowed. Greeks here in apartments simply put it on a drying rack which can be pulled in and out, as I do, and hang their rugs over the balcony railings to air.
The only worry that I have with mine is that a donkey or goat may come along and try to eat it, and the prevalence this year in early summer of bee poo. And it is a nuisance having to have the drying rack inside the house in winter but it's better than having a tumble drier.
@jb78000 (15139)
•
11 Nov 09
have you seen the size of american fridges? they are huge. one person living by themselves apparently needs to chill enough food to feed a small army for a month. anyway most of that country seems to be in denial about climate change and also doesn't realise that carbon emissions have other highly undesirable effects (air pollution, acidification of the oceans, destruction of habitats to get at the oil or coal etc).
1 person likes this
@sunny68 (1327)
• India
14 Nov 09
no wonder that americans are worlds largest wasters...
here for most part of the year it is ideal to use washing lines and this is what most people do. even in winters you will find many washing lines full. in some rare cases it becomes a measure of how clean you are...
....more clothes on the line..means more hygienic you are....
....more clothes on the line..means more hygienic you are....1 person likes this
disclaimer - was a joke. please put down those javelins
@purplealabaster (22091)
• United States
12 Nov 09
Is there a difference between a tumble dryer and a regular dryer or are all dryers tumble dryers? We used to use a line to dry clothes, but there seemed to be more complications than there were successes, so we now use a dryer. Some clothes, though, I will hang inside to dry, even though it takes longer.
1 person likes this
@MissKatPegasus (155)
• United States
11 Nov 09
It takes a lot longer to hang dry laundry than to use a tumble drier. People in the US are really impatient. My mom used to have a line but when my step dad moved in he took it down and planted a tree in the hole. Never really gave us a reason. It was very odd.
1 person likes this
@cloudwatcher (6861)
• Australia
11 Nov 09
Here in sunny Queensland, Australia, where it is beautiful one day and perfect the next, I have never owned a clothes drier - not even with a young family. However, it seems a drier is a necessity for most households and I can't understand why.
My son lives in a penthouse in Brisbane city and I can understand why they are not allowed to hang washing on the balcony. The same would apply to many apartment buildings, but I see no reason to ban clothes lines from ordinary houses. After all, the Hills clothes hoist was an Aussie invention!
All my washing is hung on the line. Admittedly sometimes I wonder why, since by the time I've finished hanging it, the first things are already dry - but I leave them there for an hour, to capture the fresh air and sunshine (leave them any longer and the sun fades them too much) When it rains most people have an outdoor living area where a line can be strung to get essentials dry - or an extend-a-line.
I would think that in a place like the UK a drier would almost be necessary. Even when the sun is out, it is so far away there is no warmth in it (by comparison anyway)
@jb78000 (15139)
•
11 Nov 09
hiya cloudwatcher - you're right, there is no point hanging clothes outside most of the time (although you could probably actually wash them that way...) but inside it is warm. so they go on the drier. takes about a day but fortunately i have enough clothes that i do not need to immediately wear whatever has just been washed. 
@cloudwatcher (6861)
• Australia
12 Nov 09
Thanks Thea. I have put it out late evening but prefer early morning. Since I'm usually up about 4.30am in the summer, and the clothes hoist is on the western side of the house, there is ample time for it to dry before the hot sun reaches it, but it still gets sunlight.
By the way, I checked olive oil in the shops here. It seems we only have Italian, Spanish and Australian. Is Greek any different?
1 person likes this
@thea09 (18305)
• Greece
12 Nov 09
In the summer when it is scorching hot and very sunny I usually put the washing machine on early evening if we've been to the beach to get the soggy towels done, then I simply hang it up outside over night, so the sun doesn't bleach the clothes and they dry nice and fresh. I use the large downstairs balcony which has a bit of shelter from the base of the smaller balcony above and stick the drying rack under that to avoid bee poo landing on the clothes.
1 person likes this
@MsTickle (25180)
• Australia
13 Nov 09
Oh dear...I can almost hardly believe those reasons for not hanging clothes outside. Too inconvenient? Too unsightly? I love the idea I'm actually using calories when hanging out the washing and I love to see it hanging clean and fresh on the line. Yes the sun can be savage - that's why I have a cover over my line
The US and their excessive use of consumables should have the rest of us worried and I took such offence at Aussies being Americans in training comment then realised it was true. We are fast moving to doing what makes life easier for ourselves, not working with community in mind.
Yes, we are moving into the scene of tumble driers, dishwashers, long showers and so on. None of this; use it up, make it last, take care of it, go without. Nah...chuck it out and buy a new one. Yes, I have a tumble drier. Someone gave it to me a long time ago because they were buying a new one. It's a bit battered but it works. I sometimes use it for 5 minutes to soften my towels if they are extra stiff....usually if I have visitors. A good shake as I fold the towel is as good a way of any to make it softer.
@jb78000 (15139)
•
13 Nov 09
i just use fabric conditioner for towels which works (but then again they are being hung inside not outside). not too keen on crispy towels either. we've got the chuck it out and buy a new one mentality here too - also few things get mended apart from the most expensive. my grandfather used to mend toasters etc when they blew but have you ever heard of anybody doing this now?
1 person likes this
@MsTickle (25180)
• Australia
13 Nov 09
I'll chuck things out and get new ones if things have had a good run for my money. I'm wearing clothes 15 years old. I have a German toaster I paid very little for on sale...it was cheap. It's still going strong after nearly 4 years and I use it every day. My kettle is about 10 years old....I will fix or repair things if I can. I often wonder about all the goods thrown away...where do they go....think about all the stuff in all the shops bought by all those people and then thrown away. What happens to it?
@skysuccess (8858)
• Singapore
12 Nov 09
jb78000,
I do have a dryer at home but will only use it during the monsoon season. It is also quite cumbersome as it will mean that the family will have to wear clothes that can be tumble dried.
Most of the time, we use a retractable clothes hanger system and it can be used in high rise apartments too. It is really a handy installation and very safe to use.
@skysuccess (8858)
• Singapore
12 Nov 09
jb78000,
I see now, must be quite a task if you are without your tumble dryer. I had my experiences whilst studying in UK and I know what it liked during wet autumns and cold winters.
Anyway, those days are over for me now and I rarely have to do my own laundry now.
@Wizzywig (7847)
•
11 Nov 09
I have a tumble drier that we bought in the winter of 1984 when I had a 4month old baby in nappies and a 3 year old. The fact that I still have it & its in full working order shows how often I use it! Wherever possible, I hang my washing out to dry - sometimes, if I have a lot of large items, I take it down the road to my mums as her line is much longer. If the stuff isnt dry I put it on hangers indoors or, for small items (& my work trousers) I put them on the radiators if they're on. I dont put them in the rooms where the pigs, cows and sheep are because they'd probably brush up against them to scratch their backs and knock them down, nor do I wash them in my gin-filled bathtub.
As for the neighbours seeing my undies... well, I dont think they'd bother looking
As for the neighbours seeing my undies... well, I dont think they'd bother looking 
@wonttakelong (3555)
• United States
11 Nov 09
I dont use a clothes line
I cant hang my clothes out side
not because of what my neighbors might think (I could care less what they think LOL)
I live in the dust bowl meaning there is alot of wind here and alot of loose sand/dirt blowing in the wind
it would be a waste of time to wash my clothes and hang them wet outside only for them to get covered in dust again making them dirty
I have a high effiency steam dryer which uses 50% less energy
I do care about the environment and my utility bills which is why I bought the washer/dryer set because of the energy savings and the fact that the washer uses 75% less water than a conventional washer
1 person likes this
@jb78000 (15139)
•
11 Nov 09
hiya. well that is definitely better than your standard tumbler. i can't hang clothes outside (except for perhaps 2 days a year) because of the weather but use a clothes drier inside to hang them on. most rented flats don't have tumble driers anyway - they are hardly top of most people's list of what they want in a place.
1 person likes this
@JodiLynn (1417)
• United States
11 Nov 09
I despise line dried linens and clothes. Even with fabric softener, towels are stiff and scratchy, never mind underwear! And then theres the dust (horses) and pollens (woods & orchards), and six dogs running under hung garments/sheets, one splat of mud and it's all over, or rather a DO OVER.
Husband likes his stuff line dried, he can do it himself, and does.
Husband likes his stuff line dried, he can do it himself, and does.