Frantically hunting unpegged, errant undies that enjoyed brief freedom with neighbouring briefs in New Zealand was my first experience with letting it all hang out. I now dismiss the clothes dryer for the energy guzzling hog that it is in favour of joining the 80 per cent of Canadians who have at least once opted to air their clean laundry.
Since my current summer town in northern B.C. is situated in a wind tunnel that passes itself off as a valley, using the clothes line that spans the backyard – over an outdoor fire pit, no less – is a no-brainer. If the sun’s rays from longer days fail to dry my clothes, then the prevailing Chetwynd winds are sure to carry away any residual moisture.
To get the most out of airing your no-so-dirty laundry, follow these tips from Eniromom
• Save real estate on your clothes line by hanging wet laundry on hangers.
• Clip only one bottom edge of your clothing (like a t-shirt) to the line and let the other part hang open in the breeze.
• Use the extra spin/max extract cycle to wring out as much water as possible to decrease drying time.
• Turn dark clothing inside out to keep from fading.
• To save on clothespins, use one clothespin to clip two pieces of clothing together.
• If your line isn't in full sun, then your clothes might not dry as fast as in the dryer. If you want to dry all of your loads on the clothesline, don't wash back-to-back loads. Maybe one in the morning, one in the afternoon. (Yes, the dreaded advance planning.)
• Towels will get crunchy in the sun, so if this bothers you, use the dryer.
Just don't forget pegs.
