clotheslines

Advantages of a clothes line

• Saves money^[1][2]
• Zero greenhouse gas emissions per load^[1][2][3] (2 kg of greenhouse gas emissions from the average mechanical clothes dryer per load)^[3]
• Laundry smells "clothes-line fresh" without using chemicals^[4][5][6][7]
• Less fabric wear and tear^[2]
• Laundry items do not shrink (hot air from a mechanical clothes dryer may shrink items)
• No static cling
• Laundry items stay softer to the touch (mechanical clothes dryers tend to remove short, soft, fine fibers)
• Laundry items may be less wrinkled
• Avoids the potential of airborne lint and reduced air quality
• Eliminates the noise from a mechanical clothes dryer
• Does not vent to the outside and waste the large volume of conditioned (heated or cooled) indoor air that a mechanical dryer's blower does.
• For a simple line drying arrangement (rope and clothes pins) the repair and replacement costs are about $20.00 per 1,000 loads of laundry or 2 cents per load. For non-commercial mechanical clothes drying the repair and replacement costs (including labor expenses) are about $200.00 per 1,000 loads of laundry or 20 cents per load.

 Disadvantages of using a clothes line

• Putting laundry on a line usually takes more time than putting it into a mechanical dryer (as laundry items have to be hung up and fixed one by one).
• Laundry items need to be hung indoors during rainy weather, or may get wet if the weather changes.
• Neighbours may find it aesthetically unpleasant^[1]
• Risk of theft or vandalism of clothes
• Laundry items may be more stiff (at least initially) - with or without the fabric softener that can be used with a mechanical dryer, provided no treatment, such as adding a cup of vinegar to the washer's rinse water, is used.
• Wind, temperature, and humidity can vary the drying time. In particular, drying will typically take significantly longer than in a mechanical dryer (except in very warm and dry weather).
• Environmental contaminants such as soil, dust, smoke, automotive or industrial pollutants, pollen and animal droppings can come in contact with clothing.

These facts were taken from:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clothes_line

I bought a clothes line system at Lowe's for under $15.00.  Now that I live in New Mexico where it is primarily hot and dry.  I wanted to save the earth from greenhouse gas emissions.  What was nice, of course, was the smell.  Also, when I took the clothes down, they were each individually folded and in my hand, so putting them away did not seem like a chore.  The clothes cannot pile up outside because I did not want them to get stepped on, by dogs or kids, or to get dirty.  When it comes to household appliances, dryers use five to ten times more energy per hour than washing machines, and accounting for about 6% of the typical household energy consumption.  It was not inconvenient.  The laundry has to get done regardless.  I dedicate a day a week to laundry, so this works for me.  If you throw in one load a day, it might need to be when you wake up versus after dinner, before bed. 

To Calculate your Energy Use:  go on to
http://www.oru.com/energyandsafety/energyefficiency/calculatingenergyuse.html