Remember how good laundry used to smell after drying outdoors?
You can recapture that freshness - and save the substantial energy a clothes dryer uses - with a simple clothesline, some clothespins and a few extra minutes. Here are some hints and tips:- An ideal place for drying clothes is a screened porch with a southern exposure.
- To save space on the clothesline, hang small items in a multitiered hanger secured to the line.
- When hanging dark or brightly colored items outdoors, put them in a shady area or turn them inside out to prevent the sun from fading them.
- Hang drip-dry items by their hems to distribute the weight evenly and avoid clothespin marks
- Hang bias, full or pleated skirts from the waistband to avoid wrinkling the body of the skirt. Clip a spring-type clothespin to the bottom of each pleat so they'll dry in place and need little ironing.
- An easy way to hang sheets is to fold them in half and hang them by the hems. If you want them to dry faster, drape them over two parallel clothes lines.
- To dry sweaters and other items that must be flat-dried, spread them out on a hammock; make sure they're out of the sun.
- When hanging sheer curtains on a windy day, weight them down every few feet with a spring-type clothespin.
- For ease, use an old baby stroller, child's wagon or grocery cart to hold laundry while hanging clothes on the line.
- Try using a plastic, hanging-plant pot as a clothespin container; rainwater will drain from the bottom. An onion or potato bag - the mesh kind - will do the same. You can also cut off the top of a plastic jug, punch holes in the bottom to let out rainwater, and hang by its handle from the clothesline. If you want something portable, use a shoulder bag.
- To clean a nylon clothesline, use a household spray cleaner. Wash a cotton line with soap and water. Either kind can be put in a pillow case and cleaned in the washer.
- Does your clothesline sag? Tie a short length of chain to one end of the line, then attach the chain to the hook by the link that provides the best tension.
- Clothes can be dried outdoors any time of year. To remove frozen clothes from the line, lift them gently and bring them indoors to thaw. Crumpling or folding them while they're frozen can break the fibers of the fabric.
- To keep your hands warm on a winter day, put a hot-water bottle in the clothes basket for occasional squeezes. Or wear cotton gloves covered with rubber gloves.
- For indoor drying, use an adjustable tension rod over the bathtub or shower instead of a clothesline.
- The skeleton of an old umbrella makes a great indoor drying rack. Hang in upside down.