Line drying clothing is possible year-round, but it is most pleasant when the weather is warm and sunny.  In the United States, most homes have dryers for clothing, but that is not the case in the remainder of the world.  In Europe even well-to-do households often do not have dryers for their laundry.

Drying laundry without a dryer does not necessarily mean to dry it outside.  You can install a clothesline just below the ceiling in your shower (running the length of the shower).  You can also use drying racks.  Drying racks work well inside or outside.  You can also hang your laundry on hangers and dry them in a spare closet or on your shower rod.

Here are a few reasons to dry your clothes without a dryer.

1. Your laundry will be less wrinkled if you line dry it.  

Ok, if you are the perfect person who always removes laundry from the dryer as soon as it’s dried, congratulations!  You are amazing.  However, most of us forget a load–often.

I have discovered that clothing that dries on the line rarely needs much ironing.  Giving the piece of clothing a good “shake” before hanging it up resolves those worries.

2.  Your laundry will have less static if you line dry it.  

Static comes from over-drying your laundry.  I have not had any issues with static when I line dry laundry.

3.  If you line dry your clothing outside, it will help you spend more time outdoors.  

Line drying laundry outside involves going outdoors to hang up the laundry and also to collect it once it dries.

4.  Line drying laundry is more efficient. 

How often have you had to wait for the dryer cycle to finish before you could start another load of laundry?  Such is not the case with a clothes line.  Therefore, as long as you have sufficient space on a clothes line, you can wash and dry several loads of laundry without much wait time in between loads.  On a day that is sunny and windy, your laundry could be dry in a surprisingly fast amount of time.

5.  Line drying your clothing will avoid stains setting. 

How many times have you missed a stained and dried it directly into your clothing?  It is almost impossible to get the stain out at that point!  However, line drying an article of clothing will not set a stain.

6.  Line drying your clothing could prolong the life of it. 

Do you know all that lint that you remove from the lint trap?  That is part of your clothing.  Also, accidentally drying your clothing on too high of a setting can shrink it.  If you are like me, shrinking your favorite sweater would be a sad occasion because you like keeping the clothing you have and do not relish the experience of replacing clothing.

Line drying can also keep your whites looking white longer since the sun naturally bleaches them (when you dry your clothing outside).

And now for two bonus reasons:

7.  Line drying clothing also airs it out.  

To me, line dried laundry smells extra clean because it was out in fresh air!

8.  Line drying your clothing can save you money. 

Line drying your laundry can lower your utility costs and repair costs on your dryer.  Even if you line dry half the year, you can save wear and tear on your machine and costs of electricity or gas.

Now to be fair, here are a few reasons NOT to line dry your laundry.

1.  Health reasons

If you are recovering from illness or a prolonged time of stress, just thinking about hanging laundry outside could stress you out.

2.  Life circumstances 

If you are a mother with many young children and have multiple loads to do multiple days a week PLUS other responsibilities, line drying your clothing may not be for you.

If you are considering line drying your clothing, try hanging out just one load a week as a starting point.  You may enjoy it more than you realize!

Do you line dry your clothing, either seasonally or year round?  I’d love to hear about your experience in the comments below.  

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