ecotip
Clean & Green Clotheslines Make a Comeback
Eco-minded people who love to save money on their utility bills, shun dryer-sheet chemicals on their clothes, and adore snuggling into fresh-smelling, sun-dried bed- ding are part of a growing move- ment that is choosing line drying over machines. The Pew Research Center’s triennial U.S. survey gauging demand for household appliances reports a public U-turn: These days, 66 percent of Ameri- cans consider a machine dryer as a necessity, down sharply from 83 percent in 2006. While 75 per-
cent of U.S. households currently own a clothes dryer, they are considered a luxury in Europe, where only about half of households on the continent own one, according to the Netherlands Statistical Office.
According to the recent Residential Energy Consump- tion Survey by the U.S. Energy Information Administra- tion, clothes dryers consume as much as 6 percent of total residential household energy in the nation. In the process, an electric dryer emits more than a ton of carbon dioxide each year—a gas dryer about half the amount. Even line drying just one load of laundry instead of using an electric dryer keeps 3.35 pounds of CO2
Natural outdoor drying time is much easier on fab- rics, especially knits and elastics, and sidesteps shrinkage. “Where do you think lint comes from?” inquires Project Laundry List; it’s your clothes literally falling apart, due to
more, line drying itself emits no CO2
out of the atmosphere. Further- .
tumbling and overheating. Line drying can be a boon to busy people who don’t have to worry about being present when the dryer shuts off to avoid wrin- kling; it can also eliminate the need for ironing, yielding addi- tional energy savings. Line dryers save money on whiteners and dryer sheets, because sunlight is a natural bleaching agent and disin- fectant that delivers the genuine, fresh smell of sun-dried clothes that chemicals try to mimic. As a fur- ther bonus, line drying eases wear
and tear on an expensive appliance, so that the machine can stay in service longer and stay out of the local landfill. A variety of different types of clotheslines are avail- able today for use both indoors and outdoors, from a simple do-it-yourself clothesline to retractable lines and collapsible umbrella models. Drying racks also have folding frames for space-efficient storage.
All of these free benefits can work to effectively counter those who mandate consumption and waste by arguing against clotheslines because of perceived aesthetic and property value concerns. Individuals who get a negative response from their community or homeowner’s association about install- ing a clothesline may need to address community covenants, landlord prohibitions, and zoning laws.
LaundryList.org offers helpful counsel and resources through its advocacy programs.
As an easy first step, sign the
Right2Dry.org online petition.
natural awakenings
May 2011
25
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