5 Reasons to Line Dry Your Washing
We have gadgets for all manner of domestic chores – imagine life without a vacuum cleaner, dishwasher or washing machine? But while labour-saving gizmos have made our lives invariably easier, there is one chore that is still worth doing the old-fashioned way – hanging out the washing. Here’s 5 great reasons to ditch the clothes dryer, take advantage of the sunshine and line dry your laundry instead.
1) It saves money
Everyone knows that tumble dryers are notorious energy sappers, but did you know that they are the second biggest user of household electricity after the refrigerator? With the cost of electricity on the rise – the average family is spending around $200 extra a year – it’s worth pulling the plug on this energy-draining appliance.
2) It’s better for your clothes
Line drying your threads will not only make them smell fresher and be cleaner too – the sun’s ultraviolet rays are an antiseptic which kills bacteria – but also last longer. Fabric that is tumble-dried wears more from the action of being spun. Tumble-dried clothes also produce lint, which means your clothes will not only be thinner but pillier too.
3) It’s better for the environment
An average tumble dry cycle uses just over 4kWh of energy and produces around 1.8kg CO2. If all households with a tumble dryer hung up one load of washing outside each week, we would save over a million tonnes of CO2 in a year.
4) It’s better for you
There’s something therapeutic about hanging your clothes out on the line… you breath the fresh air, get a little exercise, have time to yourself and absorb a healthy dose of vitamin D – without spending enough time in the sun to get burnt. Even the rich and famous agree, “There is nothing that I love more than to take time to clear my head and hang the washing out on the line on a beautiful day,” Olivia Newton-John tells LineDryIt. “It makes your clothes and linens smell so good and it is very eco-friendly,” she says.
5) It just feels better
Lastly, there is something lovely about watching your clothes flap about in the breeze, knowing you’re doing your bit for the planet and saving money – it just makes you feel virtuous!
