1. IT SAVES MONEY.

In the U.S., it costs approximately $0.45 to dry a load of laundry in an electric dryer. I do about 8 loads of laundry a week, during some seasonal cleaning even more. That’s more than $180 a year. I can think of many ways I’d rather spend that money than on drying my clothes.

2. IT WHITENS YOUR WHITES.

The sun is one of the best ways to naturally bleach your whites. This will help save you even more money and helps keep more harsh chemicals off of your clothes. I like to dry my whites on really sunny days and around noon when the sun is directly over my line. If you are worried about colored clothes fading, put them out on overcast days or when the sun is less bright. For me that’s the morning because the sun is blocked some by my house.

3. IT’S GOOD EXERCISE.

Putting your clothes in the dryer from the washer takes little effort. However, carrying a basket of clothes out to your line and putting them on the line can help get you moving and the arms up and down movement can help get your heart working a bit more. If you use a FitBit, it will thank you for this new habit!

4. SAY GOODBYE TO STATIC CLING AND DRYER SHEETS.

Drying your clothes on a line gets rid of the need for dryer sheets helping reduce even more harsh chemicals on your clothes and  saving you even more money. Dryer sheets are full of harsh chemicals and build up on your clothes, especially towels. When you ditch the dryer sheets you may find your towels are fluffier and dry a lot better. That’s because that build up is making your towels less effective.

5. GREAT SMELLING CLOTHES WITHOUT THE HARSH CHEMICALS.

When I get a “new” vintage clothing item it always spends at least a day outside. The fresh air really does wonders for reducing any odors it may have. The same is true for all of your clothing. I really like this for my cleaning rags, no matter what I’ve been cleaning they always end up smelling fresh again.

6. YOUR CLOTHES WILL LAST LONGER.

Line drying is far more gentle on your clothes. It also will prevent your clothes from shrinking. This is yet another benefit that will save you money.

7. LESS WRINKLES.

I’m not a big fan of ironing or steaming and since I wear a lot of cotton skirts and dresses I can end up doing a lot of both. Line drying reduces wrinkles naturally. I still have to do some ironing/steaming but a lot less.

8. IT’S BETTER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT.

With all the ways it helps you reduce harsh chemical use and the energy saves it can really help reduce your environmental impact. It’s just another example of how being environmentally friendly also saves you money.

9. IT GETS YOU OUTSIDE.

More time outside has been shown to provide all kinds of health benefits from weight loss, to increased vitamin d levels (which helps keep you from getting sick as often and is important for bone health), improved brain function, less depression, better vision and so much more!

10. BETTER MENTAL HEALTH.

Many people report that line drying clothes is relaxing. I know this is true for me. I haven’t found any studies on what about this activity makes it relaxing, it’s likely a combination of things. Whatever it is, more and more of us are dealing with chronic stress and the many health problems that can come with that so any stress relief is a good thing.

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When we were younger there were rumors that if your jeans hadn’t been washed after just one wear, you obviously didn’t have good hygiene habits. There are certainly times when I wish I was still a kid, but with regard to those ways of thinking — I’m so happy to have evolved.

Not only is chronically over-washing clothing wasteful of precious resources, but it’s also costly in a number of other ways. There’s tons of detergent involved, utilities costs (water and electricity), time and energy, as well as the negative impact frequent washing has on the clothing itself. So, save yourself some money and lighten your load a bit, quite literally.

Here are 10 ways to break out of the wash cycle.

1. Inspect Before Tossing

Before you mindlessly toss your clothes into the laundry basket at the end of the day, consider if they are truly soiled or not. Items like underwear and undershirts or exercise clothing will certainly need more washing than, say, a sweatshirt or jeans that have been layered or otherwise kept out of dirt’s way. A lot of the clothes that are currently in our laundry baskets are — for all intents and purposes — clean. So, break the habit and learn the basics of how long certain items last without a full wash.

2. Hang to Dry Breathe

It’s OK to do a little sniff test to ensure your clothing is still somewhat fresh after a day of wear. What will keep items that way longer is picking them up off the floor and hanging on an open rack to let air circulate around and through the fibers. Plus, letting them linger on the floor only invites more dirt (or, if you have pets, worse!) and opportunity for wrinkles to develop.

3. Skip Washing Entirely

For those items that don’t need immediate washing, push the envelope a bit. Tullia Jack, PhD student at RMIT University, challenged a group of 30 people to wear the same pair of jeans at least five days each week for a three-month period without washing them. They discovered that after all those wears, they “weren’t visibly dirty and they didn’t get smelly.” Now, you don’t need to go the whole three month challenge, but start with a week and work your way up to a month. You might surprise yourself!

4. Spot-Treat

And just because you’re skipping the total washing experience doesn’t mean you can’t treat little stains that might plague your otherwise clean clothing. Martha Stewart has a rather elaborate guide for removing stains from clothing.

5. Freshen and Press

For clothes that might get wrinkly with wear, simply hang as you would the others to air out. When it comes time to wear again, spritz with some DIY linen and ironing spray and iron out those kinks. Alternatively, you could spritz clothing until damp with a little spray (or just plain tap water) and hang to dry, which should loosen and smooth wrinkles.

6. Keep Up With Routine

For dudes that require more frequent washing, be sure to keep up with your laundry habits. This method is a simple way to avoid re-washing items forgotten overnight in a machine (musty smell). Worse? I’ve had clean and dirty clothing get intermixed and not been able to discern between the two categories. Set designated laundry nights or days and try to get the job done in a couple hours versus spreading it over the course of a week.

7. Change Into Play Clothes

If you have kids (or act like one yourself), you may wish to save your more expensive items by changing into “play” or lounge clothing when you return home from the day’s responsibilities. You don’t need to wash these at-home clothes as often as you would the nicer items — just wash once or twice each week, depending on the level of soil.

8. Rinse Well

Another trick I use for exercise clothing: If it’s just a simple pair of shorts, a sports bra, or a tech t-shirt — take it in the shower with you after your workout. From there, rinse well with cool water. Then wring out and hang to dry. You can wear again for tomorrow’s run!

9. Wear Protection

It’s clear that keeping clothes cleaner from the start means washing less. You need not live in a bubble to do so, however. As an avid home cook, for example, I have several aprons in my collection to protect my clothing from the various spills, splatters, and stains I encounter on a daily basis. If you garden or do other messy activities on the regular, wear similar protective layers to keep your garments covered.

10. Choose Fabrics Wisely

Certain materials lend themselves to fewer washes better than others. If you’d like to do far less laundry, wool clothing might be a good option for you. The natural fibers resist stains, odors, wrinkles, and moisture. Wool even regulates body temperature so you’re likely to sweat less and, in turn, not soil clothing as often.

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