line drying?! are you crazy?

I don't really understand the obsession with line drying either, this day in age when there are modern conveniences everywhere, especially in a country where it rains so much! My fiance's mother owns both a dryer and a washing machine and still line dries her clothes. The dryer is never used.

If you've ever had to live on a slim salary or wage and pay power costs for an entire house, you'd soon realise why people use washing lines instead of dryers. 

Let's not forget about how much better line drying is for the enviornment. Although, I do not line dry in the states, I think it is a beautiful thing. Modern conveniences are great for time savings, etc, but are often not so great for the enviornment. I have three small girls and a husband who is in construction, so we are talking about alot of laundry. The ladies wear at least two outfits a day and hubby comes home really dirty, but since reading all of the posts about the dryer thing, I have thought long and hard about it. Every one household that makes a better choice towards conserving fuel, energy, etc., can make a difference. I personally think that the US is sinking itself with all of the modern conveniences.

I had a choice due to space of a clothes dryer or a dishwasher.

Oh dear! Not sure I could have made this choice! I hate dishes AND ironing. Guess I'm going to have to adjust! 

LOL! I'm still in the US and we line dry ALL of our clothes! Our dryer broke and we started hanging clothes on a rack (inside) and just never got around to buying a dryer. We like to tell ourselves that we do it to save energy but we're just too lazy (or maybe cheap!) to buy a new one! My hubby is the Laundry God and hangs up all the clothes.
I guess we won't be too out of it in England!
(BTW, all of my relatives in England own dryers but most prefer to line dry)

We line dry when the weather is good which it has been this spring/summer. I do find it therapeutic if I'm not rushed for time. If it's raining and we're backed up on laundry we'll tumble dry. In the winter we use the dryer a lot more though we shouldn't since we have plenty of room to dry in the house (a little used dining room). This winter I'll probably try to tumble dry sheets and towels but rack dry other stuff unless we have good weather and I can put it out.

This topic will ALWAYS come up!! 

I have to admit, now that I've been paying more attention to what I actually do, that I actually do hang about half or more of my wash.  I have trousers that I never dry in the dryer, and bras and fancy panties go on the rack also, as well as sweaters and some t-shirts.  I always do cotton pants and socks in the dryer, jeans, towels, cloth napkins.  If it's really beautiful outside I will hang sheets and blankets on the line.  But in the winter, that stuff goes in the dryer.

Ok - I'm not as dryer-centric as I thought I was.   
But I will still have to have one when I move!!!   

~Liza

whats the deal with dryers over there? it baffles me how so many people line dry their clothes! im way too lazy for that.

No offense taken, Karenn! But anyone who knows me knows that I'm firmly in the pro-line camp. The thing is that I'm too lazy to use a dryer! It takes way longer to sit around and wait for things to dry before you can put the next load of washing in. And if you have a combo unit, it's even worse. I can throw things in the wash (on the quick cycle), one load after the other, pretty quickly ... put it all up on the line and go out for the day. I don't have to worry about it, and I know that it'll all be nice and dry when I get home. Plus, contrary to what some posters have said, line dried things require less ironing than dryer-dried things. Of course I agree with those others who've commented about the lovely smell and feel of clothes that have been dried outdoors! You can't beat that!! Then there's the conservation issue, which is important, naturally, but for me is just a nice added bonus.

As far as the wrinkling goes, I think it depends a lot upon what kind of clothing it is, what kind of dryer you have, how much you load it up, and even, if line drying, how windy it is!!

i love line drying, and the main reason is the fresh air"smell" and of course its cheaper and good for the environment

I don't mind line-drying, but there is no fresh air smell, as my clothes dry indoors in a flat.

As far as the wrinkling goes, I think it depends a lot upon what kind of clothing it is, what kind of dryer you have, how much you load it up, and even, if line drying, how windy it is!!

Hang the clothes on a hanger, just as you would if putting them in the wardrobe or cupboard.  You can buy a gizmo at Lakeland that will keep the hanger straight on the line, or just surround it on both side with clothes pegs.  

Result:  wrinkle free clothes that you simply take off the washing line and put away directly!  

My clothes are dried indoors (during rainy times) as well but they smell gorgeous....of course I have a HUGE airing cupboard.

The only time I really wish I had a drier is when I do towels and sheets. We use bath sheets and have a King sized bed!  Easy enough to take them down to the laundry mat I guess...when I find out where it is - just moved to this little town.

That king size bed sheet post does make me wonder if laundromats are around?

That king size bed sheet post does make me wonder if laundromats are around?

yes.

Actually, I've never seen a laundromat. I have never looked for one, but have never come across one either.