There is really nothing more beautiful than the sweet smell of sun-dried laundry hanging on the washing line. And what's more, this "solar tumble dryer" will also help you save money and energy!
Steps
Step 1. You must have an outdoor place to dry the laundry
In some cases, drying racks are prohibited, both on balconies and in courtyards, as laundry hanging out to dry is considered "unbecoming" and could diminish the value of a building. Therefore, you must first be aware of the local regulations, whether it is condominium or established by the neighborhood. If you live in an area where these rules apply, you could take action to ease these rules, so you can save money and also energy.
Step 2. Learn the benefits of drying laundry outdoors
There are many benefits of drying laundry outdoors, such as:
- Your clothes, sheets and other clothing will smell fresh.
- Sunlight has a natural sanitizing and whitening effect. It is perfect for killing insects, bacteria and other germs.
- Washing lines only require energy when they are produced. The dryer machine uses energy every time it is used. The savings you will have by drying laundry outdoors is almost 100 Euros (the calculation considers 400 loads per year for a drying machine).
- Drying outdoors is less harmful to the laundry than the electric dryer; the clothes last longer the further they are from the dryer. Drying in the sun is even more useful for garments that have printed elements, such as T-shirts. And if you are surprised why socks and briefs lose elasticity, take it with the electric dryer …
- If you are already buying and using ecological detergents and products, what is the use of an energy-consuming dryer? It is better to extend your ecological beliefs also to the drying cycle!
- Drying outdoors keeps moisture out. Of course, you can also have the dryer unloaded outside (and hopefully you can!) Or you could also have a machine that collects moisture. But all of this has an energy cost that outdoor drying does not have!
- It is also excellent physical exercise; you may even realize that the muscles in your arms need some stretching!
- It could also be a source of pride and fulfillment. In days gone by, housewives bragged a lot about the neat way in which they could hang laundry. In fact, this is a good idea even today, as being able to make fewer creases means less need for ironing.
- It is fun and rewarding. Going outside even if only to hang out the laundry can be a way to avoid or remove a moment of depression, so consider this activity as a little treasure, which gives you a little sun, a few kisses of breeze and a little of physical movement that does not hurt.
- You will begin to distinguish sunny days from rainy ones. They will be the "days when you do your laundry"!
- Laundry threads don't burn spontaneously, no matter how badly you treat them. Electric dryers can cause fires if not properly maintained and cause an average of 15 deaths, 360 injuries and 17,700 fires per year!
Step 3. Fit the laundry thread
It's as simple as stringing any string. Nowadays, there are excellent resealable racks made of new materials that will not wrinkle your clothes. There are also retractable clothes dryers, those in the shape of an umbrella and those with a pulley, which allow you to put the laundry without you having to move. And while a retractable or resealable drying rack may be more convenient, old laundry thread stuck between two wooden posts or equivalent works just as well as new thread, should you by chance not purchase it. A nylon cord is fine, but anything, even a phone cord, can be fine, as long as you can tape the ends with duct tape if they are sharp, to avoid tearing the laundry.
- If you need to buy a clothesline, get a good quality one. It will last longer and the higher expense is justified compared to the lower quality versions. The brands from Australia and New Zealand are a good choice, because in these two countries, drying clothes has never gone out of fashion and, therefore, clothes dryers have been developed for decades, adapting them to current tastes and needs.
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Buying a drying rack is also a good idea. It can be used for a variety of delicate items or for small amounts of laundry that you would prefer to tidy up just outside the porch door (with a rain door) or to chase an unexpected slice of sun in the yard, which may not be enough to use the laundry thread. If there is a child around and since drying racks are ideal for drying cloth diapers, get one that has cylindrical bars, well spaced from each other, instead of the potentially dangerous model with metal wires. The drying rack has the advantage of being portable, so you can also "chase the sun" if you like, while the shade covers your yard and your home!
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Step 4. Buy clothes pegs
Old-fashioned wooden clothespins, which are difficult to find nowadays, have their unmistakable shape. The modern clothespin has a clip shape. The clips can be made of plastic and wood. Where wooden ones usually last longer, they can get stuck on clothes and can age and mold when in contact with damp cloths, so make sure they are of good quality and dry them well before storing. So, assuming that all types of clothespins are fine, use the ones you find on the market.
- The wooden clothespins of the past are ideal for sheets, tablecloths and any other item that does not deform easily.
- Plastic clothespins are great for underwear, T-shirts, knitted garments, jersey and stretch fabrics.
- Do not leave the clothespins attached to the washing line. They will quickly spoil and you risk getting your laundry stained or torn because of them. Keep a suitable container for clothespins, perhaps fabric. Another option is to put them in a bag that you can carry on your shoulder. You never have to bend down to get the clothespins!
Step 5. Find out what you can hang on the clothesline
Not all garments can be hung, as some would be damaged. Items that shrink when wet, such as wool and knitwear, should dry completely on a rack or drying rack or table or any clean horizontal surface. Some garments may not look good after being dried on the yarn, such as flannel, terry cloth, chenille, fleece or fleece, but it is worth trying each garment instead of believing a priori that the garment will not a nice look, as most garments, after drying on the yarn, will keep their natural look.
- Pillows and duvets will not always dry well on the washing line, as water will accumulate at one extreme. To avoid this, it is good to lay them on several threads, to better distribute the weight and allow uniform drying.
- Dry delicates horizontally instead of hanging them by the thread. Of course, if the label says not to expose them to direct sunlight, put the garment on a drying rack in the shade or indoors.
- Many people complain about the stiffness of towels after drying outdoors. In addition to making us think about how "soft" we have become over the years, there are some things that can be done to decrease the stiffness. Towels that dry "faster" stay softer, as do towels that dry on a hot, "windy" sunny day, or you might even find a compromise and do a quick 5-minute cycle in the electric dryer before drying or after drying them. removed from the thread. Adding vinegar to the wash cycle helps reduce stiffness. Or get used to it; Of course, towels can be stiff, but notice how quickly they soften after a few dryings and compare stiffness to the wonderful, fresh scent of cleanliness - plus, avoid the scrub and use the towel instead! And also follow the advice you will find next to soften the towels when you go to spread them on the wire.
Step 6. Choose the best time for drying
If possible, hang the laundry on the line when the weather is sunny, warm and dry, with a little breeze. This is the most appropriate time for drying, as the breeze will "iron" the wrinkles in your place and speed up the drying time. However, the laundry will also dry in other weather conditions, even if there is no sun. Drying laundry in cold seasons requires that you hang out the laundry during the day and remove it before the evening humidity arrives. Never store the laundry still damp, as it risks getting moldy.
- It is more important that there is a lot of wind than that there is the sun.
- Avoid hanging laundry on extremely windy days. Unless you want to find your sheets and panties in the neighbor's garden … A very windy day damages the laundry like the electric dryer and there is a risk that the clothes end up on cables, plants and anywhere else nearby some wire, perhaps sharp.
- Do not hang out when there are frosts. It is not only a painful experience, but it would take too long to dry and, if it is really cold, anything left out of the house will freeze. Since water expands upon freezing, the same will happen to the fibers of the fabrics and it is not certain that they will regain the correct shape after thawing. While once there were no alternatives and people used to hang out the laundry even during frosts, today we know more.
Step 7. Do an extra spin if your washing machine provides it
This will eliminate much of the excess water and will save you time. Otherwise, do your laundry as usual. Then, take the laundry out of the washing machine and put it in a suitable basket. If you are not in a hurry to dry the laundry, you save the cost of electricity required for the additional spin.
Plastic laundry baskets are the best because they do not damage the laundry and do not dye it. Although wicker baskets are lovely with their rustic style, they can release color and can damage the laundry if there is any broken wicker sprig
Step 8. Hang out the laundry
Hang the garments on the thread so they don't slip and then put the clothespin on. Generally, it is a good idea to let the garment hang at least 10 cm on one side to prevent it from slipping off, but with heavier garments you can hang a third or half of the entire length. If there is a lot of wind, let it lean even more, to increase the grip on the line. To avoid the imprints of the clothespins on the laundry, pin them in places that are not obvious. If you hang the laundry carefully, drying can take place without leaving wrinkles, so you will save time ironing. Below you will find specific tips for hanging different types of laundry:
- Hang the shirts by turning the edge a little above the linen thread and put the clothespins at each end.
- Hang shorts and pants from the belt if you want to minimize wrinkling.
- Hang women's dresses from the shoulders if they are straight, from the hem if there is a long skirt or gathered at the waist or on a hanger (the hanger reduces wrinkles).
- Hang straight skirts by turning the belt around the wire and put a clip at each end; hang skirts gathered at the waist or flared ones from the hem.
- Hang the stockings from the toes, the bras from the hooks and fold the elastic of the panties around the thread and put a clip at each end. Fold the handkerchiefs in half on the wire and put a clothespin at either end..
- Hang the towels by folding one side over the wire and placing clothespins at the ends. For greater softness, shake the towel a good deal before spreading it. Doing this reduces the stiffness of the fabric. Repeat the same procedure after they have dried.
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Hang the sheets by folding them by matching the edges, then put a clothespin on one edge, then fold them again and match the other edge with the corner of the first edge. Arrange the sheets towards the wind so that they look like a sail and slide your hands down to make sure everything takes a square shape, without creases.
Little known fact about me 1 (73 365) - Spreading according to the length is excellent for sheets and tablecloths, because it takes up as little space as possible on the thread and in addition weighs the weight on the warp threads (those that develop according to the length), which are more robust than the weft threads..
- Spread blankets and other heavy items on two or more threads.
- When hanging pure cotton garments, do not wring them out by spreading them out when they are damp, as this could deform them.
- To save the use of pegs, overlap the ends of two items, which you can lock with a single peg. This also saves space on the wire, although this should not be done if the operation delays drying by a lot. And make sure the colored garments are not faded!
- If you have few pegs and you need to hang white clothes, you can use a single peg to hang two pairs of underwear.
- Make sure your clothes do not touch the ground and be especially careful when putting on the clothespins.
Step 9. Use a hanger to dry delicate items
Place the garment on the hanger and use a clothespin to secure the hanger to the wire, preventing the wind from blowing it away. Be very careful when using the hangers during a very windy day, as the garment could come off the hanger. You may need to secure the garment to the hanger with a clothespin and remember to use only plastic hangers to prevent the garment from getting stained.
Step 10. Alternate the items to dry
Different fabrics dry at different speeds. If you need to free up some space on the yarn, check which items are already dry, collect them and put more items to dry. Sheets are ideal, as they free up a lot of space and dry quickly.
Step 11. Keep the laundry thread clean
If you don't clean it regularly, it will build up dirt, insect sap, and more over time. Of course, all of this can be transferred to "clean" laundry, so to prevent this from happening, pass a kitchen cloth with a little detergent over the sponge yarn once a month and let it dry well before use. When the kids are tall enough, you can have them do this chore and reward them with a few coins!
Clean clothespins regularly as well, as they too can get dirty or have detergent buildup. Throw away the ones that are broken and remember that clothespins are never enough, so buy new ones when you want
Step 12. Fold your laundry when you pick it up
This will save you time when ironing and allow you to fix it more easily. When you remove an item from the yarn, beat it and tug it a little to recover its natural shape, then fold it carefully. If you need to iron the garments, withdraw them when they are still a little damp and iron them immediately.
- Do not store wet laundry. There will be mold growth.
- If you put your laundry back in the basket regardless of how you put it, you'll have a laundry basket full of creases and wrinkles. This is not only disheartening, but it nullifies all the advantages you had in hanging out the laundry with care!
Step 13. Is it raining outside?
Try using an umbrella clothesline. The umbrella covers the line and allows you to dry your laundry even when it's raining outside!
Advice
- If you can have a support that keeps the basket of clothespins at waist height, it will save you the pain due to bending. A folding table, a trolley, an old barbecue, a chair, etc., can be useful for keeping the basket of clothespins at a reasonable distance. There are also baskets that can be directly attached to the wire.
- The resealable drying racks can be used at home, but they are useful only in dry environments; hanging the laundry in a humid home environment will add more moisture to what is already there and is not recommended.
- If you use an umbrella-type clothesline, cover it with polyethylene sheet, available at hardware stores, or an old shower curtain. It will keep the laundry dry even if it starts raining during the day.
- Pollen can get into the laundry when it dries, so be careful if you have an allergy. In this case, in the spring you should use an electric dryer.
- Pay attention to the trees you choose to stretch the thread. Conifers release resin and pigeons find refreshment in some trees.
- White linen benefits from being dried directly in the sun, as it undergoes a slight bleaching.
- You can dry the laundry in the cellar during the winter, as long as you wring it well by hand first. A front-loading washing machine wrings the laundry better than a top-loading washing machine. However, avoid this if you live in an already humid environment.
- The clothespins hold better when there is wind if you put them at an angle.
- An old folding table can be transformed into a drying rack. Just remove the top of the table and replace it with a nylon net (or other water-resistant material). The beauty of this solution is that it can be folded up and stored away when not needed!
Warnings
- Some people still think that hanging the laundry outdoors is unbecoming. Stand up for the right to be allowed to dry laundry and challenge the ludicrous opinion that your clothes are ridiculous when hung on a line of laundry.
- Spread out the pillow cases with the opening downwards
- The sun can fade your clothes, so don't leave them exposed for too long! To reduce this risk, dry the garments inside out or in the shade and remove them as soon as they are dry. This does less damage than the electric dryer, especially for frequently washed clothes.
- It can happen that the birds leave you their business card. All you have to do is return it to Mother Nature, take the garment, wash it again and spread it out. It won't repeat on the same day, unless you're particularly unlucky, but if it does happen it's a sign of luck on the way!
- The laundry thread can pose a risk of strangulation. Don't allow a child to play with it. Laundry threads must be out of reach of children and tightly stretched to prevent them from getting tangled in anything.
