Drying for Freedom is Green

News

Our Daily Green
June 30th, 2011

Credit: http://www.laundrylist.org/

Can you imagine living in a place that told you how to spend your money? Essentially, that is exactly what homeowner associations that forbid clotheslines do. Running a clothes dryer for a year can cost an average family about 50 cents/hour. Based on 10 loads/week, an hour to dry, that is an annual expense of over $250. In an economy where folks are cutting back, it hardly seems fair to be forced to spend money on something that otherwise would be free.

Beginning July 5, 2011 through October 4, 2011, Alexander Lee, founder of Project Laundry List will be riding his bike across the United States in a Clotheslines Across America tour to promote the benefits of air drying clothing. Additionally, the tour will focus on resetting temperatures on water heaters, eliminating standby electricity (aka “phantom loads” or “vampire power”), thermostat adjustments, more efficient driving, carpooling, water conservation, eating more vegetarian meals, and trip chaining.

The clothesline movement is growing. British filmmakers Steven Lake and Adam J. Merrifield have produced a movie, Drying for Freedom. The film examines the right to freedom to use clotheslines from both an environmental and economic impact.

As evidenced by today’s photos, Our Daily Green has used clothes lines and drying racks for many years, finding ways to make the smallest members of our family pitch in and do chores. We enjoy air drying our clothing year round, as it also helps clothes last longer (lint in the dryer is clothing fibers breaking down!), saves on ironing clothes as they dry without as many wrinkles, and also helps humidify the house.

Do you ever airdry your clothing?