Jon just recently installed our new solar wind alternative clothes drying apparatus aka a good ole fashioned clothesline. This makes me so happy!

Our New Clothesline

Why does this make me so happy? Well, I’ve lived here for 15 years, but this is the only place that I have ever lived where I didn’t have a clothesline. Who would have thought I’d missed it so much? Definitely not me. Years ago, I thought how convenient the clothes dryer was and was relieved I wouldn’t need to use a clothesline like we had to growing up and at my first home as an adult. This was moving up in the world, right?

Growing up I remember Mama hanging our laundry out on the line and us too when we were old enough to help. For years we didn’t even have a dryer. We did eventually modernize and get an electric clothes dryer when I was probably in junior high or early high school. It was nice to have the dryer when it was dreadfully rainy for prolonged periods of time or in the winter (there’s nothing like putting on a pair of frozen/dried jeans). But whenever possible Mama would still use that clothesline. So much so that when her old one was failing miserably and in need of much repair, she had a new one put up.

The first place I lived once I moved out on my own I had only a clothesline and no dryer for the longest time. I didn’t think a whole lot about it. I would have liked to had a dryer, but couldn’t afford it. No worries, I had my good ole reliable clothesline. Since then I’ve only lived in a few other places. Although I had a dryer at these homes, I still had a clothesline and would use it occasionally.

Now, for the last 15 years I have been without a clothesline. I have owned a couple of dryers in my day, but never a brand new one or a fancy one. I used to think I wanted the fancy HE washer and matching dryer. Well, to be realistic they literally won’t fit in the nook in our bathroom where our laundry area is and well they are expensive. Our dryer and the one before that really just isn’t all that quick. Yeah, I know if you do smaller loads and not overload a dryer it will dryer quicker. And yeah I remove that lint from the lint trap religiously, but still it can take me all day long to wash and dryer 3 large loads of clothes. Modern is not always better. With 4-6 people living with us, that is a problem. There is also much more to laundry than just the clothes we wear. There’s bed sheets and blankets, bath towels and wash cloths, dish towels and rags, and the random things like floor mats too. I’ve come to realize that the “modern” clothes dryer just isn’t all that convenient to me. It is a huge bottleneck in my laundry process!

The most obvious benefit of using a clothesline rather than a dryer is the energy savings. It is eco-friendly to save energy and it saves money on that dang electric bill. Enough said.

Compared to my dryer it is much quicker on a nice dry day. No lie. It’s amazing how quick a load can dry on the line compared to my dryer. That is more “convenient” to me.

Laundry line dried smells so much better. Why not have the real “spring breeze” or “summer breeze” scent from outside than buying it in a fabric softener or dryer sheet? Authentic is always better.

Line drying is actually better on your clothes than using a dryer. Your clothes will last much longer from less wear due to the dryer. All that lint in the trap used to be a part of your clothes. Having your clothes last longer saves money!

I love to be outside any way, but I’d much rather be outside hanging my clothes and folding them as I remove the dry clothes from the line than stuck inside. I can feel the breeze and hear the birds and bees as I do our laundry. It is so peaceful. It is much more enjoyable than throwing them in the dryer and hearing that annoying thing rumble for hours all day long and buzz when done. The calming effect alone is worth it! Trust me.

I’m sure I’ll use the dryer like Mama when it is perpetually rainy or below freezing out, but otherwise I’ll be taking advantage of the perfect simplicity of our clothesline. I’ve missed it and hope to not take it for granted again.