Yes I know I have a working dryer .......

HOWEVER - I only use it during certain months or for specific items.

I know, I know you are sitting there with a mouth agape thinking "WHAT????" Close your mouth or you will get flies. You heard me - just because I own a dryer doesn't mean I HAVE to use it for everything. Actually, I prefer to hang my clothes to dry for a few reasons:

1)  Line drying clothing is free once you have paid for the lines and clothespins. And you can usually get clothespins dirt cheap at yard sales. It is where a lot of mine came from.

My lines are set up spanning my laundry/utility room which also houses the water heater and furnace. Even during the winter the room is never freezing cold. And as I have windows in the room on two walls I can open them during warmer weather and increase the rate at which things dry.

2) Most people spend a lot of money on clothes and we expect them to last for a long time once we do. Well, a dryer does more damage to fibers than any other single factor. The agitation of the washing machine serves to work soap and water through a piece of fabric so that dirt and oils can be broken down and rinsed away. By comparison the almost violent tumbling and pounding items go through in the average dryer has the ability to distort and damage threads much more. Add to that the excessive heat and it is no wonder elastics wear out quickly and colors fade more rapidly. Hanging your clothing to dry extends their useful life.

3) It is actually healthier for you! NOT because of any bad side effects of dryer sheets or use of appliances in the home - but because you actually have to move your body. Instead of just sitting on the couch waiting for the dryer to buzz you reach, stretch, walk and lift as you remove heavy wet items from the washer and position them onto the clothe lines then take them down to be folded before being carried up two or more flights of stairs to the bedrooms or linen closet.


So I will continue to hang most of my laundry to dry for the foreseeable future thank you very much, and save the use of the dryer for things like heavy blankets, pillows and other items which are not washed as often or are just too heavy to make line drying practical.