Laundry on a clothesline by Steve Raymer

I love to hang clothes on the line and do so as often as I can, but not always. It thrills me to see them dancing in the breeze. I love many old-fashioned ways of doing things, but thought when I first got married that only poor people hung clothes on the line these days. It is a joy to know that many women today still enjoy this task!Stiffness is a problem when I line dry, and I’ve found that NOTHING softens laundry- not Downy, not vinegar- so I put my things in the dryer for 5-10 minutes and then put them on the line. They are greatly softened by this, I’m saving money, am not heating up the house in the warm months, and am getting fresh air and exercise!

From Home Comforts:

“To my mind, whether laundry on the line is unattractive depends on what kind of laundry it is and how it is hung. When I was a girl, hanging out the clothes was an art widely understood in the countryside. Family style was given some leeway, but there were nonetheless ways you did this and ways you didn’t; the rules were so clear that I remember one elderly lady stifling unseemly giggles when she saw the work of a novice….”“Many clothes will feel stiff after drying on the line, particularly if there is little wind to blow them soft as they dry. Towels, especially, tend to get boardlike and stiff on the line and need some tumbling to make them soft…”

“If you hang things carefully, they will often look smooth when they are dry, and you can minimize or avoid ironing. The best weather for line drying, if you have a choice, is warm, dry, and sunny with a moderate breeze. You need some wind to billow wrinkles out of the fabric and hasten drying…”

“Hanging clothes properly reduces wrinkles and makes ironing more easy. The wind smooths wrinkles (and softens and dries clothes quickly), so try to hang garments so that sleeves, skirts, and legs billow out in the breeze…”

“To prevent fading, dry colored clothes in the shade or turn them inside out, or both. White linens usually benefit from drying in direct sunlight, which gives them a gentle, natural bleaching…”

“Avoid putting laundry in a basket unfolded, and especially never leave it that way for a period of time, for this will cause much wrinkling and ruin the good effects of your careful hanging…”

“If you are line drying indoors, be sure to shake out the clothes vigorously before hanging them. This is necessary to reduce wrinkles and help them to dry less stiffly since you have no breezes to soften them.”

I rarely iron at my house! We try to fold or hang things just as soon as they come out of the dryer or off the line. If we can’t get to them right away, I lay the clothes in neat piles, not carelessly wadded up. My girls enjoy hanging out laundry and even have their own little line in their play area outside.:)

Janet
Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer. ~Psalms 19:14