Line drying laundry now that fall is here and winter is coming?

I once lived without the use of a clothes dry for 4 years due to electrical wiring hassles. Not real fun when it's below 0 with frigid windchills, but you can make it work. It just talks some planning and patience. Rather fun to see the frozen clothes bucking in the wind. Deb

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Before my mother got engaged to my father, he asked her if she would prefer a diamond engagement ring or a dryer. My mother's reply was that, while a dryer would be lovely and incredibly thoughtful, she wouldn't be able to wear it on her finger to show all her friends at work. Of course, after having four children, she did eventually get the clothes dryer as well.

http://www.dirtworks.net/LaundryAirDryer.html

This is the thing I remember as a kid some 40 years ago that we had in England. Was surprised they still made them.

Carol K

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Midhill Dexters
http://www.midhilldexters.com/

I've dried mine without a dryer for about 6 years now and still have the same drying rack, I got mine through Home Hardware it is metal and only takes up about 30 sq inches of floor space and I can put 2 to 3 loads on it, it has 3 tiers but you can only use what you need and it folds flat and since it is on wheels it is easy for me to move around near the wood stove or out of the way across the room. I have also seen these at Canadian Tire and Zellars. I hang every thing out in the winter those strechy gloves that you get 2 for a dollar under a pair of fingerless mitts work great for keeping your hands warm. One thing I will say for winter drying if you get any wind it is best to invest in good quality clothes pins, or a shovel. lol. The kids love it when you can bring in the jeans and they stand up by themselves.

I have been line drying in the house for awhile now. When we moved in there were alread hooks in the top of the walls one at one end and 2 at the other...makes a v shape. I can hang a large load on this set up. It is also in the room with our wood stove so this time of year the cloths dry very quickly. Since I live in wet rainy western Washington, drying outside could take months! LOL
Good luck and stick to it...our power bill has never been so low!
Blessings,

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Trisha in WA
Visit my blog @
Diamond Belle Ranch

What else does a man have to do in his short time here on earth than build soil and feed people~Forerunner

Is everyone here a child? LOL... Ok, its just me! I'm older than dirt!

Folks, my wife and I didn't have a clothes drier until about 1990! All our clothes were line dried....and NOT in the house!

In freezing weather clothes don't dry by evaporation. Instead they dry by a process known as 'sublimation'. When the ambient air temperature is below freezing, then the water in clothing hung outside passes straight from the frozen state into the gaseous state. When the water in the air is frozen and falls to the ground, then the humidity is very, very low.

Many folks bringing in clothing from freezing or subfreezing temperatures misinterpret the tactile sensation provided by the clothing as 'wet', when in actuality the clothing is dry. In some cases, where the home has poor air exchange and the humidity has risen to very high levels, the cold clothing actually suffers from condensation (just as eyeglass wearers experience!).

Buy a pair of pigskin gloves to hang or retrieve clothing. They give you excellent tactile sensation and control.

Next lecture: Home humidity control

I hang clothes on the clothesline outside during winter...especially towels. If the weather's bad,I'll hang them up inside on clotheshangers,hung from pegs....occassionally use the dryer,too.

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When thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee ~ Isaiah 43:2

Arborethic, thanks for the lecture. I never knew that this thread would produce so many great comments!

For those of you intersted in building a super dyring rack I found one that can be made out of sturdy dowels. Check out this play for a mondo rack

http://www.handymanwire.com/articles/rack.html

Not that I do the clothes, but here is a good one. Construct a LONG Back Porch and HEAT it with a wood stove. This will help keep the house warmer ,provide a good place for children to play and a place to DRY CLOTHES. Extra wood can be stored there. Your Washer can be there. At the other end there can be a small work shop. Three walls and a Roof.

Donkeyman, I like that idea the best. Now if dh would just get started.

Honestly I love to dry the clothes in the house in the winter because it adds humidity. We get so dry here that the chairs have been known to pop apart and the floor separates and creaks.

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Its a good day, I woke up on the right side of the grass.