MONDAY, JULY 2ND 2012 | NATURAL ALTERNATIVES
Line-dried laundry really feels and smells different. And the current Summer weather couldn't be better for it. I struggled for a while to find ways to line-dry in my previous apartments when it finally dawned on me that I don't need anything too fancy to get the job done. My new place has an outdoor patio where I've tied some twine I had in the apartment to a railing and a bar in a wall. I spent $0 setting it up and $0 on drying my clothes in a machine. But there are other simple ways to line dry indoors: by using existing objects to hang dry (the common practice), tying up indoors, or by constructing a very simple dry rack.
Line-drying doesn't just save you money, it also serves to protect your clothes. I can't tell you how many of the tags on my clothes ward against machine dryers and urge you to take it to the dry cleaner instead. I've just started washing them by hand. It's another task a feel this strange physical connection to and am incredibly gratified by. And I haven't ruined anything yet! In fact, I've used a very simple and effective solution: Castile Soap.
This true wonder-product brags over a dozen uses. Really. Hand soap, dish soap, surface cleaner, and detergent! I'm very fond of the rose-scented castile soap. It's a very mild but lasting scent. And it's very gentle on your clothes. I simply run a basin of water, cold or hot depending on what you're washing, add a small squeeze of the soap (it's very concentrated), and lightly scrub the clothes by hand. then it's gently wrung out and put out on the line. I have to be honest. I don't hand-wash and line-dry everything. Maybe if I had fewer (far fewer) clothes. And jeans still seem to be an issue to hand wash.
And line-drying does expose your clothes to a lot more sunlight which in the long-run could make them fade faster (conveniently the current trend). It may be just as hard on your clothes as those machine dryers. and the whole process takes about the same time and energy, in my case, as it would to take it to the Laundromat. So there's actually then more to gain.
And to really put the icing on the cake, you can spray the clothes while they're still wet with some homemade lavender or rose water. Or place some dry eucalyptus or lavender branches in your closet/drawer. You soon discover the reason why fabric softners showcase sun-kissed sheets in commercials. Wrinkle-free flower-scented naturally-dried and a real cash saver.
