Save Money by Hang-Drying Your Clothes

Bankrate suggest we all can save money by hang-drying our clothes and not running the dryer. Here are the highlights:

Because regular use of the dryer is hard on fabric and uses a lot of electricity, I hang my clothes to dry in the laundry room. I have a dehumidifier there that keeps the basement from being damp and helps speed the drying of my clothes. The dehumidifier has the Energy Star logo, which means it is a model that uses less energy, thereby saving money. I use the water that the dehumidifier collects to refill the toilet tank or to water the outdoor plants on dry summer days.

My take on this:

1. Wow. This sounds like a lot of work.

2. How much does it really save? Yeah, you save money from the dryer not running but spend money on the dehumidifier. Not to mention the cost of your time. This is quite a process.

3. Good point on dryer's being hard on clothes. A bit of savings can be racked up there due to clothes lasting longer.

4. We used to hang our clothes outside when I was a kid. But haven't we found that doing this can aggravate allergies?

What do you think -- good idea or not worth the effort?

Comments

[Curtis]

Eggghh! Not worth the effor at all... at least, not with a family. There is enough laundry around to do there wouldn't be enough room to hang it!

[SUSAN]

I use an outdoor line when the weather cooperates. We have pretty severe allergies, but honestly, after giving the clothes a good shake outside before folding them, we have not had any problems.

In "uncooperative" weather, I dry some of our clothes on a rack in the basement. It usually dries overnight. I put things like jeans, sock and towels in the dryer, but t-shirts, kitchen towels, etc. go "on the rack", or get hung up on a hanger on the clothes stand I have. I figure I'm saving some money by not using the dryer's energy for as long, plus the clothes definitely last longer.

For me, it doesn't really take any extra time, I'm not running the dehumidifier (that would definitely eat into the cost savings I think) and I do love the fresh air smell of clothes dried outside. :)

[Aimee]

Not worth the effort in my opinion. Most new dryers have an option where it auto senses the moisture. This means that it will run cooler and warmer, depending on how long the cycle has to be. Much better choice than setting it for a timed run where the dryer runs hot the whole time.

Plus, air dried clothes are stiff and if you hand them outside they get stinky.

[Amanda D]

Not worth the effort. I can barely get the laundry done with a dryer! No basement or large laundry room here. The weather is too unpredictable to hang clothes outside very often.

[Anitra]

When we only had a portable (read: small and inefficient) washer and dryer, I dried clothes outside as much as possible, as it would take 2-3 cycles of the dryer to get them dry.

We no longer have a clothesline, but we recently bought a brand-new HE dryer. I try to retrieve the clothes within a few minutes of the dryer stopping, so any remaining dampness can be dealt with (either by hanging or additional drying time) before it spreads back to the other clothes.

I found my delicate underthings fare much better when they don't go through the dryer, so I hang them on a rack in our bedroom. Most of them dry within 24 hours, even when the air is humid. I put all of the items in mesh bags before they go in the washer, so they're easy to pick out when transferring the other clothes to the dryer.

Keep in mind that dryers are a relatively recent invention - my grandmother hung out her laundry in all weather.

[poor student]

I don't have a dehumidifier or anything fancy, just a rack I got from the dollar store. I hang undies and anything that doesn't like the heat -- this adds lots of lifetime to exepnsive bras, etc., that just shrivel up and die if you dry them. I also find that I like the way my jeans feel when they air dry better than if they are in the dryer. I end up running our dryer on a shorter cycle for fewer items and that helps the electric bill as well. The money savings is nice, but my primary motivations are extending the useful life of my clothes and using less electricity.

[Mrs. Micah]

Since we actually see the money go into the machine (apartment complex dryers), we're much more leery about using spending it. Plus, I've seen the effects on some clothes. We use drying racks, which work pretty well. I don't know about how it'd work if I had a whole family, but for 2 of us we save the money and clothes.

[Kevin]

Seems kinda tedious to be hanging every sock. Plus I hate hard, crunchy clothes that have been hung dry. I would like a clothesline for bigger items like comforters and sheets though.

We have a new HE washer that spins the clothes and gets a ton of the moisture out. Usually only takes another 30 min in the dryer on low heat for a regular size load. Even towels and stuff dry faster with this washer.

[Blaine Moore]

We hang dry our clothes when the weather cooperates, because our dryer is really inefficient and doesn't do a very good job. Putting them out in the sun works better and is much quieter. It doesn't take much time.

Unfortunately, I live in Maine, so our opportunities to dry our clothes outside are few and far between. We have a very short season.

I have a line in my basement that I can use, but I rarely bother. The only time of the year that they'd dry relatively quickly, I can put the clothes outside. We keep the basement buttoned up tight the rest of the year.

Throughout the year, we use a zip line in our bath tub, though. When I get done running and finish showering, I will extend the line over the bath tub and hang my running clothes up to dry. It's better than having a wet sodden mass on our bathroom floor or in our hamper, and most of the time I can wear some of the clothes again if they dry out.

[Anthony]

Not worth the time - literally. If you add up the time-cost in hanging and then taking in the clothes, and often ironing out the wrinkles that a good dryer will keep out, then your time cost will almost certainly exceed the electricity and/or gas cost of your dryer. Having said that, nothing is better than fresh sheets that have been line dried in the spring!

[Jo]

I use the dryer for most things, as do my roommates. But there are certain items like delicates and nice work clothes that we hand-up. My one room mate and I share a bathroom and it's not unusual to see a shower rod full of drying clothes.

When I wash the blankets and comforters I definitely prefer to hang them outside (that's why I wash them at my parents all the time!!).

Growing up in a family of 6, we rarely used our clothes line. Actually, I think I was the one that used it most often. There's too much laundry to put out on the line, the dryer is much faster.

[Katy Raymond]

I grew up as the oldest of five children, and my parents did not own a dryer until after I flew the coop. I've hung hundreds of loads of clothing on the line, including all those pesky cloth diapers! I've also whisked scores of loads off the line when the clouds rolled in, and re-hung them in the basement to finish drying. I don't do it much anymore, but I miss it in a sentimental way. So much so that I now collect photographs of ancient homes in Europe with laundry hanging out....

Don't miss stiff bath towels, however. At all! :)

[fubek]

Wow, you are all sissies. I never owned a dryer and probably never will. I used them at times in the laundry shop but that's been a while. Hanging my own clothes takes maybe 10min a week. I don't have a dehumidifier (what for? just let them hang for a little more).

I save $$$ on electricity, I save $$$ on clothes lasting longer, I save $$$ in procurement and repair of the dryer, I save space for the dryer and thus $$$ on rent for my apartment.

I love nothing more than climbing into bed after I've washed sheets and hung them on the line to dry. They smell truely fresh, rather than chemically "fresh". Jeans and towels I prefer in the dryer, but I like all other clothes on the line, when the weather cooperates. It takes a bit more time, but it's nice to spend some time outdoors, and it can be very relaxing.

Unfortuantely, I live in an apartment, so I take my laundry to my parents' once a month, and so in summer it all depends on the weather that Saturday/Sunday that I'm free.

[Lin]

Line drying outside is certainly more environmentally friendly (and easier on the electric bill) than running the dryer. Unfortunately, a lot of homeowners associations forbid clotheslines. Those of us in that situation make use of portable racks and retractable lines, LOL!

[Anitra]

fubek: We're not all sissies. You sound like you live alone; doing laundry for multiple people multiplies the time and space you need, more than I ever thought was possible. When I was still hanging laundry outside, it took 20-30 minutes to hang up a single load of laundry. Inside on racks is definitely much faster to set up, as long as you have enough space.

[mikeb]

Absolutely worth it! Even with a family of 4 (2 boys) growing up it was worth every second. You get fast at hanging them, and learn tricks regarding the crunchy clothes.

However, I did grow up in Phoenix where at noon in the Summer it would have been slower to use the dryer!

I do disagree with the comment about clothes lasting longer though. They fade, and heavier clothes do stretch out. I think the lifetime is actually pretty equivalent.

[brent]

huh???

GLOBAL WARMING PEOPLE!!!

Get off your fat arses, go outside and hang out your damn clothes on the line like normal people!!

How can anyone POSSIBLY use their drier when they don't absolutely have to?

Anyway, in summer at least, it's quicker to dry them on the line - they're usually basically dry by the time you're finished hanging them out.

[Monika]

I also am shocked to hear about how lazy people are about taking the time to hang their laundry.
The time spent hanging the laundry is not wasted:
1. You are getting a light physical work out. The same people who don't hang their laundry are the people who don't take the stairs, wouldn't dream of riding/commuting with their bike anywhere etc.
2.You are connecting with your own consumerism, if it takes "too much time out of your day" to hang your own clothes then maybe you own too many clothes.
3. You really do save money on your bill.

One source states that not using your dryer for a month = 15 pounds of coal that stays in the ground. That is an important thing to note. Miners have to work a little less, and mountains are a little less destroyed when you don't use your dryer. It's not like you should get rid of it if you aren't ready, but you should during the summers try it out.
ALSO if you have a family and it takes you forever to hang the clothes have your kids take a healthy break from their homework or video games to learn basic responsibilities like taking care of their clothes.

[irina]

I am from Russia and I still remember how we washed by hand every week and dried outside on lines. Where else? My grandma (rest her soul in peace) didn't even have running water in her old house and she would carry her laundry in baskets down to the river to wash and then back. It was quite a workout. Wet clothes was oh so heavy! Now.. Washers, Dryers, Hot Running water... ahhhhh.. We got it made, people. LOL

[David Wilson]

Is it really worth doing all this to save a couple of dollars? Plus up here in New England the weather is only suitable for drying clothes outdoor for less than 1/2 the year.

[David L.]

Geez... I live in an apartment and I hang dry my clothes all the time. I simply put my shirts and pants on hangers and hang them from my balcony rail. In the winter I just hang them in my closet to dry. Next day they're dry! Magic! ...saves quarters, electricity, the environment... and my clothes are never stiff or starchy!

I do agree that it is too tedious to hang dry socks and underwear (though I have done it), socks, underwear, sheets, towels, do go in the dryer. But my clothes I hang, saves money and no shrunk shirts and pants.

[Kevin]

Anybody know what uses more electricity, a dryer or a dehumidifyer? Me, wife, and baby are thinking about buying a dryer -- we have a dehumidifyer now for the winter, but we wonder if it would use less money to run a dryer... thanks!
k

[Nicole]

When I was growing up, my mom hung the laundry up on a drying rack in the laundry room because she needed to save money. In our apartment complex we were not allowed to hang anything outside. I hated it. The clothes were always stiff. It is a good option if you MUST but if you can avoid it - I would.

[Brandon Barkley]

Honestly, we already hang like 75% of my wife's and maybe 5% of my clothes on a drying rack for concern about them being ruined or shrunk so it would not be a big deal to hang mine on a drying rack or a clothes-line. It is not very practical for us now though because we live in an apartment and do not want clothes hanging everywhere.

That all said, once we have a yard, I'd be more than willing to hang a large portion of my clothes. I would probably still dry socks and underwear though since they don't take a long time and they are really a pain in the butt to hang outside (not to mention the privacy issues in the case of the underwear).

[Brandon Barkley]

Oh I have to say, using the dehumnidifier water in the toilet feels cheap to me. I might do it, but I would never admit it publicly.

[Brandon Barkley]

Reading the comments, I feel the need to note that you really ought to use fabric softener if you do not plan on drying your clothes. It helps a lot.

[Lynne Ellis]

To avoid the "crispy" clothes problem when hanging your clothes to dry, you can try this. Put the clothes in the dryer for about 5 minutes, then take them out and hang to dry the rest of the way. Works even for towels!

[James]

Yes you should definitely hang your clothes out, or if it's raining stick them on the radiator for a bit.

There's absoltely no excuses for using a drier when it's hot and sunny outside.

[hazygrey]

I live in a small apartment. We hang about half our clothes (underwear, t shirts) in the bathroom and use the dryer for the rest (big towels etc...). I'm thinking of getting a clothes rack to stop using the dryer alltogether and save money. It doesn't take us that long to hang them and if we stopped using the dryer, it'd save us one trip to the laundry room in the basement.

[Rob Lewis]

We have to do a mixture of drying in the dryer and by hanging the washing - with a young family, there's no way we could do it all by hanging - the drying would take too long that way and our house would continually look like a laundry.

[karla (threadbndr)]

I hang my clothes - pretty much all of them. I have lines in the (unfinished part) of the basement. I HAVE a dryer, but haven't run it in a couple of years.

It really doesn't take any time to hang small loads. I leave the clothespins up on the line and so there's no fumbling around, just pull the garment out, give it a shake to get rid of some of the wrinkles and peg it up.

[dennis]

not everyone's into this global warming(or environmental friendly club) crap and they shouldn't be put down for it.i don't plan things i do around the global warming/environmentally clean stuff and most don't.

for you people that do,that's fine. but screw people that harbor this bad attitude toward people that don't.i use washer,dryer,my dog craps on the grass.some of you can get finatical without me.i also watch a wie screen tv..uh oh...excess,unnecessary electrcitity/.