So did the benefits add up? Was all the effort of line drying worth it?
Meh.
First of all, after being ill last week and laundry piling up despite my new laundry schedule, I cheated.
Yes, O Internet, I cheated. I so cheated! I used the dryer not for one load but for six loads of laundry. I just couldn’t handle a day or two of line drying the clothes taking over my living space, especially since I had six loads of laundry to dry. I just couldn’t do it again! And while those set-ups to line dry clothing are nice, I’m currently in getting-out-0f-debt mode, which means every spare dollar is headed toward that.
Is it possible?
Yes. Easily done for an apartment-dweller? Well, not so much. Like I said before, it must be a planned effort to not interfere with living spaces and the rest of your routine.
Is it worth it?
If you can manage, then definitely – the sure positives of this experiment where the laundromat savings and the energy savings.
The bottom line
Only do this if you have the time and can coordinate line drying your clothes to not interfere with your life. Otherwise, only wash what is truly dirty and use the dryer only when necessary.
Image courtesy of Michelle Meiklejohn.
As I’m sitting to write this post, I am surrounded by drying clothing hanging from dining room chairs, my desk, and flung on the back of couch. There are even some hanging from hangers in the closet and the bathroom. From THREE DAYS AGO.
The weekends are usually the craziest days at the GYA household, so instead of being put away when the usual, sane manner, they hung around the house as we rushed in and out of the apartment. However, once I’m finished with this post, it’s off to folding and putting away the end of last week’s laundry.
Let’s hope this week I fare better!
So, our situation thus far:
Pros
- I saved $6.60 on laundry last week from not using the dryers in our apartment’s on-site laundromat. In a year, that’s a $343.20 savings!
- Our clothes still seemed soft (I use a biodegradable, plant-derived fabric softener) and the darks dried darker-looking than usual.
Cons
- Air drying the clothes is taking over my living and dining rooms as well as the closet. Not cool!
- It does take awhile: the jeans took 12 hours to dry indoors while most of the t-shirts and miscellaneous items took 6.
Solution I’ll Try
- I’ve been toying with the idea of purchasing this. It boasts “60 feet of drying space in a small space”. I’m thinking this is perfect for me. If I were to get this, I could hide it in this awkward nook in the vanity area of our bathroom which is out of sight enough I wouldn’t be embarrassed when the neighbor drops by but easy enough to use and fold up.
We’ll see how this week goes as I have yet to line dry our sheets and blankets. That ought to be interesting. In the meanwhile, let me know what you think of this set up and any tips you might have in the comments. Thanks!
Headline photo courtesy of Suat Eman.
There is so much talk in the green community about ways to go green and save you money, but so few people actually talk about what it involves and if the action they are commending is doable for someone living in smaller living quarters. This is why I wanted to start a new series here at Green Your Apartment: our monthly “green experiment”.
The rules: the first week of each month I’ll name the experiment and how I’ll be trying it. This month is line drying our clothing. Since I don’t have a yard and line drying in sight on our balcony is banned, this will mostly be an indoor experiment. I will update you on the cost, the savings, the hassles, and the ease of line drying and see where it takes us.
To start, I do not have a drying rack like either of these. What I do have is some chairs and a 20-foot cord we used to use to leash the dog at the park. I also have plenty of hangers and a bathroom to hang them in. This may be changing though.
The experiment starts tomorrow in sync with the new laundry routine I’m implementing as seen at Unclutterer (scroll down to #6 to see the schedule). Thank you Erin for your continuous inspiration! In the meanwhile if you have done this before or have questions about the experiment, please share in the comment section and I will be happy to respond.
Image courtesy of ImageAfter.com
