Does anybody out there still use a "solar powered clothes dryer"?

Question

With all due sympathy to the people in the Northeast, it's 78 degrees and sunny here in south Texas. I love hanging my laundry on the line when the weather is this nice. I just took down a load of sheets and they smell wonderful!
But while I was out there, one of my neighbors came out and said it makes the whole neighborhood look trashy. (In the back yard??) But she's kind of a crackpot; of course I'm not going to pay any attention to her.
Yet it started me thinking: Does anybody else still do this by choice? If so, where are you?

Answer 1

I sold the family home when my kids grew up and went out on their own. I have been living in apartments since.

One thing I miss sooooo much is hanging out the sheets and towels....I love the smell.....

I do recall, however, when my kids were little ones, (we didn't have a dryer) - hanging out the clothes in January with a wind-chill factor of -10 degrees and the wind blowing at 30 MPH. The clothes would start freezing before I ever got the clothes pins on em.....don't miss that.

If there was a clothes line anywhere, I'd use it, fer sure.

As for your nosy neighbor, tell her to go jump off a cliff.....HA!!

Answer 2

OH YES! I recently moved and based my decision on what house to buy by taking the one with a long 4 line clothes line. At my old home a boyfriend built my clothesline as a gift and I loved it! I actually had neighbors that came over and used it.
It's great exercise, it protects the enviroment, it gets you fresh air and your clothes smell oh so good! Ignore the neighbor, she is just jealous.
It always makes me think of my Gramma, she insisted leaving clothes on the line overnight caused cancer, and I still can't leave tham hang overnight. It's stupid, but it's a source of a family joke. HA!
I am in the midwest and I hang clothes out year round. My dryer only gets used when it is raining.
You just keep protecting our environment and offer to let your neighbor sniff your towels. HA!

Answer 3

Here in Renton, Just south of Seattle, I have used my solar powered clothes dryer for the first time this year. I love how it smells! I live next to a river and the clothes end up smelling like it. Then I tumble the clothes in the dryer for a couple of minutes to soften them.
As for you, you are doing the environment a favor. If your neighbor can't appreciate that, then let her pay for your electric bill.

Answer 4

Back in the day before mechanical dryers, families would dry their cloths on a cloths line. The cloths line would be a rope placed between two poles. The rope and poles would be in a yard outside the home. The cloths line would utilize both solar and wind. Amazing how history teaches.

Answer 5

I'm in Texas also and yes it is beautiful weather. I use to hang clothes out all of the time, nothing like sheets smelling so clean and fresh,but unfortunately I live in a apartment now and can't do that now.

Answer 6

Yep. Still use old Sol for some stuff. Air out winter clothes and spring, dry pool towels and suits. Just airing out bedding is good too. Just gotta watch the weather and dust and wind. Pretty good freebee when you consider what it costs to machine dry all this stuff

Answer 7

I'm in central New Mexico and do when I can. Unfortunately this weekend is supposed to be wet and rainy. I especially love the smell of air dried sheets.

Answer 8

1

Answer 9

I'm in NWOhio, and I hang everything, except permanent press. Yup, I hang in -10 degrees. The smell is so worth it. Oh, I'm 60 years old.

Answer 10

I use to live in Ohio and now live in Sydney Australia. Everyone here dries their clothes outside. If I lived in the country, I wouldn't mind so much, but city living makes them stink! I hate my jeans being so stiff as well!