Solar Powered Laundry drier. ??

[Darth-Baiter]

since our energy cost have been creeping up.  we have taken tiny steps to keep cost down.  one was to figure out how we could line-dry our laundry.  I fought it for awhile because I kinda grew up with that warm, soft, lofty laundry that comes out of a dryer.  

 

my wife wanted it so I figured out how to do it in our side yard where nothing really happens anyways.  hanging garments and unhanging them is a pain.  slow and meticulous.  but I am kinda impressed with how it is working out.  a few hours in our summer environment dries everything.  sure it is kinda crunchy feeling.  but it smells kinda nice.  you fold as you go and BOOM - done!!

 

winter wetness is coming, (hopefully-praying for rain) so I will get my lofty fabric softener clothing back soon enough.

 

you drying cloths outside?  old school?

[NavyToad]

Anything above freezing and add a little breeze and clothes dry in no time. 

[Deleted account]

Other than WWE, haven't seen a clothesline since we were kids, they work great, unless you forget to take the clothes down when it rains, then you have to add more quarters...  

[gim]

I dry blankets or quilts outside in the summer time.

[DitchPanda]

My mom did it growing up...I've never done it

[Skunkmaster-k]

Yep. After my wife and I got married and moved in to our house, that’s the first thing I built. We were dirt floor poor and couldn’t afford a drier but even after we got one, the clothesline still got used. 

[casts_by_fly]

In the UK, most households don’t have a dryer. instead, everyone uses clothes drying racks like these. They fold up when you’re not using them and fit in a closet. In the summer you can set them outside, in the winter they go near your heater/radiator.  
 

[roadwarrior]

5 minutes ago, casts_by_fly said:

In the UK, most households don’t have a dryer. instead, everyone uses clothes drying racks like these. They fold up when you’re not using them and fit in a closet. In the summer you can set them outside, in the winter they go near your heater/radiator.  
 

My wife uses this type of rack for shirts and slacks. It eliminates most wrinkles.

[casts_by_fly]

Just now, roadwarrior said:

My wife uses this type of rack for shirts and slacks. It eliminates most wrinkles.

add a small electric steamer and you never have to iron again. The little steamers are amazing. 

[schplurg]

When I visited my ex-wife's family in Brazil her Mom hung up her clothes. Electricity is too expensive, which is true in other countries as well.

 

You can hang them inside too, many places have space for this in a laundry room (common in Europe). I thought it was cool. One day we hung them in her garden.

 

I also washed my socks on a washboard (first time ever) but I think the washer was full. We are spoiled here, things like gas and electricity are relatively cheap compared to most other countries.

[schplurg]

What's in your fabric softener?

 

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/greener-laundry/

 

Quote

If you’re concerned about the health and safety of your family members, you might want to stay away from both conventional dryer sheets and liquid fabric softeners altogether. While it may be nice to have clothes that feel soft, smell fresh and are free of static cling, both types of products contain chemicals known to be toxic to people after sustained exposure.

 

Does sustained exposure = wearing your clothes? Yikes! They say throwing a tennis ball in the drier softens clothes just as well.

 

I use unscented detergent and never softeners. I don't want to smell like Tide and I don't want those chemicals touching my skin all day.

 

And sure, no biggie it's just clothes right? But add that to the salt and sugar they add to bread and food, all the crap they are allowed to use as fillers and flavor enhancers, then add in whatever else you are exposed to the rest of the day....no it isn't "just clothes".

[MN Fisher]

7 minutes ago, schplurg said:

What's in your fabric softener?

 

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/greener-laundry/

14 year old article....many formulations have changed since then.

 

Hypoallergenic softeners have really come into their own, and I use one. Despite the wife's sensitive skin, this one doesn't give her any problems.

[throttleplate]

no, to many birds flying around our yard.

[TnRiver46]

9 hours ago, throttleplate said:

no, to many birds flying around our yard.

Ha! Me too. My house came with a clothesline but I got bird doo on my clothes