hanging laundry on the line

Yup, I did it. A few weeks ago I strung the clothesline I bought last fall. Overall I'm enjoying the zen-like quality of the chore of hanging laundry, but it has required some adjustment. I have several small garden beds in my backyard, so when I first hung up clothes on the line I realized they were hanging right over my soon-to-be herb bed. So this morning I went out to adjust the clothesline again, to move it away from the circular bed. As I hung up clothes to dry I could hear my mother's voice, "Girls, one of you hang up the clothes on the line."

Growing up, we had a clothesline in our back yard for as long as I could remember. With seven kids, my mother spent most of her time either cooking or doing laundry. I suppose to save money, she always hung the clothes on the line to dry whenever possible. (Plus, back then, everyone had clotheslines.) She used the outdoor clothesline for half of the year and then an inside clothesline in the basement during winter time. That wasn't always as effective, and when things really wouldn't dry one of us would resort to the dryer. Still, I'm sure she saved a lot of money by not using the dryer.

I realized, as a kid, hanging up the laundry was one of the chores I really never minded. Perhaps it's doing a chore that requires you to be outside and get some fresh air. Or, it may be the zen-like quality of the work, requiring focus on how to hang the item, etc, which brings you right into the moment of what you are doing. Since my first initial "hurrying" to hang my clothes on the line and get to my office, I've now come to enjoy it. It does require some coordination. One day I had to rush home to get the clothes off the line before it rained. I'm still using my dryer some, but much less than I did prior to the clothesline being up.

My initial impetus to get a clothesline were several friends who have them. Last fall when my EcoLocal friend Dave and his wife Brenda were at my house for a gathering, he asked me, "So, where's your clothesline?" He was surprised I didn't have one, and so was I, for not thinking of it. A few weeks later I went out and bought a simple nylon clotheseline (I think from Ocean State.) But, fall arrived and I never put it up. Then, a few weeks ago my friend Heather, who has 3 kids, told me how since she started line drying most her family's laundry (and with 3 kids she has a lot), they've saved close to $60/mo on their electricity bill by not using the dryer. She even bought clothes racks to use during the winter. (She's also the one who pointed out the zen-like quality of the chore.) So, I figured if Heather can dry her clothes on the clothesline with 3 kids, so can I.

It's been fun and relatively easy (minus the weather variable.) I hope to save some $$ and reduce my "carbon footprint" even more. Plus, it's one chore in my own household I really enjoy doing. (Now if I could only find someone who would dust.)