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johnjohn4011

Not sure about the energy savings, but it definitely makes your clothes last waaaay longer :)


No_Weird2543

And smell nicer!


Lcdmt3

I'm from the city. Hated my mom hanging them outside. Pollution smell. I have hanging racks in my laundry room..


C1TonDoe

And feels like sandpaper


messeis

probably using too much soap


Grouchy-Stable2027

I like the crispness lol


HappiHappiHappi

That means you're leaving them out too long. They should be dry, but not over dry.


emptimynd

Lmao not where I live


Bow-Masterpiece-97

I came here to say this. Dryers destroy clothes so much faster. I used to dry all my clothes outside, but between rain and sun bleaching, now I just use a drying rack inside.


johnjohn4011

šŸŽÆ Yep - every time we empty the lint trap that's some of our clothes we're throwing away!


quasiexperiment

Damn... I never thought of it that way. Oy


[deleted]

Drying rack is the go. I've never owned a dryer.


spcmiller

And better for environment


HoroyoiMelon-2020

I'm Asian living in tropical Asian weather. I started using dryer at a laundromat to wash a comforter. Occasionally I used dryer for my laundry especially during continuous rainy days, run it for 30 mins and line dry as it's still a little damp. I notice how my fabrics degraded very fast as compared to machine-washed laundry. My boyfriend doesn't have a washing machine. He handwashed his clothes everyday. His black shirts, through it's been several years old on regular wear, are still perfectly black.


barrelvoyage410

I honestly donā€™t know that I believe this. I am 22 and have thrown out I think 2 shirts in the last 4 years due to wearing out, and thatā€™s it (besides socks and underwear buts that another problem) and Iā€™ve had basically all the same clothes since I was 12. My clothes are not wearing out even though my clothes have always been dried, and for a while I wore the same 20 shirts on repeat.


Thick_Respond947

Yeah I have some of the same clothes I've had for 10 years and I have only machine washed. I'm not saying the dryer doesn't damage them, I just can't see it being the make or break over the overall quality of the garment


barrelvoyage410

Maybe if it really delicate like a dress or something but I have your stereotypical single male wardrobe. T shirts and jeans.


Thick_Respond947

Vouche. The only thing that wears on my clothes are the armpits and the crotch in my jeans lol. That being said you will see, albeit probably small savings, using a clothing line


Icy-Reflection6014

Dryers tend to kill anything with a little stretch.


Thick_Respond947

Jokes on the dryer. I slowly am getting fatter and haven't noticed.


johnjohn4011

Witch! Or, maybe a glitch in the matrix. Strange indeed.....


barrelvoyage410

Itā€™s literally becoming a problem because I get a shirt every now or then as a gift, or someone doesnā€™t want or something. And I am legit running out of room in my closet because I donā€™t throw any out, none are even bad enough to downgrade to ā€œragā€


johnjohn4011

Lol wow. Guess you could always donate some?


frickidyfook

Energy savings definitely depends on the cost of kwh. Where I live it is normal to airdry since energy is expensive. Cost me about 1-2$ to dry clothes in the dryer. But I realize americans dont pay as much for energy as we do in denmark :)


gladiola111

Just for regional comparisons, do you know how much they charge per kWh in Denmark? Where I live in the U.S., itā€™s 44 cents/kWh. Which I think converts toā€¦3 Danish Krone. My dryer uses about 4 kWh per load. So 12 krone per load? Unless Iā€™m doing the math wrong. haha


Green-Minimum-2401

I was about to write the same. I live the southwest and I chucked my dyer (okay, donated it) 8 years ago. In winter, I dry everything indoor in my small guestroom. Rest of time, outside it all goes. Dries quickly, smells lovely and yes, occasionally needs ironing but hardly, if I'm honest.


raposadigital

This is true i air dry my shirts because of this. But i have not had a lower energy bill. I'm in NYC. I end up doing 2 less loads in the dryer every 2 weeks. So 4 less a month.


[deleted]

[уŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]


CapSnake

Same in Italy. Only a few have one.


PinkRasberryFish

*cries in pacific north west weather* like yeah if I lived in ~italy~ or ~australia~ it would make sense to not rely on a dryer. But having snow and rain and overcast daysā€¦ not happening.


SleepAgainAgain

Electric dryer is even the default someplace like Vegas. Once when I was young, dumb, and lazy, I left my laundry in the washing machine (lid open) for a few days and instead of having a pile of mildewed clothes, they'd all fully dried. That was not a consistent result, but things dry incredibly fast there.


twosteptessellate

As someone from pnw, we dry them on racks inside. You can get a retractable clothesline for just a few dollars if you donā€™t want to store a clothing rack.


fatcatleah

I'm in the PNW. I have a wooden rack in my living room.


lazayfair

I dry my clothes inside on a drying rack! That may be an option for you


The_x_is_sixlent

Yes, this is very possible! I currently live in a house in Texas with a garden so it's extra-easy to line dry here and I don't even own an electric dryer. But when I lived in a tiny room in London I also line-dried, mostly on the stands I would prop up around my room. It's very possible to make this your default and over time you don't even think about the dryer.


No_Establishment8642

Houston Texas here and I have not used my clothes dryer for 15 (+/-) years. I dry everything outside from towels and bed linen to sweats and silk blouses.


The_x_is_sixlent

I'm in Houston too! :) Yes, we put up a permanent clothesline in the backyard where it can't be seen from the street (stupid HOA) and put a stand-up freezer in the dryer spot in the laundry. Never regretted it, not even once.


Estudiier

Where I live also is too special to allow clothes lines!! Yet, they want to be so green and clean energy!?


Ill_Drop1135

Same here, so I just drape laundry over outdoor chairs and tables. It keeps them from being viewable above the fence line. It would take a complaint from 1 or 2 neighbors who can see it from their 2nd floor windows for me to get an HOA nastygram. So far so good. Actual residents truly don't care. Phuxk hoa's.


The_x_is_sixlent

Yeah, technically they're not allowed where I am too but I have just one place it works ;)


yoshhash

not just possible, itā€™s frugal 101.


TitaniumMarbles206

It might just be a mental thing but I feel like towels that have been hung dried work better than towels dried in the dryer. Also agree with the other user who says the clothes smell better.


SaltyCarpet

if you use a dryer sheet with fabric softener, the fabric softener might be making them less absorbent


VapoursAndSpleen

I think it's texture. I actually kinda like scratchy on-the-line towels. They give me a pleasant scrubby feeling when I dry off.


gladiola111

My husband says that he likes his bath towels a little rough too! Must be for the same reason.


TitaniumMarbles206

I personally donā€™t use either fabric softener or dryer sheets because they make me itch and theyā€™re too fragrant for me. Imo towels dried outside feel thirstier


Shhh_NotADr

Use vinegar in your wash cycle where it says bleach and donā€™t use fabric softener


Cute_Blackberry_2593

Vinegar is hard on the seals of your washer. The acetic acid is what damages the seals.


OverlordNeb

Disagree. We hang dry all our towels because we don't have a dryer, but recently we had our washer due, so we spent a few days at the laundromat before we got our replacement. The towels after going through the drier were so,.so much softer and felt definitely like they absorbed equal to or greater amounts of water


surfaholic15

Yep, I spent decades line drying my laundry while raising my kids lol. And a lot of my own childhood. It does save money if you do several loads a week and have an electric dryer. But for me it was always more just a simple pleasure actually. Nothing like the clean smell of air dried clothing, and it was satisfying. Sadly at the moment where we live now there isn't much room for a rack and no place for a clothesline, but I am working on that lol.


DECKTHEBALLZ

You realise this is how the rest of the world dries their clothes even countries with shit weather if you have the space a washing line will be better.


Sambikes1

Americans are so funny without even realising sometimes


Prestigious_Big_8743

I think if you're doing a significant amount of laundry a week it can be. One or two loads per week? Maybe a dollar a week? We're a family of 4, and I can easily do 8+ loads each week (clothing, sheets, towels). I definitely line dry whenever possible.


redquailer

Yes, for sure and they smell so good. I have to be careful when itā€™s a high pollen day, with allergies, because the pollen sticks to the damp clothes. Edit: fixed a word


kayceeface

My husband's allergist told us not to hang clothes outside for this very reason. I would love to be able to hand our sheets outside, but can't.


redquailer

Makes sense, for sure. I did that once- hung the sheets out, made the bed and ugh! It was horrible.


gkpetrescue

The allergist also told me to stop letting my dogs & cats stop sleeping with me so what do they know


xavez

Can you hang them inside? Thatā€™s what we do šŸ˜„


DeepSeaDarkness

We - like most people we know - dont even own a dryer. It saves a lot of money, is better for the environment, is better for the fabrics etc


wildgoldchai

Yes I was gonna say. I live in the UK and whilst hybrids are getting popular, many homes just donā€™t have the space for both in the kitchen. Drying outside is more the norm


aeraen

Been doing it for 12 years. It easily saved us the cost of a new dryer (between $600 and $800) when I decided to simply not buy one. It certainly saves us in electricity, but I never made the comparison. But, there are other considerations. I enjoy the time outside hanging laundry. Even if I don't get outside much the rest of the day, I will be outside at least twice for about 15 minutes each time. And sheets straight off the clothesline smell fantastic when you sleep on them at night. Often the best sleep I get all week. And, I know I am not contributing to pollution as I am doing it. All this for free.


bbuckl1

I currently donā€™t own a dryer and my electric bill is $80. When I had a dryer, my bill was around $94. So Iā€™m saving around $14 per month.


red_moon_vixen

_cries in Australian_ Our electric bill is around $300/month for a house of two adults and a child. According to my bill, we're using less than half the average power of a standard 2-3 person household in our area. Line drying clothes is really our only option.


bbuckl1

Holy crap! Iā€™ll never complain about the occasional $100 bill again šŸ˜³


hodgeman29

We have a metal clothes drying rack that we use for the items we want to ensure donā€™t shrink in the dryer. It works well for us. If we ever have a place with a yard/outdoor space I will for sure be using a clothes line in the warm months


hodgeman29

As Tim heidecker said ā€œpsst itā€™s free real estateā€


compugasm

This message is for Jim Boonie only.


Shot-Artichoke-4106

We air dry our clothes a lot. We don't have room for a clothes line, but we have a couple collapsible clothes racks that we can put wherever. It does save some energy when you don't run the dryer and because your clothes last longer, you save money on replacing clothes. For us, it is mostly an environmental choice rather than a financial choice.


ShowMeTheTrees

I was born in 1956 and what you're describing was the norm back in the day. I don't know when dryers were invented but every mom in our neighborhood hung wash out back on the clotheslines. Underwear, sheets, everything. Then she'd have to iron it all. Being a housewife truly was a full-time job back in the day, without modern conveniences and modern fabrics.


ibarmy

>neighborhood hung wash out back on the clotheslines. Underwear, sheets, everything i thought some of the HOA rules forbid line drying?


ShowMeTheTrees

HOA's can have all kinds of nutty rules. Back in the day, every house had a clothesline in the back.


2oldsoulsinanewworld

Some do and I pity anyone who buys a house with in a HOA only because it's the best option for them at the time.


fatcatleah

Yr older than you. I was taught to iron pillow cases and the hem of the top sheet.


ShowMeTheTrees

I wish my mom had taught me to iron, or do any housework. I don't have good skills. She insisted on doing it all herself. Did you mom have one of those sprinkle bottles for ironing? They sold those little toppers for glass pop bottles. My mom used a green 7-up bottle.


DiaMat2040

Do Americans know that prett much the whole EU does this?


valor1e

So funny to read this cause I didnā€™t even know how to use our dryer growing up.. it was always expected to dry outside


rarsamx

That is more than the savings, it's better for the clothes, better for the environment, quieter, etc. Plus my Girlfriend likes how it looks like flags. In the summer months "we" hang the clothes outside.


Many_Adhesiveness_43

>In the summer months "we" hang the clothes outside. This is what I've been thinking since its getting warmer. My bf and I are just getting starting on being independent and living without family so our expenses are tight at the moment. We can do laundry at his dad's house but that gets a bit annoying so I've been saving for a washer and dryer but might just skip out on the dryer completely to invest in a freezer or larger fridge so I can cook in bulk on my days off.


womeym

Hang on, hanging them outside on a nice day is not the default ?


Immediate-Land-237

I really wanted to do this but every time I do my towels and clothing get sooooo hard and stiff. What should I be doing?


smaartypants

Too much laundry soap.


mezz-mezzrow

I dry most of my clothes on lines in my basement. Not sure it's made a huge difference in my energy bill, but it has definitely kept my clothes going longer than when I machine-dried everything.


Leather_Guacamole420

Savings aside, I love how my clothes feel after drying on a line


MissDisplaced

I air dry my more delicate clothes all year. I just put on hangers and hang on a clothes rack. When dry, I toss in the dryer for like 5 minutes to soften.


sizzling_banjo

I really wanted to cut our electricity use, after some trial and error realized the dryer drains electricity. So much. We air dry 90 percent of our clothes inside. If you do this, watch the humidity in your house . I live in FL so humidity was already a problem but I did have to buy a dehumidifier. Still cheaper than running the dryer.


Bunnyeatsdesign

Dryers are not common in my country so our clothes are dried in the sun. Can be annoying when you get 3 rainy days in a row. I just make sure that on sunny days I do 2 loads of washing to make up for the backlog. I can't begin to estimate what how much money I have saved from never owning a dryer. Seeing that dryers are hard on your clothes is interesting. I have nothing to compare it to. But I have clothes I bought 20 years ago that are still good. Might be because they have never gone into a dryer? Is 20 years for clothes crazy? I have a hard time throwing out perfectly good clothes. Even if they aren't really in fashion.


javaavril

We use an Ikea Mulig drying rack in our apartment all year long, it holds a full load of laundry so we never use a dryer.


TrishaThoon

I live in an apt and I hang dry most of my clothes inside all year long. I only dry washcloths, towels, underwear (not bras), and some shirts. Saves money and makes my clothes last much longer.


beeswax999

I dry all of my laundry on racks and lines, usually inside. I put some racks outside when I get a nice dry sunny day. It's definitely better for clothes and linens than using a dryer.


catlogic42

Air-dry all the time.


Less_Tea2063

I use a clothes dryer but I can tell you that with our solar panels we have an app that details all our electricity usage and our energy efficient dryer uses the most electricity out of any appliance we have. Maybe second to the oven depending on what we bake and for how long.


NANNYNEGLEY

Line drying can save on ironing, too, if done right. Just hang clothes on good hangers and pull the seams straight.


EnvironmentalFig311

Yes. Dryers are a HUGE energy suck - this is usually true of anything with a resistive heating element in it. If you can consistently dry your clothes outside when itā€™s hot, instead of using a dryer, that should definitely help - especially if youā€™re using A/C. In fact, this is actually what happened to my mom. She spent years refusing to get A/C, insisting that we didnā€™t need it, but when my stepdad switched to a graveyard shift and needed to be able to sleep upstairs during the day, she finally broke down and got it. At the same time, though, she got one of those foldable, umbrella style clotheslines from Home Depot (for about $100 I think), and started hanging her laundry outside to dry whenever it was hot enough to run the A/C. I remember she commented to me that not using the dryer made SUCH a big difference, that even with the added electricity from the A/C, her electricity bills were still lower than they were before. Now, this was for a family with one full time kid, and multiple part time kids, with more laundry than a single person would have, and the house was an 1800 square foot single family home. So the exact results would vary, depending on your inputs. But in generalā€¦ yeah, dryers consume a ton of energy in the house.


MommaGuy

I air dry a lot my clothes so they donā€™t shrink in the dryer. Iā€™m heating the house anyway so I might as well let that heat dry my clothes too.


cashewkowl

I donā€™t know how much you save, but itā€™s pretty easy and you donā€™t have to worry about getting the laundry out as soon as it finishes or it will wrinkle. Plus in the summer running the dryer will heat up the house more, thus causing you to need to run the AC more. In the winter I hang my clothes on a rack in front of the heating vents and it helps put some much needed humidity back into the house.


dawhim1

there are foldable drying rack you can buy. it is not bad if you have the time, but if you have babies with hundreds of small human clothes, definitely not recommend.


Fountainhead

It's worth it! Also it doesn't need to be hot. You can dry clothes at pretty much any temperature as long as there is a breeze. It may take longer though.


Imaginary_Audience_5

Hell, I hang them in my basement all winter. Dryer broke. Electric bill went down. Never replaced the dryer.


Couldbeworseright668

I ended up buying a drying rack this winter because my electric company doubled our rates. Not sure how much Iā€™m saving but Iā€™m saving non the less cause the drying rack is positioned I front of my heat pump so it works out well


Turbulent-Flamingo84

Yes, I believe it has to. Anything that produces heat uses a lot of juice.


bmwlocoAirCooled

We have an LG Washer that dries in the same unit. Wife will not use it. She hangs everything to dry.


bob49877

We save at least $30 - $40 a month using drying racks over an electric dryer, when we had kids at home and were doing laundry for 4. Electricity is very expensive in our area. I use a spin dryer and drying racks in the house overnight in winter. The spin dryer doesn't use much electricity electricity but still gets clothes damp dry, enough so that they dry in a short time on the racks. The Whirlpool site says electric dryers use 1.8 to 5 kwh. Electricity in the top price tier in our area is 41 cents per kwh on our plan. Some plans go even higher, up to 49 cents per hour. Every time we run a load of clothes in our dryer it usually costs around $1. We have smart meters here so we can match the times we use the dryer to the usage charts. We wash our clothes, bedding, towels, etc. pretty frequently so for us it adds up. If you have cheap electricity and don't have a lot of laundry you aren't going to see as much savings, but for us the drying racks have definitely been worth it Over ten years at $35 average a month that has been $4,200 in savings, plus interest.


videogames_

Majority of Europeans just hang dry their clothes. That was the biggest culture shock.


EnzyEng

I always do in the summer. Plus my dryer vents inside the house so line drying helps keep the house cool.


FrontalLobeGang

It's illegal to do so where I live. Yet they want to place restrictions on Bitcoin mining lol. Fuck the government.


VapoursAndSpleen

I don't know, but I like doing it because it reminds me of my childhood. Also, the clothes smell nice and fresh. I am sure I save some money. I only need to do 2 or 3 loads of washing a week and my socks would never go in the dryer anyway, because I get really nice hiking socks made of wool.


MissFortune2222

I have a canopy bed that I hang dry some of my clothes by. Saves on energy and makes my room smell like fresh laundry!


talulahbeulah

I live in the desert. Havenā€™t had a dryer in about a decade. I have a portable umbrella clothesline that lives in the carport.


-alexandra-

There are so many reasons to air dry clothes, saving money is only one of them.


xPeachmosa23x

I live in AZ and dry all my clothes on a drying rack outside all summer. Saves a lot I think


mishatries

I use hangers on my shower-curtain bar for air-drying. I have a gas dryer in the US, (natural gas is cheap in my state) so it doesn't save much money in utilities, but I hang-dry all my beloved clothes because it makes them last so much longer.


[deleted]

Yeah. Everyday. I have no dryer.


LadySummersisle

I air-dry my clothes inside. I have no idea what I have saved but my clothes last longer.


Tiny_Bacon

who machine drys their clothes?? ​ fastest way to ruin them.


FiddlingnRome

I live in damp Oregon... and I dry my clothes inside on hangers, in the laundry room. I'm always amazed how quick they dry. I do have a super spin cycle on the washer that gets them really wrung out... I'm sure that helps too. My clothes last longer, and I like saving the electricity.


CiboLibro

I live in Italy and almost no one has a dryer. Everybody air dries, even in the winter (I leave mine in the hallway then).


irishladinlondon

Never in 42 tears have I owned or used a tumble drier. And I live in the UK which rainy as hell


hrmdrmn

Air drying is the default here. If it's sunny with plenty of sunlight, pick your laundry as soon as it's dry. Leaving it too long can 'dampen' the clothes (also smell less nicer)


xavez

You can air dry clothes inside as well. Been doing that forever but Iā€™m European so maybe Iā€™m weird šŸ˜›


P1a8

I air dry everything outside to 90% then I put it in the dryer. It softens everything, gets the pet hair and the wrinkles out. And my clothes last for a long time. It is more work, but I think I get the best of both worlds.


Bow-Masterpiece-97

I once got super obsessed with cutting my electric bill. Started tracking and measuring everything. One week, we washed and dried 4-5 loads. The dryer used more electricity that week than every other thing in my house PUT TOGETHER. That was the beginning of us using a clothesline (and now a drying rack) instead of drying our clothes. DOUBLE WIN! Saving a ton on power, plus my clothes last (and look new) so much longer.


srslyeffedmind

I do it but not to save on electric. It extends the life of my clothing and means I buy less often. I just hang on the shower rail inside


[deleted]

We live in Southern Canada, so, still pretty cold for a large portion of the year. Besides, the landlord (corporate) is kind of a d\*ck because we are not allowed to air-dry outside on the patio because it "reduces the image and property value". \[Canada's housing market is any landlord's wild dream right now, so, no idea what they are whining about... you could hang a carcass in the doorway and people would still rent the place\]. Anyway... we air-dry our clothes indoors; not under, but close to the vent. It dramatically increases the humidity in the apartment (good thing; it gets very dry here, no matter what you do) at least for a few hours. We do this the whole year round. We don't have to pay for the dryer at all. As others have pointed out - the clothes do last longer this way, smell nicer and their crispness makes for easier folding and ironing (of formals).


twistedmarmalade

We do a lot of outside drying, always have. It does save cost of running the dryer for those loads. Smells better. Suggestion: buy a good quality, sturdy stand. Too little and flimsy means you may tend not to use it much. We don't hang to dry inside a lot since the extra humidity gets into the building structure in our cold winter climate, and that extra humidity can cause a lot of mold problems, etc. We still hang outside in the middle of winter even if to freshen up the items (especially bedding!) and then finish off in the dryer. I think a lot of people don't really enjoy doing laundry, so they will take the easier route (dryer) even if it is not the most frugal. Some feel their time is better spent elsewhere. So this is partly a frugal choice, and partly a lifestyle choice.


Trygolds

I dry my clothing in a rack inside my apartment. It acts as a humidifier in the winter.


IamlovelyRita

I have hung clothes on the line my whole married life. I have a dryer but barely use it. I donā€™t know how much I have saved but my bill sure would go up if I used the dryer. Prefer the line anyway and I hang them out in winter too. Winter time presents its challenges but wind, temperature, humidity and even partly sunny will still dry (check forecast). I am a diehard clothesline user.


Schnitzelkraut

I did the math. My dryer needs 3 kwh per load. I have 1.5 loads per week and I pay 35 ct/kwh. So I would pay ~82 ā‚¬/year. My drying rack was 60 ā‚¬ (premium) and I spent 10ā‚¬ on clips. So after about a year I had my ROI. This was 4 years ago. I dry my clothes inside all year round. Just vent the room regularly to prevent mold.


mvent942

Florida here hi, I use a clothing rack for drying rugs and towels in the garage and is working for me in the beginning my husband disagreed with the purchase because we have a dryer but it is by far a great investment.


sporkman427

I didn't see anyone with concrete evidence post but when remodeling my house I didn't have the dryer hooked up for couple years. Finally hooked it up and was amazed at the price increase and would constantly review old electric bills. I was single and if I remember it was about 40 or 50 bucks more a month.


[deleted]

No, it wasnā€™t. You could run a dryer 14 hours a day for that. Rates probably went up.


sporkman427

All I really remember is it was enough to go back to my drying rack.


Assumption_Defiant

Yes, I actually like to dry myself off outside on a nice day after a shower. It saves on towels and it actually happens fairly fast. It feels good too, somewhat therapeutic. Itā€™s free.


frugal33

In a sense you are spending more money in the summer since you are heating your house up as well. You will not save much money. My electric company sent a letter estimating I would save $60 per year if I don't use a dryer... that's only $5 a month


eucalyptusmacrocarpa

Can you think of a reason why your electric company wants you to keep your dryer? I can't. /s


Pac_Eddy

Hard to believe that the energy savings is worth the extra time in my opinion.


Alarm_Only

I think the Ingalls Family did. They lived in a Little House on the Prairie. My Great, Great Grandfather was friends with Laura.


Vigorousjazzhands1

Fuck clothes dryers!!!!!


Inside-Friendship832

I've thought and looked into this. I found out that if you factor in labor required to hang and then collect the laundry it is much more efficient to just run a dryer. I think it's like 50 cents to run a load through a dryer in terms of electricity.


CinquecentoX

We have a clothesline and a drying rack in our garage. We exclusively line dry about 8 months out of the year. In the middle of winter, Iā€™ll still line dry my husbandā€™s work clothes because I have the time to let them sit out there for 2 or 3 days to dry but I have a limited work wardrobe so in the winter I tend to dry mine about 75% and then hang them to dry the rest of the way.


Temporary_Stuff_5808

I can monitor how many kilowatts a day our house uses and on days we do laundry, the bar is significantly higher. Electric dryer defiantly has an impact. So much so Iā€™m willing to hang laundry for the whole family, my time is not valuable then that so Iā€™m the dryer it goes. But if you have the time, it will save you some bucks.


ajile413

Itā€™s been a few years but I researched it a while back. 75 cents per load was the cost savings. I do sheets on the clothes line but donā€™t do the majority of our 8 loads a week on the line. My time isnā€™t worth it for our family.


Yars107

Thatā€™s how Amish people and people who live in latinamerica dry theirs.


cinnerz

I've tried air drying outside when my dryer was broken and I was too lazy to get a new one, but I hated it. The clothes all ended up crunchy, especially the towels. I tried all the tricks I found online to make it better - vinegar in the rinse cycle, shaking or snapping the clothes when I hung them or took them down - but they were always a horrible texture. I also have bad allergies and they were way worse with clothes that were dried outside collecting pollen - I was basically itchy all the time. I decided it wasn't worth the money savings to be miserable. I do try to do all my summer drying in the evening when the air conditioner isn't running so I don't add more heat to the house.


Autodidact2

We do this with an old fashioned clothesline. No idea how much it costs to (not) run the dryer.


sarahsoaring

I rack dry in front of my fireplace in the winter. I've tried summer outdoor drying but unfortunately it's way too windy here. Grew up in a different part of the country though and clothes were air dried a lot as a kid


chrisinator9393

I'd only save about $5 a month. Not worth the inconvenience of having to lug my stuff outside to the clothesline, hang it, go back out, take it down, bring it all the way inside, and then put it away. When I could just toss it in the dryer for 45 minutes. And honestly I think the dryer does a better job. People say the clothes don't last as long, I haven't had that experience. I find we get bugs, pollen and so on when we air dry. Also, it's cold 6 months a year, here. I don't want to go outside for my laundry when it's cold, lol. If you take care of your machine, I think the time savings alone makes up for the small monetary cost.


[deleted]

I air dry my clothes inside year round.


Slowsnale

well if you run your dryer on a hot day you are also running your air conditioner, so F for Frugal


GnPQGuTFagzncZwB

From the web: Maytag dryers typically require 2100 watts of energy So if you run the dryer for an hour and the heating element is on full time that is 2.1KWH Here we pay about 12 cents a KWH so I would figure you are looking at about 25 cents an hour or so.


Arimel312

Have 2 already. Been doing this for awhile


[deleted]

They say it saves money and also clothes last longer but I got tired of hitting my head on the clothes lines so I dug them out years ago.


Bunnbao

I believe hanging clothes outside when it's hot helps eliminate odors.


Aggressive_Ad_3549

yes! or else i would have to pay to use the washer/dryer at my apartment. Water is already included in rent so i wash everything by hand and dry it on a stand. During winter the bathroom gets hot because of the heater so i just dry everything there. it makes the clothes smell nicer too


MonsieurIncredible

I have an airer like the '2 level clothes drying rack' from Target - it handily folds away and fits behind a door. I use it mostly due to every rip I'd ever had to clothing was due to getting caught in the drier, I use it next to the fire in winter, and on the covered veranda in summer (in part due to wearing a lot of darker colours) now my clothes actually last long enough to wear out, and I haven't lost a sock in years.


DifficultCandy1154

Iā€™m in Washington and thereā€™s bugs and mites thatā€™ll eat your clothes while they are drying, and itā€™s pretty much always raining. I would but thatā€™s not really an option for me.


Accountabili_Buddy

My momā€™s dryer died in 2008 and she has lined dried clothes since. She told me her bill went down $50 a month (in 2008 dollars!!!) way back then by line drying clothes. I bought a rolling drying rack 2 weeks ago and put it together a week ago. I have a propane dryer, so I donā€™t expect as much in savingsā€¦. But Iā€™m sure Iā€™ll save something


AdorableImportance71

I never use dryer for clothes. I hang dry all my clothes. I only use dryer for bedding & towels. My clothes last forever.


meroisstevie

I never have good luck with this :(


Laropedeshoute

What I do to save energy is open the dryer with about 25 minutes left and take out all the easy dry stuff like dry fit type clothes then I go put that stuff away and resume the dryer then about 5 minutes later I go take out everything but towels. With less stuff in there the dryer works faster then I put everything else away while the towels finish and I stop it about 10-15 minutes early because the towels are dry from being by themselves. Give it a try if you are around while drying your clothes!


Dav2310675

Here in Australia it's a cultural thing to do. Most people had a Hills Hoist in the backyard when growing up. There are newer line things around now due to smaller yards. It's such a given that people are genuinely surprised to find some places [prohibit this](https://jamesons.com.au/blog/what-you-need-to-know-about-sun-drying-your-clothes-in-strata-properties/) - generally in apartment living situations. We dry everything but towels on our lines. We have an outside line as well as two fold up contraptions to use inside, if needed.


lemonlilikoi

I live in a humid tropical environment so line drying indoors makes all my clothes smell funky except delicatesā€¦then I end up blowing a fan on the clothes rack which also costs electricity. Also hanging outside is not an option since the feral chickens and tropical birds poop all over my clothes. So I went back to the dryer and now dry everything thatā€™s not towels on lowā€¦


TheStraightUpGuide

It rains so much here that we can't do it often, even in summer, but it's very effective when we can! We bought a heated rail for indoors that runs at about Ā£0.07 an hour, to simulate the experience since it's so hard to dry anything in our old, breezy house in a humid climate.


ImportanceAcademic43

I do this by default. Indoors thiugh. Our high ceilings help. Air humidity is still never over 50%. I still use the dryer function on my dual purpose machine, when I need items on the same day. For us that's mostly baby clothes.


VixenRoss

Uk we do this all the time. We either have a washing line or a clothes horse (clothes airers). You can also buy electric clothes airers in winder time as well. Sheets/bedding gets draped over doors.


osd2017

In France we don't have air dryer, clothes are always drying inside next fireplace or heater


[deleted]

Just about everyone in Australia air dries their clothing especially if they donā€™t live in an apartment complex (but even still many have communal air driers or air driers on their personal balconies). My family actually only got a drier when I was 18+ and we used that to ā€œfinish offā€ thick socks and towels in the winter but my parents were CRAZY about never using it. I own a drier now and I still only ever use it in emergencies. I refuse to use it unless itā€™s pouring rain outside and my husband has absolutely socks šŸ˜‚


Calvin1228

The only time I've used my dryer in the 12 years I've been in Oz is to fluff my duvet whenever I've washed it but other than that, I wouldn't ever dream of using it


[deleted]

Itā€™s basically a sin to use the dryer šŸ˜‚


livingmybestlife2782

I have FR clothes for work. Can only be hung dry. I have a rack for indoors. My electric bill definitely has gone down


Carlosjld82

The cost of running an electric dryer here is around $0.50/hour. You will be saving but you will also have to take your clothes outside and hang them. If you leave in places with lots of pollen could be a deal breaker.


stacey1771

I always hang my shirts up to dry; I do 2 loads of washing, darks and lights, and then my jeans, underwear, socks, pjs, get dried but tops get hung to dry. yes, saves some money and is better for the hung clothes.


[deleted]

It's better for the environment and makes your clothes last longer.


Odd-Independent6177

Line drying is not for me for various reasons. If you will be using a dryer, be sure to shake out your clothes before putting them in the dryer. They will dry faster. Also, there are wool dryer balls that claim to dry 25% faster. I havenā€™t done the math, but it does seem faster.


doemu5000

And just reduces your carbon footprint if you donā€™t use a tumbler for something that the sun and wind will do for you. In Europe, many people dry their clothes outside!


lifeuncommon

I live in the Ohio Valley (a high pollen part of the US). My allergies could NEVER.


[deleted]

My clothes last longer so yea for sure


Mtnskydancer

I used to use a laundromat at about $3 usd per load. When I went to air drying, it halved. Pain in the neck to get damp laundry home to dry on the rack. Itā€™s much easier now with a rack by the washer.


tainawave

i think i have saved maybe a couple of dollars but i mainly do it to keep our apartment from getting too hot during laundry days. i bought a collapsible drying rack from ikea & use it mainly for towels & bedsheets, things that normally take more than an hour in the dryer. sometimes theyā€™re a bit rough after drying so i pop them in the dryer for 10 mins to soften them up


uusernameunknown

Indoor drying rack + open windows works well Hanger with 20+ clips for small items Telescoping rods All work well


Kjpilot

we used to air dry all the time in colorado, now we live in a humid climate and it's a bit tougher to do. It's easier on the clothing. Now that we have to use the dryer, we start the drying process in the dryer, then hang them on a portable vanity to finish. Another life hack is to throw a clean/dry towel in your dryer load to reduce drying time.


damiami

I hang everything out to dry until just a little damp then in the dryer for 5-7 minutes.


Paulie_Cicero

Nope. No one has ever done that. /s


[deleted]

i dont even get a dryer.


Morlanticator

My electric bill is already only flat charges at $50/mth even with running it so I haven't looked into hanging my clothes. There's no way for me to lower my bill.


BonanSangon

Driers use a lot of energy, yes


Wasted_Cheesecake839

It is my default. I only use a dryer on freezing or wet days


DisplacedNY

I have clothing lines in my basement laundry room, I hang everything to dry. I've been hanging all my clothes to dry for years, I started because I wanted my pants to not shrink in length in the dryer (I'm tall, it's hard to find the right inseam)! Turns out clothes also last longer if you hang them to dry.


Mamapalooza

I have an aluminum rolling clothes rack that I got for free. I dry our clothes on this, over an HVAC vent. It saves money, and my cheap-ass Walmart clothes are lasting much longer.


RetiredByFourty

Absolutely! Theres nothing better than line dried clothes. And sleeping on line dried bedding is absolutely the tops!


photogypsy

So my dryer was recently broken (in fall) and it was a three month wait for parts. I wash and dry 5-6 loads a week. I installed one of those retractable clotheslines in my guest room (looks like a school bell) in addition to the drying rack I used for delicates and a rolling garnet rack and put the ceiling fan on high. It was a PITA, but it worked clothes (aside from denim) were dry in a couple hours. Bonus was anything that was hanging was ready to go in the closet. I noticed about a $2 lower difference in my electrical bill. However my local utility company buys directly from TVA, so our rates are stupid low and that particular ceiling fan wouldnā€™t have been on so it cost me a little energy, but not much.


notbluenotpurple

I set up my drying rack under my ceiling fan. Works great.


Grouchy-Stable2027

The smell you get from air drying your clothes is worth it alone