Hey, Mom

In one of my recent magazines, there was an article about hanging laundry outside for the health benefits: bending, stretching, etc. So it seems that this very old way to dry clothes is now popular again not just because it saves energy, but also because it’s good exercise.

However, just about every picture I see of clothes on a line makes me wonder. If I hung my clothes out like I see in magazines, I’d have to iron just about everything. I am not eager for more work, especially hot, steamy ironing.

While there are many methods for just about everything, there are some common sense “rules” about how to hang clothes on the line so that they are ready to fold or hang and will need no more care than that.

A few common sense rules for wrinkle-free clothes:

1. Do not leave clothes in the washer for too long. Ideally, take them out and hang them up immediately after the wash cycle ends. If you use a front loader, which tends to spin more water out of your clothes, they will dry quickly on the line.
2. Shake the clothes. A couple of sharp snaps will help get wrinkles out. If you hang something up all wrinkled, it most likely will dry all wrinkled. While shaking doesn’t get rid of every little wrinkle, it does get rid of most and the process of drying and blowing in the breeze should take care of the rest. It may be that some things will need a little extra smoothing or even a second shake.
3. Line seams up straight. You do have to somewhat shape your clothes if you are hanging them out. Think about the process you use after you take clothes out of the dryer to fold them. This is what you need to do before you hang them on the line or put them on a hanger.
4. Once dry, fold clothes immediately (or hang in closet). Do not just take them off the line and toss them in a clothes basket. I fold everything outside. Talk about good exercise!

Blouses/Dress shirts: Shake them out and put them on a nice hanger, like a sweater hanger that will shape shoulders and not leave dents. Then put the hanger on the line. A clothespin on each side of the hanger keeps it from sliding along the line. Once dry, you can just put them in the closet. Only linen or some cottons prone to wrinkling will need light ironing.

Underwear: Hang by the waistband. There is no need to fold the waistband over. Simply layer to the line and pin. I like to layer the next pair with the first and save time and pins. So the right side of the next pair overlaps the left side of the first pair about an inch. The clothespin goes over the overlap. Bras are no brainers–just hang by one end with one pin.

Socks: Hang by toes, where any stretching will not be noticeable. Heavy socks are hung separately. Lightweight socks can by hung as a pair.

T-shirts/Tanks: Hanging by the shoulders creates “dents” left by the clothespins. Hanging by the tails also can create dents and stretch out the sides. After shaking out, lay the shirt over the line so that the underarm seams are at the line and pin there. The neck and top of the shirt will hang over one side of the line, the body of the shirt over the other. Halfway through, you may have to unpin and reverse to get the shirt fully dry. This method does not stretch out the shirt and it leaves no dents. Nice tanks/shells are best dried on hangers.

Pants/Jeans: Button the waistband and zip up fly. Shake well. Hang by the waistband, one pin on each side should do it. Do not fold waistband over line. Pull the crotch seam to the back so it will get more air. I advise using fabric softener in the wash if you’ll be hanging jeans outside. They will dry, though and won’t shrink. Be sure you shake them out really well. Hang jeans towards the outside ends of the line, for if you hang them in the middle, they’ll pull everything down.

Kids dresses and jumpers: Use the T-shirt method or hang on a hanger.

Sweaters: It is really best to lay sweaters flat, but if the sweater is very light weight and almost dry, then it can be hung out on a hanger like a blouse. A tip for sweaters is to put them in the dryer on a very low temp for about ten minutes. Then remove them and lay flat until they are completely dry. This takes out the wrinkles and speeds up drying time. Be really careful with anything wool in the dryer. It’s best to follow care labels.

Sheets: Fold flat sheets in half and hang by overlapping center fold about two inches on line, pinning at ends and once or twice in middle. The loose ends are free to flap in the breeze. Fold fitted sheets the same way, but once hung, turn “pockets” so they face out for faster drying. Hang pillow cases  by the seamed end, overlapping line an inch or two. Put dry sheets directly on the bed for a sweet smelling night.

There is the return of the robins, of course, daylight savings time, the snow melted and green grass growing–but one of the best, for me, is being able to hang my laundry outside again in the sun. Today, it was sheets and one load of whites. They gleamed in the sun, swayed in the breeze, and smelled beyond fresh as I folded them to take them in. I feel like I can breathe again!

My sister lives in a neighborhood where it is against the rules to have an outdoor clothesline. It would be too unsightly, I guess.

Growing up, I can’t remember living in a house without a clothesline in the backyard. My mother hung everything out, including towels and jeans. I’ll admit, I do put those in the dryer, but if it’s a breezy day, towels will dry very well on the line.

My favorite thing about hanging clothes outside is the great smell, especially in spring.

The search term was “how cold before clothes won t dry hung outside.” First, I love the economy of words for searching.

Second, my mother tells me that she used to hang clothes out in all weather. I notice that my neighbor still does. It’s true, as long as moisture will evaporate, clothes will dry outside. Of course, they may freeze first. And truly, who wants to stand out and freeze fingers in the winter?

I notice that it does take longer for clothes to dry in cool weather. But humidity has a lot to do with it, more than temperature. And if there is a breeze, that is a plus also.

I generally hang clothes outside in spring when temperatures are 60 degrees or above. I love the smell of clothes hung outside in the spring when the chlorophyll in plants is rich. Spring time is the best time to hang things out for that fresh smell.

Sometimes nature gives us big window. Several years ago I was still hanging clothes outside in December. Not this winter. Brrr. Plus, too much snow to wade through.