How to Use a Clothesline

Want to save money, save your clothes, and help the environment? Using a clothesline is the answer! These tips for how to use a clothesline can help you get started.

The humble clothesline is cheaper than a dryer to set up and run, it takes better care of your clothes, with no pollution or fossil fuels at all.

In fact, it’s the cheapest and most efficient alternative energy technology available to most folks. Solar panels and wind turbines got nothing on a little string between two poles.

These factors definitely motivate me to keep line drying, but what really got me started, even when a dryer was available, was pure selfishness.

My dryer made the house hotter. It was old, leaky and our AC was past its prime finally one summer day I was hot as heck and not gonna take it anymore. Not one more bit of heat was entering my door.

For several months I enjoyed the fresh smell, the gentle exercise, and most of all the quiet coolness. Come winter, I went back to the dryer until one stormy night it died with a load of jeans just washed, a load of blankets half-washed, and no spare money lying around for repairs or new dryers.

All I had was just some line, a shoebox full of clothespins, and an enclosed porch (where it turns out, my ancestors had left nails in the walls, high up, for their own wash line. Thank you, great-great-aunts Jenny and Mabel.) The jeans took a while and got kind of crispy but they dried.

Since then we’ve bought a new dryer, cooler and more efficient and very, much appreciated for specific jobs but the clothesline is still the main dryer and I’m still pretty much in love with air-drying. It is utterly simple but there are a few things I’ve learned.

Tips for How to Use a Clothesline

Smell Matters

Blooming lilacs next to the line are lovely, barbecues not so much. Be mindful of what is happening near your clothesline. Your clothes will absorb a lot of the smells around them.

Lint Stays

Most lint is the fibers of your clothing and you want them to stick around, but the clothesline will not remove cat hairs, shredded tissues, or any other mystery lint, especially from dressy dark knits. Check pockets, match pets to wardrobe, or go ahead and use the dryer.

You can also use a lint roller when you are taking your clothes down. Or throw it into the dryer for just part of the drying to get the benefits but still save on energy.

Line Drying Underwear

Unmentionables are maybe the most important thing not to put in the dryer. They are delicate, full of heat-sensitive elastic, and not much fun to replace. But they’re also what you least want to share with your neighbors. Dry them indoors or set up three lines, with sheets and towels on the outside, and skivvies in the middle.

Line Drying is Better for Delicate Items

If you are lucky enough to have handmade quilts, please line dry them. It’s a lot gentler on these delicate items. It’s also best for vintage items and delicate fabrics.

Use Caution on Hot Days

On very hot days, bring the clothes in when they’re dry unless you like starched shorts. If this happens just throw the items in the dryer for a few minutes with a damp washcloth.

Hang Clothes Properly

Hang t-shirts by the armpit. Hang slacks by the cuffs. Snap plackets and hems to get a nice crisp finish. You can also find more info on the proper way to hang things on How to Line Dry Clothes.

Use Clothes Hangers

Dresses and blouses can go on hangers, which can also be easier for people with mobility issues. You can also use clothespins on hangers for socks so they don’t take up so much space on your line.

Sun Bleaching isn’t Perfect

The sun’s bleaching action is gentle. It freshens musty smells and brightens whites but it doesn’t actually remove big globs of guacamole. You should still treat stains in the washer.

A Clothesline is Great for Relaxing

Outdoor drying will slightly cool the surrounding air, making a very nice spot to lie on the grass. So next time you want some outside time but it’s a bit warm, throw some clothes on the line.

Put the Clothesline in the Right Place

Put your line over grass because you will drop things. You also want to avoid having trees over the line as bugs and bird poop could end up on your clothes.

Indoor Lines Don’t Need Clothespins

Indoor lines don’t need clothespins. Duh, you say, but I didn’t know that at first. If you didn’t know that either don’t feel bad, now you have one less thing to buy.

Indoor Drying Impacts Humidity

Indoor drying humidifies the house, which could be good or bad, and it’s slower than outdoor. You can easily check your home’s humidity with a humidity meter to see if it’s getting too high.

Your Set-Up Doesn’t Have to be Fancy

You can use anything from a string tied between two tall things like trees (eventually this will hurt a tree and watch for bugs!) to a fancy folding rack. It’s your laundry.

Need the basics for how to use a clothesline? Check out How to Line Dry Clothes. It will walk you through all the basics and help you get started so you can use the tips you’ve learned from this post.