Thanks to SheSpeaks for Sponsoring today’s post. As always, my opinions are my own.
The sun in shining, and, unless you’re a snowman, you’re likely finding reasons to head outside and enjoy the nice weather. One thing you may not have considered is getting your chores done outside. In fact, there’s one indoor chore, I’m going to challenge you to do outdoors: your laundry. Well, I’m going to ask you to hang your clothes outside to dry. The benefits of using the clothes line for drying your laundry are numerous, and with the weather being just about perfect (save a few moments of rain), you can definitely experience the fresh feeling of clothes freshly dried by nature.
There are some people who fear hanging their clothes on the line. Why? They’re afraid of the clothing becoming stiff from being in the sun. But, luckily, I’ve found a solution to this problem: the right fabric softener. Downy Fabric Conditioner has become my go-to for saving money by using the line, without losing the shape of clothes, and by keeping the softness you’d expect when putting on clean clothes.
Now that we’ve gotten over the fear, let’s look at the benefits of hanging clothes on the line.
5 Benefits of Using the Clothes Line This Summer
- You save money on your gas or electric bill – big time. Whether you use gas or electric, it takes a lot of energy to keep the dryer going. With summer upon us, the addition of beach towels and a change of clothes after the kids head out again and again – the amount of laundry adds up!
- You aren’t heating up your house. While some are fortunate to have a dryer in a cool basement, many of us have dryers which heat up the house. This may be great in the winter, but in the summer, not so much.
- You get vitamin D! This is an added benefit that many people don’t realize, but everyone needs to get some natural vitamin D. The 15 minutes it takes to hang out the clothes just helps your body naturally soak in those rays!
- The sun is a natural disinfectant! The UV rays help to destroy bacteria, and it may help “sun out” some light staining on fabric too!
- You may just meet some new neighbors. In our busy lives today, few people know their neighbors. Actually in a study, nearly a third of people report no interactions with neighbors. Spending more time outside, you may just find yourself striking a conversation with someone passing by, and make some new connections.
Downy protects clothes, which helps it stop from losing its shape, and keep soft, even after hanging the clothes on the line. Because Downy “conditions, strengthens, and lubricates each fiber to protect clothing from the friction, and agitation of typical washing cycle” you can feel confident that pouring Downy Fabric Conditioner into your laundry loads will help keep your clothes looking new and soft, even when you decide to line dry your clothes.
I also use Downy for all my Vintage Sheets 🙂 It helps clear away any lingering odor and makes them so soft and cuddly! Which is perfect for the softest and coziest quilts you’ve ever slept under.
I love hanging clothes on the line. Every chance I get I use the clothes line
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cool! I hang dry most of my stuff, but in the house. Love downy!
elle
Southern Elle Style
I love hanging clothes outside, especially in the spring. They come in smelling so good and fresh!
Drying out in laundry is good for the environment and also for our health. Sunshine is a natural disinfectant!
I always use Downy and I do hang my clothes out when possible. Great post
Line dried clothes always smell so fresh and clean. I have recently been trying to “sun out” some stains too and it has worked fairly well. Thank you for sharing on Family Joy Blog Link-Up Party. Have a great week!
Although we have a very nice electric dryer, I haven’t used it in years, we hang dry our clothes 12 months a year! There is an adjustment period to the feel of line-dried clothes but I don’t like to use any softeners except vinegar on them – there’s nothing quite like the intoxicating aroma of line-dried clothes! Thanks for sharing this post! (Stopping by from This is How We Roll Link Party)
~Taylor-Made Homestead~
Texas
I really want to start hanging my clothes up, time to get a line.
Thank you for this article. There are just enough benefits to using a clothesline. An average dryer costs between £200 and £1,700 and you can easily expend up to £50 in electricity bills in the cost of a year. This might look insignificant but when you consider other items in your home that uses electricity, you see how the costs can build up.