Why I hang my laundry out to dry...

...it's not to save the earth. I previously did the math to show that if you have a gas dryer, you really can't reduce your carbon footprint much by hanging out the wash, despite what some might tell you. But every week, I look forward to doing it. And I absolutely hate doing the laundry, in general.

Why do I like it? It gets me outside. I have to check the weather report to figure out what day will be best to hang out the laundry to dry. My husband hung up a retractable clothes line for me and on laundry day, I'll start with sheets and towels. I wash them in cold water, and make sure I add white vinegar as fabric softener. By the time I drink my coffee and take a shower, the load is done and I can hang it out and start off running errands or whatever else I need to do.

I prefer the pinch style wooden clothes pins, and I store them in a hanging clothes pin bag. It usually takes an hour or so to dry a load if the sun is out - but it goes by even quicker if it is sunny and windy. I fold the clothes as I take them off the line. They smell great - like the sun! Smells like how everything smells after a day at the beach.

I can actually get the laundry done quicker by hanging it outside, because the clothes dry faster than in my dryer. If I have a load that takes longer to dry outside, like jeans, I might wash undergarments after it because I never line dry that stuff. I can put those in the dryer and they dry relatively quickly. Then, the jeans have some more time outside to dry. I have a foldable drying rack that I use to dry sweaters and socks.

So, I like to hang the laundry outside! Who knew?