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Drying Laundry at Home

Line Drying
Not So Long Ago ...
Ever since Green Martha was a kid, she's thought the sight of laundry flapping in a stiff breeze was very comforting and cheerful, and the smell can't be beat. It isn't possible to get the smell of real freshness out of a bottle, and there is nothing like sleeping on newly laundered sheets that have just dried is a stiff March wind.

Green Martha is old enough to remember the time before her mother used a mechanical clothes dryer, so she's never thought it odd to hang laundry out doors to dry. Over the years Green Martha has developed her own techniques for maximum efficiency when line drying.

Wintertime Obstacles
There are basically three New England months to think twice about hanging clothes on the line: December, and January, and February. The days are too short and often the weather is too cold to evaporate the moisture in the laundry. By mid February days are longer and the air warmer, so hanging by ten and collecting by three will usually do it.

Where's the Best Place?

Decide first where to hang the line or lines if the option is available. Obviously maximum sun is desired, so observe the path of the sun, and the time and play of shadows during its course. Afternoon sun will dry quicker than morning sun because the ground and air will have had a chance to warm up and dry out. Situating a line east to west will give the greatest exposure to southern light; then consider the direction of prevailing breezes. If it is important to hang the line so it can't be seen from certain areas, factor that in too.

Hardware

Parallel Clothesline Arrangement
There are many clothesline configurations to choose from, and different ways to use them effectively. Parallel lines seem most common on the Vineyard. These are made up of two posts with cross pieces about six feet off the ground that are set facing one another with numerous lines strung between them.

Umbrella Style Clothesline
An umbrella styled square collapsible unit has multiple lines and works well in small places. However, its air and sunlight obstruction limitations are similar to a parallel set up, so it is most efficient for drying smaller loads.

Single Line with Pulley
For a second floor porch, or any situation that only allows access to the line in one spot, double pulleys on a continuous loop of clothesline will do the trick. As the laundry is hung the line is pushed away, and then pulled back in again to collect it. Because this type of system is usually further off the ground, and not sandwiched in between other full lines, clothes gets ample exposure to air and light and dry as quickly as possible.

Single Clothes Line
The most basic set up is a single line strung between buildings, trees, or posts. It has a lot of the advantages of the pulley system except there is access to the whole line. As these lines tend to be strung longer than the other systems, it is important that the line doesn't sag under the weight of wet laundry.

Clothesline
Plastic coated clothesline is better than lines made of just woven cord, or plastic-only tubing because it doesn't stretch. If left up for a season or two, it will probably get grimy which may leave dark stains on anything folded over the top of it. This build-up is easy to wash off with a soapy sponge.

Clothespins
There are two styles of clothespins: spring action, and friction. Friction clothespins are deeply notched small dowels that expand slightly when pushed over the line and what ever it is holding up. They sometimes pop off in a stiff breeze, or if thickness prevents them from grabbing further up the split, and they won't work on bulky items. Spring action clips are made of two pieces of wood or plastic with a wire spring at the hinged part in the middle. These clips are pretty adaptable to any thing that might get hung on a clothesline. Like plastic clothesline, they too can get grimy if left out all the time.

Some techniques for hanging laundry
On a warm spring, summer, or fall day, laundry can dry quicker on the line than in a mechanical clothes dryer if the air isn't muggy and there's a slight breeze. Also, afternoon sun is warmer and usually drier than morning conditions. As mentioned in the hardware section, the way laundry is hung can make a big difference in how it dries. Air movement and sun exposure are key, so spread things out as much as possible. Alternately hang on parallel lines if they run close together, and leave a small space between items on the same line. If sleeves, towel edges, or pant legs overlap they won't dry as quickly as the parts that don't touch one another.

Bed Sheets and Towels
Another hanging technique that can slow down the process is sheets and towels folded over the clothes-line. Double thicknesses take longer to dry, and if the line is grimy it may leave a dirt mark on the fabric. When there is space, pin the edge of a sheet to one line and it's corresponding edge to the next so the middle loops down between the two. If towels are too long to hang vertically, try horizontally because they will dry much quicker than folding over the line. However, if there isn't room on the line for either of these single thickness methods, fold over the edge only as much as necessary to keep the fabric a foot or two off the ground.

Wrinkles
How clothes and linens are hung not only make a difference in speed of drying, it can reduce wrinkling too. The best antidote to wrinkling is a hearty breeze, as anyone who's used a stiff towel can attest. The next wrinkle fighting strategy is to let gravity help.

Heavy Edge to the Bottom
Hanging trousers, pants, and shirts from their bottom hem drops all the heavy stuff to the bottom. Sleeves, waistbands, pockets and collars add weight to clothes, and catch a little more of the wind leaving behind fewer wrinkles. Shirts that open all the way up the front take the most line space when hung this way, but if a shirt is woven instead of knitted, and it isn't synthetic or a blend, this can really reduce wrinkles. The trick to hanging shirts is to let the tails fold over the line and pin from the first chance of continuous fabric; it hangs most evenly, and there is less stress on the garment.

It's the Little Things
If there isn't a breeze to be had, smooth out an article before hanging. This is especially important for small things like pocket flaps, and collars, or napkins, handkerchiefs, and baby clothes that wouldn't catch much wind anyway.

Folding Clothes at the Clothesline
Folding laundry right at the line is another good trick for avoiding wrinkles. (Click here for more info) Fold anything that isn't too unwieldy and set in the bottom of the basket. Drape over the top of the basket things like shirts and dresses to be hung on hangers, or better yet, bring hangers out to the line to eliminate a step and the setting of wrinkles.

Fading
Long or repeated exposure to sunlight will fade some things depending on fiber content and types of dyes. Synthetic fabrics are very fade resistant, cottons aren't. If fading is an issue, turning a garment inside out should do the trick. Removing laundry as soon as it is dry helps too.

Details, Details, Details
As with learning anything new, in the beginning there seems to be a lot of trivial things to deal with when hanging out laundry, and none of them matters all that much. However, mastery of basic techniques usually leaves time to notice the details of a good job well done, and getting good at line drying can be quite satisfying. Green Martha hopes the tips contained in this section regularly promote efficient, crisp, and sweet smelling linens and clothes.

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