Content

• Steps
• Part 1 of 5: Create a Drying Space
• Part 2 of 5: Choose the right clothespins
• Part 3 of 5: Hang things up
• Part 4 of 5: Lay out items to dry
• Part 5 of 5: Choosing Good Weather
• Warnings
• What do you need

If you want to save money or energy, you can skip the tumble dryer and dry your clothes outdoors. Sunlight is a natural disinfectant and bleaching agent and is healthier for clothes than drying in a dryer. Plus, nothing beats the pleasant smell and freshness of sun-dried clothes!

Steps

Part 1 of 5: Create a Drying Space

1. 1 Check local laws. In some areas, it is illegal to use clotheslines on balconies or backyards as drying clothes are considered "unsightly" and drive down property prices. Check with local regulations before drying clothes outdoors.
   • If you live in an area where this is a problem, you can join the movement to relax these rules to save money and energy.
2. 2 Hang up the clothesline. All you need to do is take a simple nylon string and stretch it between two wooden posts. In addition, there are drums with clothesline on sale, rotating racks (in the form of umbrellas) for drying clothes and pulleys that allow you to hang clothes on the spot.
   • For drying clothes, you can use ropes made of a wide variety of materials, such as paracord, plastic or cotton.
   • Be careful when choosing trees to secure your rope. Avoid resinous trees, as well as those that pigeons have chosen for their nests.
3. 3 Keep the clothesline clean. Wipe down the clothesline regularly as dirt, tar and the like can build up on it over time. All of this can then end up on your "clean" clothes. To avoid this, wipe the rope once a month with a kitchen sponge and a little detergent and water, and then dry before using.
   • Also, clean your clothespins regularly, as they can also collect dirt and even soap residues. Throw away broken clothespins and buy new ones regularly, as there are never too many clothespins.
4. 4 Use hangers. Currently, there is a large selection of hangers, including new, comfortable materials that do not damage the fabric. You can also place a table near the clothesline and place items of clothing on it that are best dried in an unfolded position rather than hanging.
   • A regular folding table works well for drying sweaters. Simply remove the countertop from it and replace it with nylon mesh or other non-absorbent material. The convenience of this method is that you can always fold the table when you don't need it!
5. 5 Purchase a drying rack. These frames can be used to dry delicate items or small amounts of clothing. The drying rack can be placed on a veranda or in a sunny spot in the garden where it is difficult to hang a clothesline.
   • If you have small children, choose a frame with poles rather than ropes for safety.
   • The dryer frame is convenient because it is easy to carry, so you can "chase the sun" and reposition it during the day in sunny places.

Part 2 of 5: Choose the right clothespins

1. 1 Use metal clothespins for non-stretch fabric items. Stainless steel clothespins work well for sheets, towels, fancy dress and anything else that doesn't stretch or lose its shape. Metal clothespins do not rust and do not deteriorate over time, they allow you to reliably clamp bed linen and other heavy objects.
   • Stainless steel clothespins last the longest.
2. 2 Use wooden clothespins for heavy-duty items. Sheets, blankets, pillowcases, and heavy clothing such as denim can be fastened with wooden clothespins. Do not fasten delicate or lace fabrics with wooden clothespins, otherwise it may tear. In addition, wooden clothespins can become moldy and should be dried after use.
3. 3 Use plastic clothespins for cottons and stretch fabrics. Plastic clothespins are best for lingerie, T-shirts, knitted dresses, knitted and stretchy garments. These clothespins do not stain or pinch the fabric too much, so they are best used for lightweight garments.
4. 4 Store clothespins indoors. Clothespins can quickly deteriorate when stored outdoors. After use, dry your clothespins well, put them in a plastic container and store them indoors, such as in a closet.

Part 3 of 5: Hang things up

1. 1 Run an extra spin cycle after washing if your washing machine there is such an option. This will help remove excess water from your clothes and save time. If not, wash the clothes as usual, then remove them from the washing machine, fold them into the laundry basket and transfer them to the stretched clothesline. If you're not in a rush, you can save energy by hanging wet clothes on the rope.
2. 2 Use plastic hangers for delicate items. Hang the garment on a plastic hanger and clip it to the rope to prevent the hanger from being blown away by the wind. Use the hangers with care in windy conditions to prevent them from slipping off the rope or blowing off your clothes.
   • You can use clothespins to neatly fasten your clothes to the hangers. Use plastic clothespins to avoid staining the fabric.
3. 3 Hang up towels. Place the towel over the string and secure around the edges with clothespins. To keep the fabric soft, shake the towels thoroughly several times "with a bang" before hanging them on the string. This will help loosen the fibers. Shake dry towels even when removing them from the clothesline.
   • If cut drying time, towels become softer, so it is better to hang them in windy warm weather.
   • You can also place the towels in the dryer for 5 minutes before hanging them outside.
   • To help soften the towels, add vinegar to the water during the rinse phase.
4. 4 Hang up the sheets. Hang the sheets by folding one end to the other and attach them with clothespins just a few centimeters from the corners. Make sure the sheet can billow like a sail, and run your hands around the edges to make sure the sheet hangs straight.
   • It is better to hang sheets, tablecloths and the like "wide" so that they take up less space on the rope and load the supporting longitudinal threads, which are stronger than the filling threads.
   • Hang blankets and other heavy items with two or more ropes as needed.
   • Hang pillowcases and similar items open side down.
5. 5 Hang up pants and shorts. Pants and shorts can also be dried on a clothesline. Hang trousers and shorts from your waistband if you want to keep them as little wrinkled as possible.
6. 6 Hang up blouses and T-shirts. Most blouses and T-shirts can be line dried. At the same time, wrap the very edge around the rope and fasten with clothespins at both ends.
   • When hanging 100% cotton items, do not wring out wet clothes or attach them with clothespins, as this may stretch.
7. 7 Hang up dresses and skirts. Most dresses and skirts can be rope dried, although in some cases it is better to use a hanger to reduce wrinkles. Hang the dress by the shoulders if it is straight, or by the hem if it has a gathered skirt.
   • Hang straight skirts from the belt and attach with clothespins on each side; hem skirts and wide skirts.
8. 8 Hang up your underwear. Hang the socks by the bottom, bras by the hook, fold the waistband along the string and attach with clothespins on both sides. Fold the handkerchiefs in half and fasten with clothespins at each end.
9. 9 Hang colored items in the shade and whites in the sun. To prevent colored clothing from fading, hang it in the shade. White items can be hung in direct sunlight, which will naturally bleach them. In addition, to prevent colored items from fading, you can first turn them inside out.
10. 10 Use clothespins to fasten clothes in inconspicuous places. To keep clothespin prints as less noticeable as possible, secure clothing in discreet places. Hanging your clothes neatly will avoid wrinkles and save ironing time.
    • To save on clothespins, overlap your clothes and use one clothespin to attach the end of one piece and the beginning of the next. This will also save space on the clothesline, but do not do this if the overlap will interfere with the drying of the garment. Be careful and remember that when overlapping colored items, they can shed.
11. 11 Change things on the rope. Clothes and fabrics dry at different rates. If you need to make room on the clothesline, check regularly to see if the clothes are dry, remove them, and hang out new damp items. For example, sheets dry quickly but take up a lot of space on the line.
12. 12 Remove clothes from the clothesline and fold them. This will save you ironing time and make it easier to store your clothes. After removing the garment from the rope, shake it to make it look right, and then fold it gently. If you are going to iron clothes, remove them while they are still slightly damp and iron them immediately.
    • Do not store wet clothes. It can get moldy.
    • Throwing things into the basket casually will quickly fill up with wrinkled clothes. In the end, it may turn out that you tried in vain when you hung your clothes so carefully!

Part 4 of 5: Lay out items to dry

1. 1 Place woolen and knitted items on a flat surface. Woolen and knitted garments that stretch when wet should be dried on a horizontal surface, such as a clothes dryer. A frame, table, or other clean surface with clothes drying on it can be exposed outside.
2. 2 Lay out textured items. Some fabrics, such as flannelette, terrycloth, chenille, brushed knit, or pile fabric, may not look very good after being dried on a line. However, it is worth checking for yourself rather than relying on general rules, as most fabrics tolerate rope drying well.
   • If the garment label states that you should not dry the item in direct sunlight, hang it on a frame and place it in the shade or place it indoors.
3. 3 Arrange lined items horizontally. Sleeping bags and duvets don't always dry well on a clothesline, because all the water goes to one end. To avoid this, hang them on several ropes so that it looks like a table covered with a tablecloth. This will distribute the weight evenly.

Part 5 of 5: Choosing Good Weather

1. 1 Choose warm and sunny weather. It is best to dry your laundry outside on a warm, clear day. A light breeze will speed up drying of your clothes.
   • The wind will dry things faster than direct sunlight.
   • The sun can discolor your clothes, so don't leave your clothes in direct sunlight for too long! To prevent fading, turn garments inside out or dry in the shade and remove from the rope as soon as they are dry.
   • Pollen can adhere to things, so be careful not to exacerbate allergies by drying clothes outdoors. If you are allergic to pollen, use a tumble dryer in the spring.
2. 2 Do not dry your clothes outside on very windy days. A light breeze is beneficial as it smooths out wrinkles and makes clothes dry faster. However, strong gusty winds can carry your belongings away and scatter them around the area. This can cause clothing to bump into wires, trees or bushes and tear.
   • In windy weather, it is better to fasten things with clothespins at an angle.
3. 3 Do not dry your clothes outside if there is a thunderstorm or storm. If the weather forecast predicts more wind or rain, do not hang things outside. Wait until tomorrow, hang your clothes indoors, or use a dryer.
   • You can also use a Rotaire Dryline rotating frame. It allows you to air dry your clothes even in the rain! In this case, you can cover the frame with plastic wrap (or a shower curtain) so that the clothes do not get wet.
4. 4 Do not hang clothes outside in cold weather. You will not only freeze yourself, but the clothes will take too long to dry, and if it is really cold outside, then it will completely freeze. Since water expands when freezing, the fibers of the fabric will also stretch, and it is not a fact that they will regain their previous shape.
   • If you live in your own house or cottage, you can dry your clothes in the basement (on a rope or frame) during the winter if you wring them out properly before doing so. However, don't do this if your basement is humid.

Warnings

• Clotheslines carry a risk of suffocation. Don't let children play with them. Lines for clothes should be located out of the reach of children and not sagged so that no one can get entangled in them.

What do you need

• Clothesline
• Clothespins
• Laundry basket (preferably plastic)