Are You Going To Have A Washing Line?
When I was growing up all the washing lines looked like this. . . . long straight nylon ropes.
Since then things have changed backyards have got smaller and some people don’t even have washing lines, everything goes in the tumble dryer
Well I think there are some good reasons why you should have a washing line.
Reasons for a washing line
Cost
A full cycle of a modern tumble dryer uses around $1 of power.
With just two of us at home now we would still do around 4 loads of washing a week. . . . That means tumble drying everything would cost around $200 a year.
Sustainability
As well as the cost there is also the sustainability aspect.
If the electricity from that full cycle comes from a coal power station it will release around 4kg of CO2.
Condensation
Unless you have got a venting kit you could be putting around half a litre of water into the air which can result in condensation problems.
If you start getting damp patches on the walls and ceiling mold can then become an issue.
Better Results
UV radiation from the sunlight kills bacteria and dust mites.
In addition nothing really beats the smell and feel of freshly air dried cotton sheets.
Less Wear Of Your Clothes
All that lint in the filter is the result of wear as the clothes rub against each other and the sides of the tumble drier drum.
Space
So how much space do you need?
The load from a typical front loading washing machine will take up around 10m of line, with a top loader it could be nearer 15m.
I would look at providing enough line for at least a couple of washes.
To get that amount of line in a typical backyard a good option would be a rotary clothes line (the traditional Hills Hoist) with line lengths ranging from 40 – 60m.
Limited on space? you could go for a wall, or fence, mounted rectangular folding frame which should give you around 20m of line.