One Habit at a Time – Use a Solar Clothes Dryer

Here in sunny California we almost all have access to a Solar Clothes Dryer!  With a minimal investment in a folding drying rack or a clothes line and a few dozen clothes pins, you can cut down on the use of  a device that weakens your clothing, costs money, generates about 6 pounds of greenhouse gases per load and demands the frequent sacrifice of single socks!

 A folding drying rack can fit on a small patio or balcony or can be used indoors.  In fact, drying clothes indoors during the winter uses heat already being generated to warm your home, as well as humidifying your house.  An out-of-the-way location near a heating vent makes the best placement; bathrooms are not ideal as they are usually more humid than other rooms. Clothes that have been through a washer’s spin cycle are damp, not dripping, so they will not damage floors or carpets.

This may be a habit that you want to approach gradually. Consider starting small, literally, by just hanging up socks, underwear and small towels and washcloths.  Remember that every item that you don’t put in your dryer reduces the amount of time that the dryer needs to run.

 If the thought of line-dried clothes conjures up visions of stiff, wrinkled garments, try these tips:

•       Choose a windy day, or time of day, such as late afternoon in the Bay Area

•       Shake out wrinkles by snapping items briskly before hanging, then pulling them smooth after hanging

•       Hang items upside-down so that clothespin marks aren’t visible

•       Hang garments until nearly dry, then put them in the dryer for a brief finishing

 If hanging up clothes seems like it would take too much time, try thinking about it in new ways:

•       Hang clothes, or take them down, by categories to save time putting them away

•       Amuse yourself by pairing socks as you hang them up

•       Consider the health benefits of this weight-bearing, light stretching exercise in fresh air and sunshine

There are many more tips and resources online; some of this information came from:

www.greenhouse.gov.au/gwci/clothes.html
www.frugalliving.about.com/cs/laundry/a/020199.htm
www.earthlingshandbook.org/laundry

First Presbyterian Church of Palo Alto
www.fprespa.org/coolplanet
April, 2007