One way to cut down on gas and electricity use is to abandon your dryer in favor of a clothesline. That’s easier said than done, however, because the old-fashioned method poses a bunch of negatives.

Prairie EcoThrifter notes some of the disadvantages of line drying and recommends ways to get around them:

* Bad weather. On windy or rainy days, you can drape your clothes on racks and let them dry off indoors.

* It takes a long time. It can take several hours for clothes to line dry, so you’re best off hanging them in the afternoon, when the temperature is usually the highest. Leave space between clothes in order to expose as much surface area as possible to the air.

* It’s a lot of work. Streamline the process by keeping your supplies nearby and placing your clothesline in an easily accessible location.

Should You Line Dry Your Clothes? [Prairie EcoThrifter] (Thanks, Tara!)

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