Just hanging out - Bulletins: good news about pregnancy, birth, and parenting - laundry - Brief Article

Clothes: everyone wears, washes, and dries them. For the latter act, the nonprofit Project Laundry List says to go the old-fashioned way and hang 'em on a line. It's better for your wallet and the environment. Consider the numbers: 50 feet of clothesline costs a couple of dollars, while American families spend close to $100 each year on running an electric dryer.

Sun power is a definite money-saver. But how does it help the earth? It reduces our dependence on nuclear and hydroelectric plants, which wreak havoc on the environment and our health. According to the nonprofit, one commercial nuclear reactor produces approximately 400 to 500 pounds of the carcinogen plutonium each year. Meanwhile, dams associated with hydroelectric plants can cause radical disruption of area ecosystems.

So okay, you say, line drying seems the way to go--for the summer. But what about when the temperature drops? Take a hint from New Englanders, the group says. They know shirts dry just as well in late January as they do in mid-July. Others insist that their clothes feel stiff after drying. No problem. Simply shake them before and after hanging.

Even with the positive aspects of "hanging out," many communities ban clotheslines for reasons of aesthetics. Visit www.laundrylist.org to learn about the Right to Dry Bill and the annual National Hanging Out Day.

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