by BRIDGET DONAHUE
Line drying outdoors produces appealingly fresh-smelling clothes and linens and sunlight is a natural sanitizing and bleaching agent. Line drying is good for almost all washables, but it is not a good choice for fabrics that will stretch when wet such as wool and loosely knitted articles, and for articles that need fluffing to look their best--terrycloth, chenille, flannels, and other napped and pile fabrics.
Nor should you hang filled articles such as comforters or sleeping bags. The fill drops to the ends, clumps and will not dry. Towels take a long time to dry and you may find it inconvenient to hang on the line. Tumble dry them until they are half-dry, instead then move them to the line to finish. All your delicates should be dried flat and not put on the line.
Now, if you hang things properly and carefully they will often look smooth when dried and you can minimize ironing. A nice sunny day with a moderate breeze is best as you need some wind to billow wrinkles out of fabric and quicken drying. Forget about it on a humid, airless day but also avoid line drying on quite windy days. The flapping is wearing on fabric. And never in cold weather. It's an old wives' tale that hanging clothes out when it's cold is good for the wash. Water expands as it freezes, resulting in damaged fabrics.
Now, about your line. Make sure you clean it after using it. That's something few people think of, actually. Use an ordinary detergent or household cleaner. Keep a supply of many, many clothespins. Don't skimp on them. Use wooden clothes pins for sheets, towels, play clothes, and other articles that will not pull out of shape or stretch. Use plastic clip on pins with a spring on other things like underwear, panties, t-shirts, and knit dresses.
To prevent fading, dry colored clothes in the shade or turn them inside out--or both, preferably. White linens benefit from being dried in direct sunlight And when you take down clothes, fold immediately all that will not be ironed. As you take down clothes for holding, shake each item and snap it. This fluffs and shapes the article. Don't put anything from the line in your basket unfolded.
Some tips on pinning your laundry to the line:
Sheets: Fold the sheet hem to hem, then fold three to four inches of one hem over the line and pin at both ends. Pin the corners of the other hem a few inches inside the first two. The sheet should open toward the wind so it blows out like a sail. Run your hands down the selvage edges to smooth them and make sure it is hanging square and even.
Pillowcases: Fold one side of the opening over the line, pinning at both corners, allowing one side to sag open. You want the pillowcase to fill with air like a sail in the wind.
Towels: Fold three to four inches of one end over the line and pin at both corners. Towels will line dry to be much softer and fluffier if you shake them energetically before you hang them on the line. Make them snap. This loosens up the pile very effectively. Shake and snap them when you take them off the line, too.
Shirts and blouses: Hang them by the tail, turning under three to four inches over the line, fronts opened out to the sides. Pin at the placket ends and side seams.
Dresses: If the dress is straight, pin it by the shoulders. If it has a full or gathered skirt, pin it by the hem, shoulders hanging down. But straight dresses dry with fewer wrinkles and a better shape if you hang them on hangers.
Skirts: Turn over the waistband of straight skirts and pin at both ends. Hang gathered or full skirts by the hem.
Pants and shorts: Turn the waist over and pin at both ends, or, for pants, use a trouser frame.
T-shirts and undershirts: Fold the hem a few inches over the line and pin at both ends.
Underwear: Fold the waist over the line and pin at both sides.
Bras: Pin by the hook end.
Socks: Pin by the toe.
Now you can air your laundry for everyone to see with confidence and effectiveness and have your clothes and linens looking great and smelling wonderful every time.
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