Line drying clothes means hanging your garments on a clothesline indoors or outdoors to dry. Use clothespins to hang them on the line and position it in a place with proper air circulation. Most clothes have a care tag with washing and drying instructions. If it says “line dry”, do exactly that. Putting line dry clothes in a dryer may damage fabrics, like wool and cashmere which can shrink, or develop wrinkles after tumble drying.
Line drying is also one of the gentlest, eco-friendly methods for drying laundry. If you’re used to machine drying but curious about line drying benefits, keep reading for tips.
Tips for Line Drying
- No need for dryer sheets, line drying eliminates static cling. Add a fabric softener to your wash load to further reduce static.
- Properly hanging your clothing to air dry can reduce wrinkles, which can also be accomplished in a clothes dryer if clothing is not left inside too long.
- Line drying can be done indoors or outdoors and on sunny days with a slight breeze, it can take as little as 20 minutes to dry an entire load!
- Some fabrics, such as those used in activewear and underwear, can lose their shape and fit due to the harsh tumbling and heat of the dryer.
Line drying avoids the tough action of tumbling or the direct impact of the sun. It is beneficial for the environment, helps to save money and energy, and leaves garments fresh and free from damp odor once they are out of the washer.
Deciphering Laundry Symbols
The Do Not Tumble Dry Symbol is the tumble dryer symbol crossed out with an "x" mark. Do not dry items marked with this symbol in your dryer. Instead, look for drip dry or line dry symbols. “No tumble dry” means the garment should be hung out to dry, often due to the potential for colors to fade prematurely with frequent drying by heat.