A Clothesline Comeback: Why Hang Your Clothes Out to Dry (2026)
Want to save money? Think clotheslines. They're making a comeback. We offer solutions to some of the problems you might face for going line dry.
Quick Reference
- Clothesline savings: a tumble dryer costs about $100 to $300+ a year to run. A clothesline costs nothing.
- Energy share: tumble dryers account for roughly 6% of an average US home’s electricity use, the third-biggest single appliance after the fridge and air conditioner.
- Clothing life: line-dried fabrics last significantly longer. The lint trap is where the dryer collects the fibers your clothes lose every cycle.
- Sun bonus: direct sunlight bleaches stains and kills odor-causing bacteria, no fragrance required.
- Crunch fix: half a cup of vinegar in the wash, or a 5-minute no-heat tumble with tennis balls.
- Sources: US Department of Energy, Farmers’ Almanac reader notes.
While clotheslines may seem old-fashioned to some, they are making a comeback due to their considerable economic and environmental benefits. Clotheslines have always been around, but sadly, in some places dryers have become so common that it is illegal to hang your clothes outside at all. The clothesline comeback is a small backyard reset that pays back every month on the utility bill, and unlike most home upgrades, it costs almost nothing to start.
Here are some compelling reasons why you should hang your clothes out to dry.
- Dryers are a major household energy consumer as well as a producer of CO2 emissions. Depending on your dryer’s efficiency and how often you use it, running one can cost from one hundred to several hundred dollars a year. Give yours up for a month and check the effect on your electricity bill. You will be doing the environment a favor at the same time. The US Department of Energy ranks dryers among the most energy-intensive appliances in the average home.
- Ditching your dryer means a longer life for your clothing, since putting clothes in the dryer wears out fabric. Just think about how much dryer lint you remove after every load.
- That fresh, clean smell store-bought detergents advertise comes naturally from drying clothes in the sun. Sunlight kills bacteria that create odors, and it helps bleach stains naturally. Try to hang stained clothes in direct sunlight.
- Clotheslines drastically cut down on your ironing time. Shake out clothes before you hang them on the line. The weight of the wet cloth pulls out most wrinkles without you lifting a finger. Enjoy the freedom of not needing to be there when the dryer stops to make sure clothes don’t wrinkle.
Are You Line-Drying Your Clothes Properly?
Check out these tips. A few quick rules: shake each piece before clipping it, hang shirts by the hem and not the shoulders (no peg dents), put dark colors in the shade if you want to keep the color, and put whites and stained items in direct sun if you want a free bleach.
Common Clothesline Hangups
There are understandable reasons people do not use clotheslines (rainy weather, stiff clothes, too little space, pollen), but the benefits often outweigh the challenges. Here are a few simple solutions to make using a clothesline work for you.
1. Take it inside. If you are expecting cold or rainy weather, are embarrassed about neighbors seeing your undergarments, do not have a yard, or live in a neighborhood that does not permit outdoor clotheslines, hang your laundry inside. You will not get the same fresh, outdoor smell, but you will still save energy, and your clothes will be less stiff than if you hung them outside. In winter, indoor drying doubles as a humidifier, which is a small bonus for dry skin and houseplants.
2. Get creative. Worried about space? Use a retractable clothesline or fold-up drying rack that stows easily. Drape sheets or towels over your shower rod, and hang smaller items from door knobs. Strategically place wet clothes near open windows, air conditioners, fans, or heaters, and they will even act as a humidifier in the winter.
3. Just add vinegar. Line-dried laundry can get a little crunchy because of excess soap that remains in the fabric. Some people like the feel, but if you do not, vinegar removes the residue. Add half a cup to the wash and you will have fluffy towels in no time. Also try reducing the amount of detergent, or use gentler homemade laundry soap.
Shaking out laundry vigorously before and after hanging also softens things up. If all else fails, throw overly stiff laundry in the dryer for five minutes on the air setting with no heat. Add tennis balls that will bounce around and beat the fabric until it is soft.
4. Tumble, but just for a moment. To remove allergens or pollen from line-dried clothes, toss them in the dryer for 5 minutes.
Clothesline Math: What You Save
| Item | Annual figure |
|---|---|
| Electricity cost per dryer load (US average) | $0.30 to $0.60 |
| Loads per typical household per year | ~300 |
| Annual dryer electricity cost | $90 to $180+ |
| Annual CO2 from dryer use (US average) | ~330 kg per household |
| Tumble-dryer share of household electricity | ~6% |
| Lifespan boost for line-dried cottons | roughly 30 to 60% longer |
Right-to-Dry: The Legal Side
HOA rules in much of the United States once forbade outdoor clotheslines on aesthetic grounds. Roughly 20 states have since passed “right-to-dry” laws preempting those rules: Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin have all moved in that direction at varying scopes. If your HOA still says no, check your state law first, then ask politely. Most boards back down once the statute is cited. The Almanac’s long-range forecast can also help you pick the months your line will get the most use.
Best Days for Laundry, Almanac-Style
Among the oldest entries in the Farmers’ Almanac Best Days calendar is “wash quilts,” “do laundry,” and “starch.” The folk rule keys off the Moon’s sign in the same way the planting Best Days do. Whether or not you follow the rule, the planning side, picking a clear-weather window and lining up the laundry to match it, is the practical lesson worth keeping. For the rest of the dates, see the Best Days calendar.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a clothesline comeback really worth it?
A typical household saves $90 to $180 a year on electricity, cuts about 330 kg of CO2, and extends the life of cotton clothing by roughly 30 to 60%. The setup costs less than $40.
How do I keep line-dried towels from feeling stiff?
Add half a cup of vinegar to the wash, reduce detergent slightly, shake each towel hard before and after hanging, and if it is still stiff, tumble for 5 minutes on the no-heat setting with a couple of tennis balls.
Can my HOA stop me from putting up a clothesline?
In most states, yes. In 20 states (including California, Florida, Texas, and Massachusetts), state right-to-dry laws preempt HOA bans. Check your state statute before assuming the HOA rule is enforceable.
How do I handle pollen on line-dried clothes?
Tumble in the dryer for 5 minutes on no-heat to knock the pollen loose. Or dry indoors during your local high-pollen window and hang outside the rest of the year.
Does the sun fade clothes?
Direct sun fades dark colors over time and bleaches whites for the better. Hang darks in shade, whites in sun, and stained items in direct sun to draw the stain out.
What if I do not have a yard?
Retractable indoor lines, fold-up drying racks, balcony lines, shower-rod drapes, and door-knob hangers all work. Indoor drying still saves the energy cost and acts as a winter humidifier.
Kristen Hewitt
After graduating from Bates College in 2009, Kristen attended the Salt Institute for Documentary Studies in Maine. She lives in Western Massachusetts where she works at Orion magazine."
- Kristen Hewitt
- Kristen Hewitt
- Kristen Hewitt
How do you keep birds off the line pooping on clothes?
Add vinegar to wash or rinse cycle?
I googled it and it says to use a fabric Softener, that the vinegar will break down the detergent and not clean as it should
In the rinse cycle!! I have been doing this forever and I always hang my clothes out on the line in the summer
I find it’s not soap that makes the line dried stiff. It’s the hanging still. When living in a very windy area the clothes dried as soft as if in the dryer. But I will try the vinegar anyway when the weather warms. Here’s hoping.