The freedom to dry

Pity the younger people; they have no idea what it's like at night to put their heads on a pillowcase that spent the day on a clothesline. In fact, they probably have no idea what a clothesline is, rendered obsolete as they were by the luxury of dryers.

In many communities (mostly in the 'burbs) clotheslines are banned, presumably because neighbors didn't want to see the underwear of the people next door.

But as energy prices spike, the clothesline is making a comeback and the great silent clothesline lobby is making itself heard.

In New England, in fact, two states are considering "right to dry" legislation that would overturn bans on outdoor clotheslines. A third state, New Hampshire, killed the bill in committee. Go figure, the state whose motto is "Live Free or Die" draws the line at, umm, clotheslines.

There is significant opposition, according to the Boston Globe:

"If you imagine driving into a community where the yards have clothes hanging all over the place, I think the aesthetics, the curb appeal, and probably the home values would be affected by that, because you can't let one homeowner do it and say no to the next," said Frank Rathbun, a spokesman for the Community Associations Institute, a national group based in Virginia that represents thousands of homeowner and condominium associations, many of which restrict clotheslines.

In Hawaii, the issue is so hot that the Honolulu Star Bulletin posted an editorial supporting legislation there last Saturday.

The agency estimates that if just 20,000 households reduced tumble-drying by half, spending for oil at $90 a barrel would shrink by $1.7 million a year. Individual homeowners on Oahu could see annual savings of about $250 on their power bills, while neighbor island residents who pay more for electricity could see bigger savings.

$90 a barrel oil? Boy, those were the days.

Clothes hanging on lines means stable neighborhoods to me. People are going to pay attention to their clothes, be outside, see their neighbors, care about what's going on around them. That a sign of a strong community. I can't imagine what about clotheslines is so unattractive that it is outlawed.

I heartily agree.

Bob you ar totally right in saying the folks who have never had their linens dried on the line do NOT know what a heavenly slumber is. I spent lotsa time with my Grandmother growing up and she had an old fashioned washer with the ringer.
The linens went from the washer through the ringer into the cold bleach water. Then you would squish the sheets around and send them through the ringer again, (the ringer arm could rotate), into the rinse water in the adjacent tub. And once more through the ringer to the basket. From the basket up through the cellar door onto the line. Bonus texture and scent if it rained and the sheets got alittle wet and dried from the sun. You just cannot package this (products that claim "rainwater freshness) or the outdoor -community building experience mentioned above.

I spent the past 14 months travelling outside of the United States. I visited 12 countries in that time period and saw exactly 2 electric clothes dryers. Everybody dried their clothes on clothes lines (yes, even in places where it snowed- they have these nifty racks that stretch above the wood-burning stoves that dry clothes quite quickly). The families with whom I stayed were always quite puzzled about how quickly and enthusiastically I would volunteer to hang the clothes out on the line. I explained it was a novel experience for me, and that very few people in the United States had clotheslines, and that in fact it was against the law in many places. They would just stare at me in disbelief. Banning clotheslines?!?! This was quite inconceivable to most people; in fact in one small town, people would point at me on the street and say "That girl is from the country where clotheslines are against the law"

Before we can solve our energy-dependency problem we need to solve our way-of-thinking problem. Whenever I see my neighbor hanging his laundry on the line I think: 'Hmmm, must be laundry day' and then I go over for a visit - he usually offers me a beer when I stop by, so that's a bonus!. I have never once considered how it's effecting my property value. Maybe because I don't feel it's effecting it one bit.

BTW, thanks, "c", for the step-by-step.

"Between the sheets" had another meaning for me as a kid - running between the rows of sheets hanging on the line. They do smell so good.

I'm going to put one up this summer - the holes in the stucco are still there.

You've just reminded my how upset my mother would get during "mud season" when we'd accidentally knock the laundry off the clothes line while running between the rows of sheets.

I wonder where I would even find a clothesline today. There are two types, of course. The pulley (as above), but also the kind you'd stick in the ground in a coffee can full of cement.

Does anyone around here even carry those anymore?

I have an idea: "Clotheslines for Energy Independence".

"Does anyone around here even carry those anymore?"

They carry pipe, cement & hooks. You supply the shovel & coffee can.

Advice to future clothesliners:
Hang your private garments (like undies) in the house.
I used to rent an apt in a house on Lincoln over in the Grand Ave area. There was a bar on the other side of the alley and I suspect that that is where they went.