Why are there so few clotheslines?
Why is it that I don’t see any clotheslines in this area? I grew up with laundry hanging from clotheslines, and I was used to drying our laundry that way ever since, until we came to live here.
It struck me as odd that while we bemoan everything and everybody wasting energy, that there are no lines drying our laundry! What could be more wasteful than using an electric or gas fired dryer to dry the laundry, when the sun is shining and a nice breeze is blowing? I would wager that the laundry would be dry in no time at all.
I contacted our property manager about this and was told that it’s up to the strata council to reconsider this issue. Two years later I’m still waiting for a reply to my query. I know it’s not an urgent issue; however, considering how every “green” person jumps on the bandwagon about using less fossil energy and saving our planet, I can’t help but wonder why nobody jumps on the bandwagon about using solar and wind power to dry laundry.
Just imagine, if you will, the amount of electricity we would save and the reduction of our carbon footprint if we hung our laundry on lines to dry. Yes, lines across the backyard can be an eyesore, but there are racks or mills available that can be stored away after use.
Oh I know, it’s a bit more work, and we don’t have attics or large landings to hang the laundry when it rains or snows, but we do have carports and garages, so that’s not an excuse either. It is, however, convenient for those busy families to just toss the laundry in the dryer before we all head out for work, school, or yoga classes. But if you have ever smelled laundry that hung outside to dry, you have to admit that no dryer sheet can compete with the lovely crisp fresh smell of the outdoors.
Judy van der Boom
Mill Bay