So what’s the alternative?
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Generally speaking, dryers cause more harm than good. |
I loaded the washer and let it run its course. When it was finished, I took my laundry out of the washer and went to put in the dryer when I discovered that there was in fact no dryer. None. Nada. Can you believe that? I was staying at a hostel, which is like “hotel lite.” It should have had a dryer, right? Instead, in this particular case, I had to lay my wet clothes out on along the frame of the bunk bed in a room I was sharing with nearly a dozen of my “closest” friends. As you can imagine, my clothes did not dry as promptly as I would have liked. It was terribly inconvenient.
Over the course of those three months I would come to find out that most of Europe does not use dryers. There are some clothes lines, but since the weather is often chilly, most people have clothing racks in their flats to hang their clothes to dry. I really have no idea why Europeans live without clothes dryers. Is it a cost thing? Is it their culture? I don’t know. At the time I thought it was an inconvenience because I, like many of the people reading this, have easy (or relatively easy) access to a dryer. On that trip I, for the first time in my life, looked at dryers as not items of convenience but items of luxury. And if Europeans (and Moroccans) overwhelmingly go without them, then clearly this is an example of American entitlement or something.
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This got me thinking. Why would a person choose to use or not use a clothes dryer? Obviously, it is super convenient to take your clothes from the washer, one bunch and a time, pivot to the left or right and place them in the dryer. Even easier if the washer and dryer are stacked1.
- Require maintenance (aka, break)
- Make a lot of noise
- Cost a lot of money
- Use precious resources, like natural gas and/or electricity
I would like to focus on that last bullet point for a moment. In mid-2014, the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) released a report entitled A Call to Action for More Efficient Clothes Dryers: U.S. Consumers Missing Out on $4 Billion in Annual Savings (PDF)! What? FOUR BILLION DOLLARS is wasted in the United States on gas and electricity every single year for no other reason than we are using old, worn out, gas-guzzling, electricity-sucking clothes dryers! Who knew?
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Then this got me thinking: What can I do right now to have an impact? The answer actually came pretty quickly. Behind my building are clothes lines and as it turns out, I’m the only person who uses them. According to Golden Road Brewery (breweries are the best source or accurate information, right?) there are 329 Days of Sun in Los Angeles, which means that, with little exception, I can count on enough rays to dry my clothes relatively quickly. Sure, hanging clothes to dry takes longer and is less convenient, but once I made the determination to make the switch, there was no turning back2. And I got over the mental hump when I started to shift my thinking. Instead of looking at hanging clothes as inconvenient, I shifted my thoughts to hanging clothes as efficient. Spending money on gas to heat my clothes when it’s already triple digits outside began to seem silly, wasteful and a sign of opulence.
I successfully abandoned my clothes dryer. How about you? |
I should also mention that NASA has an FAQ that looks like a GeoCities site from 1993 with everything you ever wanted to know about the sun and her ability to heat Earth (E=MC2).
I successfully abandoned my clothes dryer. How about you?
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1Looking back on this post, convenience is in fact the only reason I can figure as to why someone would use a clothing dryer, and, for those of you who have even a few of my posts know, convenience is the death of us.
2Okay, okay! I will admit that there have been a few times when I have needed my clothes dried that second and it was raining or freezing cold out, but those instances have been few and far between.
As an Austrian I can say that I never owned a dryer nor have I any intention of owning one some day. Some people have one but it is not that common. It might be because we are used to it? Also drying the clothes indoors replaces a humidifier.
My family's dryer is perpetually broken. I think the last time I used one was over 8 years ago when I was just starting in high school and needed pants that day (procrastinating teenager).
I have no idea how to use a dryer, but the next time I'm in a pinch I can use a laundromat.
I love my dry rack! Got it secondhand at a yard sale for a buck in perfect condition. If you take good care of them and keep locktite, a screwdriver and a wrench handy, you can tackle any loose screws happening. My folks don't take care of theirs and it's amazing how quickly they fall apart without a tiny touch of upkeep.
Yes, I believe that culture plays a large part in this. I am not sure why we have so many dryers in the USA. "Washer and dryer" is just like "peanut butter and jelly." They ALWAYS go together. I don't know of any friends who just own a washer. I'm not blaming them for negligence or anything. It's just the way it is. I am happy to do my part and not use one. Thanks for your comment.
This is a great story Grace. I don't know what it is about people in general, but we tend to let things fall apart. I have a feeling it has something to do with how inexpensive things are here in the US. I repair items of very little value all the time, like an Ikea bowl that I dropped. Most people would have tossed it. I, on the other hand, glued it back together and use it all the time. What do you think?
Grade A stuff. I’m unlsnutioeabqy in your debt.
Looking back, it’s not clear to me why I had wanted to do the laundry after only a few days abroad. look at here now
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I hear your argument on clothes dryer. They are certainly harmful to ones clothes. I am more of a natural guy, because I prefer hanging my clothes on a line. I usually choose my fabric carefully. With the correct fabric, you will not require a dryer; you can depend on sunlight. Check out some clothes drying tips here: http://wildernessmastery.com/outdoors/how-to-dry-clothes-fast.html
I can’t understand the need for a dryer. I live in Western Australia with a similar climate to LA – lots of sunny days, and nothing beats the smell of freshly laundered clothes hanging in the sunlight. Most Australians don’t have dryers either – they seems a waste of precious resources, when free resources (sun, wind) do the job perfectly well.
Yeah, I need to try this.