The Return of the Clothesline

I remember as a child that my mother hung clothes out to dry outside. I remember how wonderful the sheets and towels smelled, and I noticed when we moved to the States from Switzerland, that I never saw another house with a clothes line.

I guess it wasn't illegal, but apparently in some places it is. Now, there's a movement to get those laws reversed. For example, the Province of Ontario is looking to overturn every such law in the province, on the grounds that drying your clothes outside is the environmentally sound thing to do.

Indeed, an electric clothes dryer uses about 6% of household energy, the same as a refrigerator, even though it's used much less.

And the movement is taking hold - in the UK last year, at one retailer sales of clotheslines were up 150% and clothespins were up 1000%.

So, people, hang your clothes out on the line. Not only will they smell better, but it's better for the planet.