Greetings! This post originally ran on Aug. 13th last year. But since summer arrived and I’ve been in full outside-drying-clothes-mode, I thought it would be good to share these ten reasons again. Enjoy!
I’ve loved the idea of line drying clothes in the sun since fifth grade. (Lame, I know.) My teacher was a kind hippy-type woman; I remember her colorful flowy skirts and rocky jewelry. One of my strongest memories from that year is a single sentence from a conversation with this teacher. I remember her saying, “I just love drying my clothes out on a line. They just smell so fresh and clean, don’t you think?” I dumbly nodded, like I had a clue. I agreed, like I had actually seen clothes hanging on a line before or even smelled them. She made it sound so lovely. I imagined her long peasant skirts waving in the sun, infused with clean mountain air. Surely such a mountaintop drying experience would make the clothes extra resistant to unpleasant odors. It sounded magical, and I decided then and there that someday I would become one of those cool people who line-dries their laundry. Read on for ten reasons why you should be line-drying your laundry.
I am proud to announce that I am one of those hip clothesline dry-ers. I’m also a little ashamed to admit how much I love it. (Although you’ve probably gathered that it’s a lot, since I’m dedicating an entire post to the clothesline.) I get a thrill out of pinning wet clothes with a small wooden clip to a line. I love straightening Caveman’s shirts to ensure they don’t dry with too many wrinkles (because there’s no way I’m gonna be ironing). I love seeing the line sagging with baby blankets waving at me in the breeze. And you know what? They do smell fresh. I love knowing that we’re saving electricity and using God-given energy from the sun to dry our clothes, diapers, blankets, socks. Anyways, here’s the list.
1. It saves money. Every time you run the dryer, you’re using 30-40 cents. If you’re using a gas dryer, it might be as low as 15-20 cents per load. Yearly, the dryer amounts to roughly $85 to operate, according to the California Energy Commission. Those numbers may not seem like a lot, but they add up over the years. Line-drying costs nothing.
2. It gets you outside. When you sit at a computer all day, it’s difficult to squeeze out time in the sun. Putting clothes on the line or taking them off is a great excuse to get some fresh air, even for just 10 minutes at a time. I hang laundry while Red plays outside. It’s a win-win.
3. It’s downright therapeutic. Somehow, the rhythmic actions of clipping clothes on a line is a stress reliever for me. The combination of being outside and snapping the wooden clips often helps me relax. It’s no substitute for a massage, but it works for everyday stress maintenance.
4. It makes the earth smile. I imagine so, at least. Saving electricity means saving coal that gets burnt, which saves fossil fuels getting released into the air, which saves the ozone layer and saves us all from global warming. At least, that’s how I remember it from grade school. It does work something like that, right?
5. It helps you do laundry faster (if you so desire). Put one load on the line, put another in the dryer, and you can dry twice as many clothes at once. And BAM! Laundry day is over that much quicker.
6. You’ll be that cool neighborhood line-drying enthusiast. Yes, that is what they’re calling it these days. Or at least that’s what I tell myself.
7. Natural bleach. After an hour or two in the intense Colorado sun (or 20 minutes, with the heat this summer has brought), you’ll notice your whites are brighter and stains are more faint. True story.
8. It will give your clothes a longer (happier) life. Dryers can be really rough on clothes. The heat and heavy tumbling thins threads faster than a gentle nap in the sun will.
9. It takes you back to a simpler time. A time when butter was churned by hand and bread rose on the window sill. Line drying is a welcome break from Facebook, phones beeping, a mile-a-minute life. It’s even better when you braid your hair and pretend to be Laura Ingalls Wilder.
10. It’s kind of a workout. I said kind of. And that’s coming from the girl who had a baby 12 weeks ago, so “in shape” is something that would not describe me right now. However, there is something to be said about the whole bending down to pick up clothes and then raising your arms above your head. That’s aerobics, friend!
So there you go, 10 reasons to start line-drying your laundry. Now if you’ll excuse me, I must go braid my hair…
The arrival of our fourth baby brought a definitive slowing, but somehow the past several weeks haven’t felt as desperate as other infant periods. Our lives look much the same as when other babies arrived, an odd juxtaposition of being wildly busy and not having much of a tangible product to show for it, but the feeling is different. One day it hit me: I’m living a purely minimalistic schedule.
If minimalism is foregoing the unnecessary to focus on the imperative, then surely a season dedicated solely to caring for very basic human needs qualifies.
Survival mode and a minimalistic schedule are similar in ways. They both demand a back-to-basics approach to life in which the person’s priorities are revealed because only the paramount needs are met.
Survival mode isn’t sustainable. It’s surviving versus thriving; it’s reactive to the events life dishes out. It doesn’t allow for much joy, spontaneity, or creativity.
A minimalistic schedule, on the other hand, is proactive. It makes time on purpose for the best of life. For savoring. For learning. For anticipating.
A minimalistic schedule, on the other hand, is proactive. It makes time on purpose for the best of life.
I don’t believe humans were created to simply survive. The Bible says that “…(Jesus) came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” John 10:10
Again in Psalms,
“You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.” Psalms 16:11
God created us to live freely in Him, to delight in His good gifts, to revel in His character. The secret to living deeply joyful is Jesus alone. But pairing down activities and freeing up the calendar can allow for more time to breathe, to reflect and to truly soak up the goodness of His presence.
Clearing your schedule down to the basics is done automatically for you if you have a baby. In other seasons of life it takes an intentional pull-back. It takes saying “no” to perfectly good opportunities and purposefully opening up your calendar to allow room to breathe.
So how do you move from survival mode to a basic, minimalistic schedule? From feeling frantic to choosing favored activities?
(Disclaimer: Sometimes survival mode is something you’ve got to trudge through and it’s impossible to fully get out in the current season. If that’s you, hang on. Walk through it. Know you’re not alone. Pray continually. But if you’re nearing the end of survival mode and you’re ready to crawl out into a simpler schedule, read on for some thoughts.)
Be okay with taking one thing at a time
Take an honest look at your current situation, and then take one thing at a time. Create a minimal focus and work slowly on that one thing and then the next until your abilities loosen up a bit. Making the mental switch to an intentional, minimalistic schedule can alleviate a lot of stress.
List your priorities
One day you’ll wake up and realize that you have the capacity for a little something else on the calendar. It’s at this junction that you might want to list your priorities for your family, your season, your goals. Choose only one or two activities that will serve to enrich and further those top priorities in your life.
Ask for help
Most of us need a boost to get out of survival mode, so ask for help. Get a babysitter for an hour a week. Request prayer from trusted friends and family. Call on your support network—times like this are what they’re there for!
For further reading and great thoughts, check out this Pinterest board. 🙂
Does anyone out there have thoughts on moving from survival mode to an intentional minimalistic schedule? Comment below and share with us!
