Second to the refrigerator, the clothes dryer is a household’s worst offender in terms of energy efficiency. For an average household in the United States, a clothes dryer takes up 6 percent of the total energy use, costing each household around $100 per year in energy, and emitting 1,440 pounds of carbon dioxide into the air. In fact, clothes dryers are so inefficient, that energy star doesn’t label a single one.
The good news is that drying clothing in a machine is not necessary. Okay, I realize it is convenient, but if your goals and priorities are a healthy planet, sometimes convenience takes a back seat.
In reality though, avoiding a dryer is not really that hard. The sun provides plenty of free energy, and depending on where you live, you can probably dry your clothes outside in the open air most of the year. Think of the benefits: money saved, and a little extra exercise to help you stay fit. And nothing beats the smell of clothes dried outside in the warm, summer air.
If you don’t have a yard, or the weather is not suitable, there are other options as well. I live in a one bedroom apartment with no balcony or patio, and I am still able to air dry all my clothing and linens indoors. The secret is washing small loads on a consistent basis.
Usually every night or two, I’ll wash a small or medium sized load of laundry, then I hang them to dry on a small wooden rack in my kitchen. These racks are very inexpensive, and you can even find many made from Forest Stewardship Council certified wood. Most fold away, making them ideal for small places like my tiny one bedroom apartment. A second option is just to hang a laundry line indoors. If you have a garage or an extra utility room, this works well. Otherwise, you can still string it across a bedroom or less-used room without any problems.
Although my dryer-free routine has taken some time to get used to, it is well worth it. There’s something empowering about not needing fossil fuels for one of my daily tasks. My clothing is lasting longer without the abuse of a dryer. And of course, the electric bill savings is nice.
