Reasons You Need to Donate Your Dryer Today
Line drying clothes, not just something you see in old films or way out on farmland. Ditching your dryer may require a little more work on your part but in the long run you’ll have longer lasting clothes that smell better, a lower carbon footprint and some more money in your pocket.
Clothes tumbling around in the dryer on high heat quickly destroys our fabrics. Research states after only twenty dries in high heat cotton fabric degraded by 50%, and without heat 24%. These figures combined with how some clothing is made does not give our fabrics a shot in a long life. Trying to be zero waste makes you mindful of how long things last so you don’t have to throw it away, using a dryer is counter intuitive to that. Buying clothes to wear for life is a great practice so putting in a little extra work to maintain them ensures the longevity.
The carbon footprint of line drying is three times less than drying in a dryer. Over a year this could be as much as a short flight. Switching to drying clothes on the line also reduces the footprint of your clothing. Using a piece of clothing for nine months longer decreases it’s environmental footprint by 20-30%. This wouldn’t be possible if the dryer was destroying your clothes each wash.
Switching to a clothes line does not make you a millionaire but you can save around $100 a year just on energy costs depending on how much laundry you do and the price of energy in your area. Your clothes will last longer, you’ll no longer need the replacement dryer, dryer sheets, or maintenance all of these factors could save a good bit of change. The only initial cost is a rope, which you may already have or a movable rack. In the long run quite a sum of money could be saved by line drying.
You don’t need to live in a sunny city to line dry clothes. Clothes will dry fine inside on hangers, a line or a rack, it might just take longer. Even though I live in a small space I dry my clothes on lines around the van. Sure, it’s hard to get around for a little bit but most of the clothes dry quickly even on freezing days. Having an outdoor and indoor line or a movable rack is a perfect idea if you live in a place with four seasons.
Dryer sheets, another piece of trash no one really needs to use. Dryer sheets leave a film on the outside of clothes making them softer but also more flammable. This film doesn’t only stick to clothes but also in the inside of the dryer. Ditch the dryer, ditch the dryer sheets and dry clothes outside or on a rack. Clothes will smell better dried outside and as they stay in direct sunlight they are sanitized protecting you from the potential germs you may have collected wandering around.
Like many home appliances a dryer eventually will need to be replaced. Living without one completely will keep hundreds to thousands of dollars in your pocket on replacement costs. I’m not a property owner but it seems like houses are a never ending replacement cycle and less of those appliances is much easier on your wallet, carbon footprint and the landfills.
Now that you’re ready to get rid of that dryer remember some people are just too busy to line dry clothes all the time. For some a dryer is a sort of necessity. Instead of calling a company to haul your dryer out consider putting it on an online marketplace for a family that might need one. Maybe you need some extra cash, selling it is a good option too. Throwing things away without checking if your community has a need for it is wasteful and a practice that doesn’t benefit anyone.
We made an app, Boycott That! Available for iOS and Android devices!
Boycott That is the app to start becoming a healthier consumer. For the wannabe zero waster, Boycott That has achievable sustainable switches for everyday items. The app is also perfect for helping to avoid companies that partake in animal cruelty and violate basic human rights.
