Ana Santos! flickr.com/anasantos
Did you know that 60% of the carbon footprint of your jeans doesn’t come from their manufacturing or shipping? It comes from you.
No, not because of the methane you produce (ew, eat less beans), but because you insist on using a clothes dryer even when the sun is out.
Drying For Freedom is a new documentary on just this subject. According to the film, we stupid Americans spend $5,000,000,000 a year just drying our clothes. That’s an average 6% you can save on your power bill by hanging your clothes on the line.
“But no! Clotheslines are gross! I don’t want to see my neighbor’s undies!” the populace cries in outrage. “In the name of propriety, TEAR DOWN THOSE LINES!“
– No seriously. According to Drying For Freedom, 50 million homes in the United States are legally banned from line drying.
So where was I? Ah yes. Levi’s. This corporate behemoth would like to turn over a new, spring-green leaf–but they can’t, because even if they make “eco-friendly” jeans, you’ll just turn around and throw ‘em in the dryer. So they’ve launched a new contest.
The goal: design a new, pretty and totally inoffensive way to dry clothes. The prizes: 10 large (grand prize is $4,500). You have until July 31 to enter, so get creative.
I’m talking to you.
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I saw a story about an Oregon woman whose HOA wouldn’t let her have a clothesline on (I think) the Daily Show.
Who couldn’t use ten grand? Thinking cap – engaged.
Mine too. Gosh that wouldn’t suck to have $10,000 for such a silly thing.
I LIKE CLOTHESLINES. And, you’re both right, I know people who can’t even bring themselves to say the word.
Former Car-Pool-Mate – “We just got some new renters next door. They’re from _______.” Smirk. Significant pause. “Well, you know….they dry their sheets and things on those ropes ……(zig-zagging bony finger under my nose.)
My mind is blank, but I’m thinking, either something along the lines (get it?) of a latrine, or real creative trompe l’oeil landscaping.
HA! “those ropes”
I do a mix usually, because I don’t have a lot of line space, but seriously don’t understand what the problem is. Must’ve been some weird cultural programming that went on in the 50s & 60s.
A latrine? The landscaping idea is schmick
it totally was. because having a new fangled clothes dryer meant you were moving up or wealthy. line drying, not so much. (“OH…The Smiths still hang their clothes out?”)
Almost no one has a dryer here.
Not to mention that regular dryers totally ruin your clothes.
In brooklyn, we have a condenser dryer which is a lot more energy efficient (and gentler on you stuff) because it doesnt dry the bejesus out of it. and here, well half our stuff gets line dried and the other half gets dried in a dryer that is killing everything we own. except in the rainy season when there is no drying of anything. not even your hair.
I actually favor line-dried clothes. $10,000 for an idea? I’m on that.
I’ve started drying everything indoors, not for aesthetics but because I have better and sunnier drying space in there and I don’t have to worry about rain. See my laundry post http://minimalistmum.blogspot.com/2010/06/even-less-housework.html