The most eco friendly dryer costs nothing and has zero impact on your electricity bill. We have no shortage of sun on Maui, it’s up to us to reap it’s benefits. All you need is a simple clothesline and some clothespins. Or if you have a spare gazebo lying around, you can do something a bit more elaborate.
In a former life, the gazebo was an outdoor dining room. I loved having dinner in the gazebo with the pups at my feet wagging their tails. Sadly the prime space the gazebo stood on was needed for another use and the netting that covered the gazebo was getting old and worn out. So, the folks decided to relocate it and turn it into a clothes line.
Add some lattice (anytime you see lattice, you know it’s my mom’s handiwork), a home made gate, an old basket full of clothespins, astroturf, and a couple of those handy dandy twirly clothes dryers from Japan and you’ve got yourself a full service clothes drying center. Why does our clothes line have to be enclosed? Because all those dangling pant legs, sleeves and sheets would be too tempting to the klepto (but very sweet) pointer mix.
Exhibit A: klepto but sweet pointer pup
There are many other benefits as well to air drying including less wear and tear on the material fibers in your clothes, natural disinfecting and whitening properties of the sun and no static cling.
Tide has a great article on their site about the benefits of air drying including tips on “how to hang” for the best results.
In case you’re wondering, there is no dryer on the premises. That’s right, this is it, my parents have never had a dryer, ever, in 39 years. It’s mother nature’s way or the highway. Me? I’ve had a dryer ever since I left home. Since returning to Maui, it’s been an adjustment for me not to have one. Do I miss it? Sure, sweats and towels come out fluffier in the dryer and when you finish the laundry, you are finished, pau, fini. There’s no making a mental note to remember to take down the clothes at a later time. And if we have another rainy winter like we did this past year, I may give in to a moment of weakness and head to a big box, debit card in hand. But I’m going to make every effort to resist the temptation. We can buy a new gazebo cover, put up temporary lines undercover elsewhere on the property or head to the laundromat every now and then, we’ll make it work.
Note: rain was never an issue in earlier years because the clothes were dried on a huge porch which was enclosed during a recent renovation.
Click here to see mom’s bifold louvered doors upcycled into a doggie condo.
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I love this! I actually hang dry most of my clothes and some of my husband’s as well …not outside though, mostly indoors, from our pull-up bar in the doorway. Not only is it eco-friendly, it makes your clothes stay in shape & color & last longer. Love your gazebo/outdoor dryer. It’s fabulous!
When I lived in Honolulu (the big city), I hung most of my nicer things from my canopy bed (multi use!). The pink and lavender plastic twirly things (usually from Japan or Korea) are perfect for indoor drying.