A hip, modern clothesline can turn your laundry green

Drying your laundry outside in plain sight might feel slightly scandalous, but in this ecoconscious era, it's an adjustment people are making to help reduce the amount of carbon dioxide they send into the atmosphere.

With folks swapping regular light bulbs for compact fluorescent ones and unplugging energy-munching cellphone chargers, air-drying clothes is another easy way to cut down on our carbon footprint. Dryers emit an average of 1,440 pounds of carbon dioxide annually, said Emily Main, senior editor of The Green Guide, a consumer newsletter. Another environmental group estimates that electric dryers suck up 6 to 10 percent of residential energy use.

Creative drying

These days, there are plenty of clever drying racks and clothespins to make hanging your damp laundry a little more interesting.

For those with less space, collapsible clotheslines are easily stored when it isn't laundry day, and an indoor drying rack is a good choice if you don't have outdoor space.

"You can get pretty creative," Main said. "A lot of them are made out of FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified wood and wood scraps. It's the greenest of the green choices."

Summer is the most convenient time to dry laundry outdoors, though you can air dry during rainy Seattle winters by setting up clotheslines in the basement or in other rooms.

Start small

But people like dryers for a reason, especially when it comes to inconvenient large items like bedsheets, so The Green Guide recommends trying to air dry at least part of your laundry.

"If you can line dry half your clothes, you're still making a sizable impact, almost 720 pounds (of carbon dioxide) a year," Main said.

If that's not enough reason to forgo fluffy clothes warm from the dryer, air drying also extends the life of your clothes and reduces the risk of dryer fires, which are usually caused by lint buildup in the exhaust system, according to Project Laundry List, a New Hampshire-based nonprofit conservation group. And your clothes will smell fresher than if they had tumbled around with perfumed dryer sheets.

More ways to save

If you're worried about stiff, uncomfortable clothing, try adding ½ cup of vinegar to the washer to soften clothes. Or send clothes and towels through the dryer just long enough to fluff them up before hanging them on a clothesline.

Another basic way to save energy while doing laundry is to wash in cold water. Washers are inefficient because they heat water as they go. Or, if you're looking for a new washer and dryer, The Green Guide also recommends energy-saving Energy Star machines. Front-loading machines are more efficient than top-loading ones, Main said. Some machines also include helpful sensors that stop the dryer when clothes are dry or have settings that allow you to dry with cold air.

Before you let the family's laundry all hang out, check with your condo or homeowners association. Some associations ban hanging clothes outdoors.

But if there's nothing stopping you, go ahead and let your skivvies flap in the breeze.

Nicole Tsong: 206-464-2150 or ntsong@seattletimes.com