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Chemical analysis and origin of the smell of line-dried laundry

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Re: Chemical analysis and origin of the smell of line-dried laundry

#31

Post by mstade »

fiblye wrote: post #21
bonoboTP wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have a similar clause in my rent contract in Germany, forbidding line drying, and first I didn't really understand why people care about this (I planned to use the communal dryer anyway). But to be explicit, it's because the optics of visible laundry makes people associate to poor people who have no other drying options. They don't want the neighborhood to look like poor neighborhoods. Maybe it will become one of t…

Meanwhile, living in Japan, if you tell people you prefer to machine dry your clothes, they’ll tell you outright that it’s wasteful. The assumption is that it’s only used when rain makes it impossible.

On the Swedish west coast where it's often windy and sunny we typically line dry our laundry. We do have a machine dryer, but it's typically only really used when there's too much humidity in the air (which doesn't happen often) or it's raining. Line drying typically yields better and more even results in my experience, especially when it's breezy.

Re: Chemical analysis and origin of the smell of line-dried laundry

#32

Post by NoSorryCannot »

jasonv wrote: post #27
derefr wrote: post #23

I wonder whether the manufacturer of some existing artificial “fresh breeze” scent happened to already stumble upon a formula that closely approximates the chemical composition of the real thing, without knowing it. Do e.g. (scented) detergents contain these particular hydrocarbons? Does any air freshener? Also: is there any knowledge of these compounds’ effects on the human body? Are they GRAS? I can imagine an evol…

Oh, that’s where the name comes from. I hang dry most of my laundry in my own house still. I learned to appreciate this after moving from a big city to a town of 13 people. Of course we all had lots of space but my house had one of those circular drying line contraptions. I enjoyed going out and hanging my laundry, even in the cold winters. Even in the snow. The sun and dry air did their thing pretty quickly. When I…

And the smell of tumble drying. I live in an apartment complex and the smell coming out of the dryer vents is overwhelming. It's not intrinsic; there would barely be any odor at all if people gave up dryer sheets and fabric softener, but it seems like many have never heard anything so outlandish as that.

Re: Chemical analysis and origin of the smell of line-dried laundry

#33

Post by jrockway »

throw0101a wrote: post #14

In Ontario, Canada, some condo boards for town house developments (like home-owner associations) didn't like people putting up laundry lines and so prevented them since backyards were considered "common elements" and under group jurisdiction. So the provincial government had an existing law that prevented the use of "renewable energy" systems from being blocked by local by-laws and such. So they classified clothes li…

When I was in high school my family lived in a housing development that was designed to be somewhat environmentally friendly -- houses were small, the development was largely open prairies, people did not have lawns, etc. Of course, someone decided to line-dry their clothes, and the HOA told them to stop. I guess the environment is all fine and nice until you have to see someone's underwear in their backyard.

(I believe that the people told to stop made a big stink about it and had the rules changed. So common sense did prevail. But no doubt plenty of people are producing CO2 to dry their clothes right now because someone thinks that drying clothes outdoors reduces their property value.)

Re: Chemical analysis and origin of the smell of line-dried laundry

#34

Post by ComputerGuru »

I think it depends on where you live. Here in Chicago, if you leave wet clothes out to dry on the line, they’ll stink of geosmin (to which the human olfactory receptors are insanely sensitive, to the tune of being able to detect a few parts per million) rather than smell nice and fresh thanks to the humidity.

Re: Chemical analysis and origin of the smell of line-dried laundry

#35

Post by Mediterraneo10 »

dingaling wrote: post #22
tenpies wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I am always disappointed that drying racks aren't more common in NA. Even in an apartment, you can set it up overnight and wake up to dry clothing in the morning. Better for the environment and your clothing.

Not so good for the apartment though, unless you have dehumidifying air conditioning.

I have lived in socialist-era blocks which are notorious for humidity issues and mold. But a mere drying rack placed next to the window will not produce enough humidity to cause problems if you leave that window open.

Re: Chemical analysis and origin of the smell of line-dried laundry

#36

Post by slim »

exceptione wrote: post #28
Al-Khwarizmi wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In Spain the attitude is similar, but for different reasons. Environmental consciousness is sadly low in general, but cult to fashion and looks is strong. Machine drying anything but towels and sheets would be considered shabby by most, as it damages clothes. When I was looking for housing, I visited some really luxury apartments (that I could never afford, but visiting is free and I'm a curious person, so why not) a…

I guess that you still centrifuge clothes, but do not tumble-dry them?

yes

Re: Chemical analysis and origin of the smell of line-dried laundry

#37

Post by stormdennis »

throw0101a wrote: post #14

In Ontario, Canada, some condo boards for town house developments (like home-owner associations) didn't like people putting up laundry lines and so prevented them since backyards were considered "common elements" and under group jurisdiction. So the provincial government had an existing law that prevented the use of "renewable energy" systems from being blocked by local by-laws and such. So they classified clothes li…

We once rented a flat, in a nice building housing mainly retired people. One day we gave the place a good cleaning and hung out a mat to dry on the balcony. Within half an hour the residents association which we didn't know existed were knocking on our door and demanding we take in the offending item.

Re: Chemical analysis and origin of the smell of line-dried laundry

#38

Post by JoeAltmaier »

stormdennis wrote: post #37
throw0101a wrote: post #14

In Ontario, Canada, some condo boards for town house developments (like home-owner associations) didn't like people putting up laundry lines and so prevented them since backyards were considered "common elements" and under group jurisdiction. So the provincial government had an existing law that prevented the use of "renewable energy" systems from being blocked by local by-laws and such. So they classified clothes li…

We once rented a flat, in a nice building housing mainly retired people. One day we gave the place a good cleaning and hung out a mat to dry on the balcony. Within half an hour the residents association which we didn't know existed were knocking on our door and demanding we take in the offending item.

I will never until my dying day, live under the thumb of an association. Its a magnet for pedantic busybodies.

Re: Chemical analysis and origin of the smell of line-dried laundry

#39

Post by monadic2 »

stormdennis wrote: post #37
throw0101a wrote: post #14

In Ontario, Canada, some condo boards for town house developments (like home-owner associations) didn't like people putting up laundry lines and so prevented them since backyards were considered "common elements" and under group jurisdiction. So the provincial government had an existing law that prevented the use of "renewable energy" systems from being blocked by local by-laws and such. So they classified clothes li…

We once rented a flat, in a nice building housing mainly retired people. One day we gave the place a good cleaning and hung out a mat to dry on the balcony. Within half an hour the residents association which we didn't know existed were knocking on our door and demanding we take in the offending item.

As someone without a hope in the world for owning a house any time soon, what kind of teeth do these associations actually have to enforce their whims?

Re: Chemical analysis and origin of the smell of line-dried laundry

#40

Post by mschuster91 »

monadic2 wrote: post #39
stormdennis wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We once rented a flat, in a nice building housing mainly retired people. One day we gave the place a good cleaning and hung out a mat to dry on the balcony. Within half an hour the residents association which we didn't know existed were knocking on our door and demanding we take in the offending item.

As someone without a hope in the world for owning a house any time soon, what kind of teeth do these associations actually have to enforce their whims?

If in the US, in some states even up until foreclosure.
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