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U.S. residents fight for the right to hang laundry (2009)

reuters.com

71–80 of 329 posts

Re: U.S. residents fight for the right to hang laundry (2009)

#71

I've sat in at a couple anti-dryer meet ups in my locality (big city, east coast) out of curiosity. Most of the points are valid some are a little outrageous; (dryers sheets disrupt sea turtle populations?) But after reading Sally Heathers book 'The Doomed Dryer Nation'; I decided to give line drying a try. I will say that my sleep improved and some of the daily fatigue I struggled with when I lived with a dryer most…

Several responses to this, but nobody's asking the obvious question... there are anti-dryer meetups? Do people just spend an hour talking about how bad dryers are?

Also, why did line drying improve your sleep and reduce fatigue? This post is delightfully full of mystery.

Re: U.S. residents fight for the right to hang laundry (2009)

#72
post #4

For the entirety of my life, we've hung or clothes to dry inside. No dryer. No, they don't smell bad. Yes, even with small kids in the household. No, there is no problem with mold. No, it doesn't take forever, I'd estimate twelve hours most of the year, depending on how fast you spun them (typically 1200+ rpm). Yes, the evaporating cools down the room, though I can't say I ever noticed it. In terms of energy efficien…

Pro tip: when outside, have the white items get direct sun. It's a (lite, no pun intended) natural bleach of sorts.

Re: U.S. residents fight for the right to hang laundry (2009)

#73

I can’t imagine such a freedom limiting law in any European country or here in the UK. Utterly absurd a country that prioritises freedom so much also dictates how people are allowed to dry their laundry. I’m sure if the wind could be taxed they’d not restrict it though…

Laws are one thing, enforcement is another. I’ll do whatever I want, including line drying my laundry if I want to.

Re: U.S. residents fight for the right to hang laundry (2009)

#74

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A lot of EU heats by steam/water radiators. These don't dry the air the same way forced air heating does. You are right about absolute/relative humidity, but our basement feels damper in winter than summer.

Forced air and radiators dry the air equally. Steam radiators sometimes can add humidity to the air it is limited and only when they are initially heating up before the valve closes. What causes dry air in the winter is the act of heating air up. Relative humidity is based on the temperature of the air, so if there is a fixed amount of water in the air, as you heat it the relative humidity goes down. So in the winter…

The way I understand this at the gut, conversational level, is by noticing that hot air can carry more water, therefore it will dry your skin faster, which is what "feels" like the air being dry.

Heating doesn't remove water from the air, as you explained. But that's what people assume when they argue that "heating doesn't dry the air" as I've heard in the past. Using relative humidity is a good explanation.

Re: U.S. residents fight for the right to hang laundry (2009)

#76

I've sat in at a couple anti-dryer meet ups in my locality (big city, east coast) out of curiosity. Most of the points are valid some are a little outrageous; (dryers sheets disrupt sea turtle populations?) But after reading Sally Heathers book 'The Doomed Dryer Nation'; I decided to give line drying a try. I will say that my sleep improved and some of the daily fatigue I struggled with when I lived with a dryer most…

anti-dryer meet ups

I’ve now heard of everything.

Re: U.S. residents fight for the right to hang laundry (2009)

#77
Stupid people who don't read the HOA agreement they signed, and then whine after the fact that some things aren't allowed - I have no sympathy for them (and for the record, would never live anyplace that had an HOA).

That said, if its not in the agreement you signed, or you live someplace without an HOA, I support peoples right do hang their laundry out to dry - shouldn't even be a question of being allowed or not.

Re: U.S. residents fight for the right to hang laundry (2009)

#78
post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Although I get her point I think she’s antisocial and being a bad neighbor. Especially by insisting to hang it in the front yard. That’s a very restrictive view of what a good neighbour should be. Those who are offended by the view of drying clothes and insist on dictating other people’s lifestyle are much worse neighbours than she is. > To live peacefully in a society you have to compromise and you can’t just do a…

The town has a standard where you don’t hang laundry though. She’s the odd person out here and should appeal to the people of the town. Otherwise she’s just doing as she pleases and that’s antisocial behavior. As to who it “would hurt” - it could very well hurt everyone’s property values and certainly hurts everyone’s eyes to have to see a car parked on the front lawn. Again, it’s antisocial behavior and inconsiderat…

Oh no, won't anyone think of the property values! I'm a house owner and I want them to crash hard since we're in a socially unsustainable period right now. If a car parked on the lawn makes a considerable difference in the price, I'm happy to watch the bubble burst. Thinking in terms of white picket fences and constantly rising property values is what's selfish.

Re: U.S. residents fight for the right to hang laundry (2009)

#80

Earlier quoted context omitted.

London. Cold enough that anything in an old Victorian building won't dry but warm enough that the air remains humid.

It’s worse if you live in a well insulated energy-efficient building. In winter it’s cold so nobody wants to open the windows. The lack of ventilation means that the moisture has nowhere to go and just accumulates.

Shouldn't be if your building was designed properly, with a proper Heat Recovery Ventilator (HRV) e.g. [0]. The long and short of it, fresh air is slightly heated by stale outgoing moist air.

[0] https://www.nrcan.gc.ca/energy-efficiency/products/product-i...

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