My Simple Solution for Line Drying Clothes in the Winter
I love to see clothes drying on a line. While it’s possible year-round, freezing temperatures and snow make it difficult in the winter. Today I am sharing my simple solution for line drying clothes in the winter.
I have vivid childhood memories of running through the sun warmed sheets drying on the line. I can still hear my grandma hollering, “Girls! Don’t you get my clean sheets dirty!”. Until we moved to the “city” my mom and grandma always hung clothes out to dry. I have so many core memories of playing under the drying clothes that I knew I wanted to clothesline. Nick made those simple dreams of mine come true a few years ago. You can read that here if you missed it: Simple Farmhouse-Inspired DIY Clothesline. But what about line drying clothes in the winter? I’m glad you asked because I am here to share a very simple solution.
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Drying Clothes on a Clothes Rack
It may not be pretty to look at, but it sure is effective. A clothes drying rack like this is the best solution I’ve ever used for line drying clothes in the winter. I have mine permanently set up by the laundry room door for quick and easy use in the winter. I’ll share links to several types below, but in the meantime let’s take a look at some of the benefits of line drying clothes.
The benefits of line drying clothes:
- Air drying clothes is more gentle on fabrics
- It helps prevent static cling
- It is energy efficient and reduces utility bills.
- Indoor drying increases the humidity level during the winter months when the air inside is dry.
If you’re not familiar with how to line dry clothes I will outline a few of the basics to get you started. It’s a great skill to have in case of a power outage, or if your dryer would break.
How to Line Dry Clothes Indoors
- Select the best drying rack for your home. I would suggest finding one you could use inside and out, but it all depends on the space you have available, the amount of laundry you do, and even the type of clothes you want to dry. I find that a collapsible rack is best because I can tuck it away when I’m not using it. I love the idea of adding a retractable clothesline to a room. If you don’t have a drying rack, or you’re waiting on one to come, you can simply use hangers. Just be sure to never let the wet laundry touch a surface that can be damaged by moisture.
- Remove excess moisture if your washing machine doesn’t spin well. The higher the spin setting, the more moisture that will be removed, but for hand washed items you’ll want to make sure you get as much moisture out as possible. If they are very wet, you can roll each piece up in a dry bath towel, and it will do a great job of removing excess moisture.
- How you hang the laundry will dictate how much wrinkling you deal with. Hang pants by matching up the inseams and hanging them with the waist down. Clip the shoulders of shirts to a rod of the drying rack. You can use clothespins to hang towels and dishcloths from, but I always just fold the over one of the rods.
- Make sure there’s plenty of air circulation by hanging items individually and pulling the rack away from the wall. You can also add a fan to the room or move your drying rack near a heat vent.
Now that you’ve got the basics down, let’s take a look at a few really great clothes drying rack options.
Drying Rack Options
- Amazon Basics Folding Clothes Rack – accordion style steel clothes drying rack. Very affordable option!
- Foldable Clothes Drying Rack with Sock Clips – Made of stainless steel and highly rated. Folds in half to save space, but is large when in use.
- Wooden Clothes Drying Rack – Made in the USA! It’s a little on the pricey side, but I love my wooden drying rack. I did spray mine with a sealer to protect the wood from mildew.
- Wall Mounted Clothes Drying Rack – If you have the wall space, I think this is a great option.
- Over the Door Clothes Drying Rack – This is a perfect option if you are limited on space.
- Retractable Indoor Clothesline – I love this so much. It has nearly 14 feet of drying line and takes up virtually no space when not in use. I am definitely considering adding it to my laundry room!
You can totally do this!
There really is no “wrong” way to line dry your clothes. If your clothes come out a little more wrinkled than you like, that’s why someone somewhere invented the iron. I firmly believe that every convenience gained is a skill lost. I like adding line drying clothes to your skill set is a great idea.
As always, thanks so much for spending a tiny part of your day with me! I hope this encourages you to persue a life lived simply!
Here’s an image to pin for later…
