While we’re in the midst of the warmer summer months, tumble-drying your clothes could seem slightly absurd.

Why generate unnecessary heat and waste valuable money (did you know dryers can account for up to 12% of your household use?), when you have a dryer available to you that is completely free?

Yep, we want to talk about the benefits of hang-drying your clothes.

Even if you don’t own a washing line, or even have a garden, you can still hang-dry your clothes in a way that utilizes the fresh outdoor air. Pop your indoor drying rack outside, on the balcony, or even next to an open window.

If you’re wondering why you should go to such lengths, here are a few reasons. We should also mention at this point that there are certain municipalities that do not allow clotheslines - so be sure to check that before!

1. Promotes freshness and helps remove odors

There really is nothing better than fresh air.

Line dried clothes smell so much fresher than clothes that have been tumbled dried. The dryer sheets and fabric softener added to your dryer are very much still chemical-based, so why not keep it natural if you can?

This is particularly useful for people who have sensitivities to fragrances and perfumes.

2. Gentle on Clothing

Dryers can snag clothing, causing seams and zippers to break. The heat can also cause irreversible damage to fabrics. The one seemingly innocent dry cycle could lead to your favorite sweater in tats, literally.

With the few exceptions of knitwear and other garments that should be laid flat to dry, the clothesline is the better option.

3. Helps to Prevent Fires

Fires caused by tumble drying are a real risk. Vancouver averages around 18 per year, while Toronto sees 39. They can happen at a moment’s notice, and are best prevented by not using the dryer at all!

4. Increases Physical Activity

Did you know that hanging laundry on the line for just 15 minutes can burn 68 calories?

We’re not suggesting that you should swap your gym workouts for hanging clothes - but every little helps right?

5. Helps relieve stress

By just spending a few moments outside, our stress levels can be dramatically reduced. Taking the time to head outdoors - even just to hang out your clothes - gives you a few precious moments to feel the fresh air, the warming sun rays, and hear the birds sing. If you find that you’re too busy to take any meditative moments, the laundry could just provide your perfect opportunity.

6. Saves Money

Ok, we’ve already mentioned this one. However, with rising living costs, anything that allows you to save a few bucks is worth mentioning again and again. It does save you money - 12% is a significant amount of energy usage for one appliance.

7. Promotes energy conservation

With such high energy generation required, there’s no doubting that reducing your dryer usage by just a small amount would be significant in helping to reduce your own personal fossil fuel consumption. If we all did this together, imagine the impacts on the nation’s carbon footprints. It’s all about taking our own initiative steps to help protect the environment.

With all this being said, It’s certainly something to think about - will you be drying your clothes on a line this summer?