Green Daily

It's a beautiful, warm, dry Saturday and you're catching up on your laundry. How are you going to dry it? I remember growing up, the answer was "on our clothesline!" Our whole neighborhood would air dry their clothes out on clotheslines, as long as the weather and season permitted.

Now many private communities and even whole towns have banned hanging your clothes out to dry as it is considered an 'eyesore.' And I live in one of them. Sometimes I'll sneak a few pieces out in the yard when I can't resist. Because I'm a rebel like that.

According to the Residential Energy Consumption Survey, as cited in a recent Wall Street Journal article, clothes dryers account for 6% of electricity consumed by U.S. households, right behind refrigerators and lighting. It costs the typical household $80 a year just for the energy to run a standard dryer.

So what can you do if you live in one of these clothesline-free zones? Well, you're going to have to stick with your dryer, so make sure you only dry full loads and if you are in the market for a new dryer, look for one with a moisture sensor that ends the run when the clothes are dry, not according to a timer.