[Greenbuilding] energy efficiency and renovations

[Ken Beiser]

>7. Delete the clothes dryer (this could cut energy use in an average
>family by 10- 20%!) and make the clothesline easy to use from the
>laundry


Though I agree in principle, I have to wonder if this one is 
realistic. What happens in cold weather? In inclement weather? At 
night?  (And that's aside from the assumption of an outdoor space in 
the first place -- wouldn't work for our NYC apartment!)

We have been doing without the clothes dryer now for about 20 years.  We have one but it only gets used to shake out wrinkles in some of our "dress clothes"....I don't even own any of those but my wife a daughter do use it infrequently (less than 3 times a month).   We have a Maytag Neptune (piece of junk) front loader which spins things pretty well.  My wife and I both work and our teens are now constantly on the go.

So a family of four can easily get by drying indoors and outdoors.  Inside we primarily use fold up wood racks.  It has become a habit at our home.

The other day some unexpected guest stopped by and they gravitated to the living room near our woodstove where two racks of clothes including underwear were drying.  I mentioned it to them but it didn't seem to bother them and we had a nice visit.

Ken
Whitefish, MT