Thursday, July 15, 2010

High and Dry

Life without a clothes dryer took some getting used to. I hang out 2 or 3 loads of wet laundry on the roof of my house most days. It's an activity I had only heard my mother reminisce about when remembering her childhood in the American countryside of the 1940s.

It can be a hassle in the winter when it's damp and things don't dry for days and days. Or they never dry and eventually start smelling moldy and you have to throw the whole load back into the washing machine and hope for the best.

Or sometimes, I fumble and an article of clothing lands on the inaccessible roof of our garage. The only remedy then is to wait for a strong wind to blow it down to the ground and to pray that I will find it before my adorable dog, Piedina, who just loves to chew on anything and everything.

But in the summer, line drying is wonderful. In about half an hour everything is soft and dry and smells like sunshine and fresh air. It's a scent you can't get from any fabric softener.

7 comments:

Laura said...

This is lovely! I'm with you on the scent of clothes warm from the summer sun. It's divine! This time of year I can get two or three loads dry on the terrace. In the winter it's a nightmare since the terrace doesn't get enough sun to really make it worthwhile hanging outside most of the time. So we turn one of the bedrooms into the drying room. It takes some creativity, doesn't it? :-)

LindyLouMac said...

Young family = loads of washing. I am so glad I only have washing and the dreaded ironing for two these days.

I also love hanging the washing outside but unlike most Italians I do also have a tumble dryer!! My in laws insisted on buying us one when we first moved here as a house warming pressie, because how could we ever manage without one! It hardly ever gets used as a 3kw power supply sees to that :)

Thanks for your comments yesterday on The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, to which I have now replied.

Rosaria Williams said...

Time consuming, but environmentally friendly and cheap too. The smell, unbeatable.

Jenn said...

As long as what you're dropping isn't underoos, your methods seem sound. I love the pictures!

Thanks for stopping by today, I'm glad I returned the visit. The scent of fresh air in the laundry...mmmmm.

citymouse said...

I know plenty of people who love the smell of line-dried clothes.

I think my dryer is an enabler, but that's okay in my book! It lets we do laundry at 3:00am when I can't sleep or as I leave the house in the morning for work. I think you're right, it would take a long time to get use to!

Inés Beatriz said...

wow the italian summer laundry sounds so lovely. Somehow less of a chore when you get to do it in the sunshine :)

Saretta said...

Thanks for all of your comments! Now who is going to come help me fold and iron? ;-)