Be Energy Smart with a Clothes Drying Rack

The electric clothes dryer is a relatively new invention that first became popular in the late 1950s. Up until then, our moms (or the maid, if the family was so lucky) dried the family laundry on either clothes lines or on clothes drying racks.

Those exterior lines were very practical when the weather was fine, but didn't work spit when it was raining or snowing outside. For those days when Mother Nature didn't cooperate, all that wet laundry was hung indoors where it would dry over several days. For families with large porches and basements, the laundry was hung on retractable lines that were stretched between the rafters.

Smaller homes relied on a more portable system, such as the drying rack. The advantage of the clothes drying racks, also known as laundry drying racks, is they could be pushed near the fireplace at night, and back out of the way during the day.

What exactly is a clothes drying rack?

A clothes drying rack is a series of wooden dowels connected to wooden side supports. What makes the drying rack so portable is that the side supports collapse when the rack is not in use. A collapsed drying rack is only less than 5 inches in height, weighs just a few pounds, and can be tucked under a bed or in a closet.

Traditional drying racks, such as the ones our grandmothers used were made of pine. These tall slender racks held about 25 lineal feet of laundry and are still available today for around $35. Discount department stores carry a smaller version of this rack, which is made of a thinner dowel and collapses to about 3 inches in height.

Some of these smaller racks are made of either metal or pine, cost around $15, and hold 18 lineal feet of clothing. These inexpensive racks aren't nearly as well constructed as the traditional ones, and can not be used for heavy laundry, such as jeans and blankets. They are however, excellent for drip drying delicates and other light weight clothing.

With more people interested in conserving electricity, a new generation of collapsible dryer racks have hit the market that can hold up to 56 lineal feet of clothes. These family sized racks can run between 50 to 75 dollars, and fold out to resemble a tent of sorts. One company even produces a collapsible model that attaches to the wall.

So what's the advantage of drying clothes on a rack?

Most people don't realize that the clothes dryer is the single biggest energy hog in the house. Rates vary from state to state, but on average, a single dryer load consumes about 45¢ of electricity. Ten to fiften dryer loads each week can easily add $25 a month to your power bill.

Aside from the incredible energy cost, clothes dryers are also rather hard on clothes. The heat can fade and shrink cotton and wool, and will ruin the elastic in socks and underwear. Clothes dried on the line or on a rack, seem to last longer and hold their shape and color, year after year. Longer lasting clothes mean even more savings.

I purchased my vintage clothing rack from a thrift store. For a family sized racks for yourself, check with local bedding and bath stores, or search on line. Interested in learning how much savings you can expect to gain with this old fashioned technology? Visit the link in the resource section for an terrific energy use calculator.