The Right To Dry: Hang Drying Clothing

Over the last several years, as people have become more eco-conscious, many people have started to hang dry their clothing. Saves environment, saves money, saves clothing by lasting longer and saves time.

Unfortunately as condos and apartment buildings have proliferated, homeowner associations and apartment owners/managers have disallowed the use of clothes lines and hang drying. Owners state that hanging dirty laundry reduces property values 15%.

The good news is that with Global Warming such a hot topic, there are some states that have laws to override the ban, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Maine, Utah, Vermont. California has a Bill 1448 going in front of Governor Brown that will ease the ban.

But the good news is that if your state has a Solar Rights/Access law, you have to option to line dry your clothes. Clothes hanging requires solar energy. Therefore if your state, city, county has a solar rights/access law, you are in your rights to hang dry your clothes. Laws stating that you have to right to use Solar Energy means that you have the right to utilize the power of the sun.

There are Solar access laws in Arizona, California, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Texas, Virginia, and Wisconsin. Other verbiage might include “solar energy system,” “solar energy device,” “solar collector,” “system for obtaining solar energy” or “solar energy collection device.

Take heart eco savers, look at your laws and make a determination on hang drying. Personally, I hang dry almost everything. I have a clothing rack set up in a bedroom and one on the side yard. The racks are on wheels so I can move easily. I never put underwear outside, as to not offend my neighbors.

I Just Got To Eco Ya:

• $96.00 Average savings per year by not using your clothes dryer.
• 1,500 pounds of carbon emissions save
• 30 million tons of coal used per year.
• $236 million in property losses due to residential clothes dryers (U.S. Fire Administration (USFA))
• estimated 16,800 reported U.S. non-confined or confined home structure fires involving clothes dryers or washing machines (2010)
• 51 civilian deaths (2010)
• 1980- less than 50% of the USA population had a dryer
• 2009 more than 80% of the USA population had a dryer.
• 65.3% of those in poverty have a clothes dryer (Source)

Resources

• Ways to Avoid Dryer Fires 
• Insurance Journal 
• Clothesline Bans Void in 19 States; This is from 2012, but provides a listing of states with hang drying and Solar Access Laws
• Right To Dry Campaign