hanging out

this is one of those ideas i've been tossing around for a while, but haven't acted upon... looks like now is the time!

april 19 is national hanging out day, a celebration of the clothesline as an alternative to the dryer. besides being kinder to the earth and saving oodles of energy, clothes dried on lines last longer AND smell better!

a couple of tips i've run across regarding clothelines... plastic ropes won't sag like over time like regular ropes, and plastic clothespins last much longer than their wooden equivalents... also, tossing your towels in the dryer for a few minutes after taking them down from the line will help make them softer and less stiff.

if you can, give this a shot!

Photo: Sara Remington for The New York Times