Housing Communites vs. Clotheslines

A few weeks ago, ABC News ran a story about clotheslines and whether or not Americans should have a right to dry their clothes outside. Several housing communities actually ban the practice, primarily for aesthetic reasons. It seems people do not wish to see their neighbor´s laundry flying in the breeze. Many others view a clothesline as; "Memories of a less affluent time." One individual, who was interviewed, said that he would much rather look at nature, not his neighbor´s laundry. It´s an odd comment when one considers the fact the use of a clothesline helps protect nature in the first place.

Folks in Australia chuckle at Americans and our distaste for clotheslines. It seems that just about every household down-under, has a line in the yard. The same can be said for a place closer to home like Newfoundland, Canada. These first-world countries see absolutely no shame in putting their undergarments on the line for all to see. In fact, many of them take pride in using a line. They go out of their way to hang clothes in a particular sequence, just to make the line look more appealing. So why do Americans see it so differently? Is there something is our past, like the great depression, that forces our brains to see the concept in such poor light?

While its true that a large number of Americans see hanging laundry negatively, others see it as, "bringing back warm memories of their childhood. The reality is that most people will probably never change their view on the issue, but three factors are undeniably certain, they save money, they save energy and they help clean up the environment. Clothesline lovers cite additional reasons for promoting the use of a clothesline such as; they make clothes smell better, they remove the risk of a dryer fire, they make clothes last longer to name a few. Then there are those unusual people who genuinely enjoy hanging out their laundry. These people typically laugh when questioned about such an odd outlook regarding such a mundane chore. They feel that people who do look at it like a chore will never understand; as such explaining it to them is an effort in futility.

There is no shortage of new inventions coming along to promote clothesline usage. A quick search of the internet brings up, disappearing clotheslines, clotheslines that install the pins for you, elevated clotheslines and lines requiring no clothespins, just to name a few. Like so many other things today, the overwhelming majority of them are made outside the USA. Only a very small handful can still be considered locally manufactured, such as the, "Heavy-duty T-post" which is sold by www.clotheslineshop.com in Maine.

The increase in fuel prices definitely sparked renewed interest this centuries old way of drying laundry. The average family of four can easily save 30 dollars a month on their utility bill, simply by cutting the use of their electric or gas dryer. Unfortunately many families who are on the edge financially are prohibited by community bylaws. So the real question is, should the laws be legal? How is hanging laundry in the backyard infringing on the rights of others? Several states are now looking at disallowing these types of community bylaws in favor of environmental issues and the individual right to use a clothesline. If enough people begin hanging-out, perhaps the stigma of laundry blowing in the breeze will become a thing of the past.