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Matilda
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| Posted: April 07 2008 at 10:53am | IP Logged
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This thread really got me thinking about whether or not I could air dry clothes in the garage during the summer. I know this would work differently for some people depending on their typical summer climate. We live in Texas and I would love to know if anyone in our part of the country or close to it has ever tried it.
Also, I have never tried it because I thought it would affect my husband's allergies but does hanging your clothes outside to dry make allergies worse or not? What has been your experience?
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Charlotte (Matilda)
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with bookend boys and a double girl sandwich
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CKwasniewski
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| Posted: April 07 2008 at 11:42am | IP Logged
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It's generally agreed that clothes would pick up a good amount of pollen. And if a person has serious allergies that's not recommended. I have the same problem in the summer.
However, you could just dry your dh's clothes in the dryer and everybody else's outside. Also his bedding would need to be done in the dryer. That would still save a lot!
I don't know if putting it in the garage would help much. And if you dropped something it wd very likely get dirty, if your garage is anything like ours! 
Europeans just hang clothes inside all winter... Not sure we're ready for that though! 
hth
ck
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ctrivette
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| Posted: April 07 2008 at 11:45am | IP Logged
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I don't know where in TX you are, but I have been hanging laundry out all year here in the northern part of TX. Between the wind, sun, and low humidity, everything dries pretty quickly. But I don't know if in the cooler, dark garage it would dry as well. Do you have windows you could open to get some air circulation? We haven't had problem with allergies related to hanging clothes out, but I machine dry my sheets because our line is not high enough for the bigger sheets. We didn't have the line at this time last year and even with drying my sheets and all the socks/underwear, we used a lot fewer kWh this March than last March when we dried everything inside. Hope that helps a little:)
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Matilda
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| Posted: April 07 2008 at 12:23pm | IP Logged
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We are in North Texas and our garage faces west and gets a lot of evening sun so it stays pretty warm in there. There are no windows but I could crack the door. What do you do about the Spring storms?
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Charlotte (Matilda)
Mom to four (11, 10, 9 & 5) an even split for now
with bookend boys and a double girl sandwich
Waltzing Matilda
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hylabrook1
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| Posted: April 07 2008 at 12:23pm | IP Logged
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I've thought about this a fair amount, too. I think it probably varies greatly for different people, depending on their garage. Ours is a double garage, the doors face south, and it has two large windows. I've considered opening the doors and windows to be sure there is some breeze in there so that things would actually dry. But all that *opening* would likely not decrease the pollen compared to outdoors. Also, my older dd's tell me the garage smells too much like lawnmower grease/gasoline and fertilizer, so it wouldn't give the laundry that fresh outdoorsy scent; in fact, they object strenuously to the way things would smell. So, for me, I think drying in the garage won't be happening.
Maybe another piece of the pollen puzzle would be where things are planted near your house. If someone is really allergic to maple pollen, say, and the part of the yard where your clothesline would be is near a maple tree, and your garage is nowhere near any maple trees, it would work well to open the garage doors. But how far does pollen travel? Might it still come in through the garage door? Just thinking...
Peace,
Nancy
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guitarnan
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| Posted: April 07 2008 at 12:25pm | IP Logged
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I keep ours in the basement most of the year.
I suppose it depends on the pollens that affect your family; ours are mostly early-spring and August (ragweed) pollens.
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Nancy in MD. Mom of ds (24) & dd (18); 31-year Navy wife, move coordinator and keeper of home fires. Writer and dance mom.
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ctrivette
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| Posted: April 07 2008 at 12:35pm | IP Logged
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I just try to bring them in before the big storms...mostly so they don't blow away! I have a small rack that I put in the bathtub if I need to hang things inside, or I would toss them in the dryer to finish up if a large load (too much for the rack) had to come in too soon.
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Nina
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| Posted: April 07 2008 at 3:49pm | IP Logged
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I used to hang ours in the basement also.This was when we used to live in Chicago,and I could do this even in the winter.
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Donna Marie
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| Posted: April 07 2008 at 4:22pm | IP Logged
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I would just caution you that wherever you do hang indoors you want to be careful not to hang in an area that would not be able to handle the moisture...you wouldn't want to encourage mold growth. You could always run a de-humidifier near the indoor line to help with this. I don't know how expensive running one would be though.
God love you!
Donna Marie from NJ
hs momma to 7dc +one more due 10/08
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Donna Marie from NJ
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Finding Elegant Simplicity
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Matilda
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| Posted: April 07 2008 at 4:23pm | IP Logged
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This might be a silly question, but this Texas girl who has never seen one has to ask... what is a basement like? Is it like a garage? Are their windows? Does the air circulate well, a little or not at all? Is it attached to the central air system? Thanks!
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Charlotte (Matilda)
Mom to four (11, 10, 9 & 5) an even split for now
with bookend boys and a double girl sandwich
Waltzing Matilda
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JennGM
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| Posted: April 07 2008 at 4:33pm | IP Logged
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Matilda wrote:
| This might be a silly question, but this Texas girl who has never seen one has to ask... what is a basement like? Is it like a garage? Are their windows? Does the air circulate well, a little or not at all? Is it attached to the central air system? Thanks! |
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LOL! Coming originally from TX and LA, I thought all houses were built on slabs until I came to VA and went to school in OH. The problem is there is no one answer for your question! Some are dark and dank and no air, some are finished. Some are walkout basements, some are walk-up basements, some have no exit at all. Some just have a few windows for ventilation, some have doors and windows like regular floors. Some are scary, some are clean and bright, and there's everything in between!
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KC in TX
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| Posted: April 07 2008 at 4:58pm | IP Logged
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Oh, Matilda, you crack me up! My husband finds it weird to find there are no basements. He grew up in New England. Their basement was one of those dark dreary ones. His aunt in Northern Viriginia has a finished walkout basement and it's just like another floor of the house--it's where my kids spend most of their time when we visit as it has the least amount of breakables.
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4Real Forums : Our Lady's Loom, Larder, and Laundry
Topic: Clothesline in the garage for allergies?
