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Chores, cleaning and home care

Line drying

Drying laundry by hanging it on a clothesline, rack or bar to air dry, indoors or outdoors, instead of using a tumble dryer.

What It Means

Line drying is letting washed laundry dry in the air by hanging it on a clothesline, a drying rack or a bar, indoors or outside. ENERGY STAR lists air drying clothes when you can among its everyday tips for using less energy at home. Some care labels ask for it outright with instructions like "Line dry", while others ask for a variation such as "Dry flat" or "Drip dry".

Try It: Decode Four Drying Instructions

Four drying instructions from the care symbol chart the FTC publishes. Tap each one to see what it asks you to do.

Line dry

Hang the item up damp, on a line or a bar, indoors or outdoors.

Drip dry

Hang it up while it's still dripping wet, without wringing it out first.

Dry flat

Lay it out flat to dry. The FTC says this label needs no extra "Do not tumble dry".

Dry in shade

Dry it out of direct sunlight.

How It Sounds at Home

  • "I'll hang the sheets out on the line."
  • "Just throw it on the drying rack."
  • "Don't put that in the dryer, it's line dry only."

The Breakdown

How to line dry

  1. Read the care label. "Line dry" and "Drip dry" mean hang it up, "Dry flat" means lay it down, and "Dry in shade" means keep it out of the sun.
  2. Shake each item out as it comes from the washer.
  3. Hang shirts and dresses on hangers, and peg pants and towels over the line by their edges.
  4. Leave space between items so air can move around each one.
  5. Lay knits and anything labeled "Dry flat" on a rack or a clean towel.
  6. Put anything labeled "Dry in shade" somewhere out of direct sun.
  7. Fold or put things away once they're dry all the way through.

A short version to try today. Pick one load, such as sheets or towels, and hang it on a rack or line instead of running the dryer.

When the dryer still runs. ENERGY STAR suggests drying loads of similar fabrics together, so the whole load finishes at once, and cleaning the lint filter after every load to keep air moving.

Good to Know

Each item's care label is its rule. The FTC's Care Labeling Rule guidance covers the drying instructions on labels, and the ASTM symbol chart it publishes shows separate symbols for line dry, drip dry, dry flat and drying in shade. When a label says "Do not tumble dry", hanging it or laying it flat, as the label directs, is how it gets dry.

FAQ

Does line drying save energy?

ENERGY STAR lists air drying clothes when you can among its tips for cutting energy use at home. How much it saves depends on your dryer and how often you'd otherwise run it.

What's the difference between line dry and drip dry?

Line dry means hanging the item up damp after the spin. Drip dry means hanging it while it's still dripping wet, without wringing it out.

What does dry flat mean on a clothing label?

Lay the item out flat to dry instead of hanging it or tumble drying it. The FTC notes that a "Dry flat" label doesn't also need to say "Do not tumble dry".

Do It in Buhata

Tasks with a repeat

Add "Hang the sheets on the line" as a weekly repeating task in Buhata's Tasks, on the day your laundry schedule sets aside for bedding.

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Related Terms and Categories

  • Hand washing clothes

    Washing garments in a basin or sink with gentle detergent and slow, careful handling, for items whose care label says hand wash or that a machine could stretch or damage.

  • Wool dryer balls

    Balls of felted wool that tumble with damp laundry in the dryer to separate the load and let air move through it, often used in place of dryer sheets.

  • Dryer vent cleaning

    Clearing built-up lint out of the duct that carries a clothes dryer's hot, damp air outdoors. NFPA advises cleaning the vent pipe at least once a year.

  • Laundry sorting

    Dividing dirty laundry into loads that can be washed together safely, by color, how dirty it is, lint and the care each fabric needs.

  • Mildew

    A flat, usually gray or white mold that grows on damp surfaces such as shower grout, curtains and fabric left wet.

Chores, cleaning and home care

Sources

ENERGY STAR, "Laundry"; ENERGY STAR, "Low- to No-Cost Tips for Saving Energy at Home"; ENERGY STAR, "Clothes Dryers"; Federal Trade Commission, "Clothes Captioning: Complying with the Care Labeling Rule"; ASTM Guide to Care Symbols, published by the FTC; American Cleaning Institute, "Fabric Care Language Made Easy!"

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