But a recent movement has tied the clothesline to one of today's most pressing issues and, quite possibly, made the line a hip place for clothes to dry. Members of "Right to Dry" groups, popping up nationwide, are touting the clothesline as an easy way to go green: It cuts the need for energy-gobbling electric dryers.
"This is a novel approach to environmental activism because almost everybody has to do laundry," said Alexander Lee, executive director of Project Laundry List, a New Hampshire-based clothesline rights group. "We have found a way to get in the hearts and minds of every American, even if they think what we do is crazy."
Project Laundry List advocates for legislation that would override neighborhood organization prohibitions against clotheslines and leave it up to each household to determine its drying method.
The movement's first test will be in North Carolina, where activists hope to prove clotheslines are one of the "energy devices" that a new law protects.
With electric dryers costing more than $100 a year in energy for most households, the benefits to line drying clothes are enormous, Lee said.
There are 88 million electric dryers in the U.S., according to 1995 data from the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers. Each year, they consume 1,079 kilowatt hours of energy per household and emit 2,224 pounds of carbon dioxide.
But many homeowners worry the chaos of backyard clotheslines will bring down property values, said Frank Rathbun, spokesman for the Community Associations Institute.
Nearly 59 million Americans live in association-governed communities, according to the institute, and Rathbun said most associations restrict clotheslines to some degree.
It should be up to homeowners to set the rules for their communities, he said. But that doesn't make the regulations unchangeable.
"We recommend that associations conduct periodic reviews of their rules to ensure they still have the support of residents," he said. "A rule that residents wanted 10 years ago may not have support today."
If putting a clothesline up is allowed, Kelly Tagore, an editor for Martha Stewart Living, suggests hanging it where it will be hidden by a fence or won't be the first thing neighbors see when they look out their windows.
"By all means avoid installing it in a location that preserves your views, only to infringe on theirs," she said.
How to line-dry your clothes
For those who grew up with the tumble of the dryer, the main challenge to line drying might be a lack of simple know-how. Proper hanging is important to minimize wrinkles, stretching and the potential for dirt on the line to rub off.
Here are tips for learning to love the line:
• Start with the basics and find sturdy clothespins with strong springs, said Cheryl Mendelson, author of "Laundry: The Home Comforts Book of Caring for Clothes and Linens." Any clothing can be line-dried except knits, which might stretch and should be laid flat to dry.
• Hang shirts upside down from the bottom hem to avoid stretch or pinch marks at the shoulders. Fold sheets and tablecloths in half and pin to line, hem side up, at corners. Then pin each side to line separately at intervals between corners.
• Darks should be hung in the shade or dried inside out, because the sun acts as a natural bleaching agent. While it's a good idea to hang light-colored clothes inside out to avoid uneven fading, Mendelson said the sun's lightening powers are a blessing.
"It bleaches whites, fades stains and kills germs," she said. "Sunlight can weaken fabrics if excessive, but it's not nearly as damaging as chemical bleaches."
• Only dry clothing outside until the weather drops to the 50s, Mendelson said, and then move drying to a wooden floor rack in the basement, laundry room or garage. Homeowners also can install a drying cabinet, in which they can hang clothes in a closet-like space and not take up precious room on the floors.
• Those worried about losing that dryer-soft feel can reduce stiffness by giving clothes a firm snap before hanging them and when removing them from the line. Terry cloth towels are notorious for line-dried stiffness, which can be reduced by tossing them in the drier for about five minutes before placing them back by the shower.
Kelly Tagore, an editor for "Martha Stewart Living," recommends adding 1/2 cup of baking soda to the wash cycle or 1/4 cup white vinegar to the rinse cycle for softening.
"Of course you can always just learn to enjoy the rough texture, " she said. "After all, it's exfoliation. People pay good money for that at a spa."
