In warming world, time to reconsider the clothesline

In an age of global warming, this low-tech device may be poised to stage a modest comeback.

from the April 25, 2007 edition

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To think about the humble and utilitarian clothesline is also to consider the role the dryer has played in increasing the size of our wardrobes. Would our closets be as full – and as big – if each washable item had to be hung on a line to dry, then taken down and ironed, rather than simply tossed in a dryer with a "wrinkle-release" setting?

No wonder homebuyers want walk-in closets, some the size of small rooms. Those in turn become a factor in increasing the size of American homes – and energy consumption. Then there's the cost of driving to the mall to buy all the clothes we can so easily wash and dry.

For Paul Gay, clotheslines have never gone away. As president of the Clothesline Shop in tiny Weeks Mills, Maine, he is following in the footsteps of his grandfather and father before him in running the 30-year-old business.

This time of year is the busy season, Mr. Gay says, noting a "massive uptick" in business as customers in the northern part of the country welcome spring by hanging clothes outdoors.

He describes two types of customers: The first are "folks who are trying to save money because the price of electricity and gas is going through the roof." The second group includes "folks who simply love to hang their clothes out." Young couples and older people are especially interested. Although customers are spread reasonably evenly across the country, he finds that Michigan, Texas, and California are especially popular states for clotheslines.

When they call to order a clothesline, many customers tell Gay, "I just want to be green."

Trying to be green with a simple clothesline, however noble a goal, sometimes comes with complications.

Once ubiquitous and essential, clotheslines are now seen as a blight on pristine suburban landscapes. Many local ordinances and condo associations ban them.

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