Back On Line

When you go to Europe you are delighted at the lines of laundry festooning every alleyway and side street. Poles of it, lines of it stretched from side to side in cooperation and racks of it on tiny decks or hung in windows makes for a romantic scene. Our photographs bear witness. And while it is an ethnic/aesthetic sight, it is also a hugely practical solution to reducing planet footprints. Dryers not only wear out fabrics, they use up energy unnecessarily.  Here in spoiled North America, we shun the almost extinct clothes line of yore. Neighbourhoods, apartments and condos ban laundry lines or racks. Oh my, oh my, one must not look upon the whites of others. Ugh! Some of us sneaks, hide our laundry drying racks where prying eyes cannot see and  smile when we bring in our outside dried linens with the wondrous aroma of fresh air. The germs hate it. Being environmentally aware includes using a combo washer/dryer laundry machine that takes small loads, uses 30 percent less water, poses no fire hazardous air vents because it condenses water taken from drying fabrics and sends it down the drain and is efficient power-wise. The unit, widely used in Europe but available here,  is apartment-sized and fits into a dish washer type opening using ordinary water pipes. Not much cheaper than a laundry pair, but very easy to install and a joy to use. Those who have property, should make an effort to make changes so that laundry may once again decorate our yards, be healthier done out in the fresh air and use far less energy than those big pig dryers. Also, it isn't what water comes into your home as much as what goes out and into the sewer treatment plant that costs tax dollars and affects the eco-footprint. Let's all get back on line!