Anyone have any thoughts on the basic LCA of gas vs electric dryers? Don't get me wrong here; I'm not condoning their use - I line dry exclusively, year round! A plug for a friend of mine: www.laundrylist.org They've done a great job, nationwide, to promote line drying and they even appeared on Colbert!
Blog Post
Lehigh and Stewi Clotheslines: A Really Simple Green Product
Americans spend a lot of energy drying clothes. The vast majority of Americans--79% in 2005, according to the DOE Energy Information Administration--use either gas-fired or electric dryers, though for household incomes of $75,000 or higher, about 92% use dryers. Electric models account for 77% of dryers, natural gas 22%, and propane 1%. According to the California Energy Commission, dryers are typically the second-largest consumer of electricity among home appliances--after refrigerators--costing about $85 per year to operate. EIA pegs the annual consumption at about 900 kWh per year (2001 data), with clothes dryers accounting for about 5.8% of total U.S. residential electricity use.
Because the energy performance of one dryer doesn't differ much than any other, they aren't part of the Energy Star program, though that is being reevaluated and we could see Energy-Star-listed dryers in the future.
But this isn't about electric or gas dryers; it's about drying clothes outdoors.
Lehigh is the largest North American manufacturer of cordage and outdoor clothesline systems, which are variously referred to as "outdoor clothes dryers," "outdoor drying racks," and "outdoor rotary dryers." Lehigh offers a range of outdoor clothes dryers, retractable clothes lines, and cordage. While Lehigh offers vinyl-clad clothesline (cordage), I'd opt for the non-coated product, of which there are a variety of options.
An umbrella-style, folding-aluminum outdoor clothes dryer from Lehigh retails for about $40 in the Secureline brand, including the cordage. These are sold through Home Depot and other retail outlets. By Earth Day 2011, the Secureline brand will include a 100%-recycled-content clothesline, according to Lehigh.
Stewi makes both outdoor and indoor drying racks, including stylish hinge-down models that can be used indoors. There are premium products that carry significantly higher pricetags. The Stewi "First Lady" outdoor rotary dryer retails for about $225. These are distributed in North America by Stenic Products in Markham, Ontario, which also sells them online.
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See membership options »In addition to saving energy and the environmental impacts associated with dryer use, drying clothes outdoors significantly reduces wear and tear on clothes (the lint in a dryer is clear evidence of that wear-and-tear--though some fabrics may fade in bright sunlight), kills bacteria, leaves clothes smelling fresh, and gets you outside in the sun (the best source of vitamin D!).
For more information:
The Lehigh Group
Macungie, Pennsylvania
800-523-9382, 610-966-9702
www.lehighgroup.comStenic Products
Markham, Ontario
888-763-5928, 905-763-5928
I invite you to share comments on this blog.
Alex Wilson is the executive editor of Environmental Building News and founder of BuildingGreen, LLC. To keep up with his latest articles and musings, you can sign up for his Twitter feeds. Here's his blog on the 40th anniversary of Earth Day and how far we have (or haven't) come.
Photo of Lehigh Secureline umbrella-style outdoor clothes rack. Source: Lehigh Secureline.
Published April 22, 2010 Permalink Citation
(2010, April 22). Lehigh and Stewi Clotheslines: A Really Simple Green Product. Retrieved from https://www.buildinggreen.com/blog/lehigh-and-stewi-clotheslines-really-simple-green-product
Comments
Hi Brad - it's my understandi
Hi Brad - it's my understanding that most combo washer-dryers with condensing dryers require up to several gallons of water per drying cycle for the condensation system. That increased water use could be an issue in arid areas. (Air-cooled condensing dryers tend to add heat to the room, likely something people in arid areas wouldn't want to do.) I'm not claiming expertise, and am always willing to be schooled.
I know that dryers don't have
I know that dryers don't have energy star ratings, and I use a clothesline when I can, but I have a condensing dryer, which uses considerably less energy than a gas or electric dryer. Mine is in the same unit as the washer, so it reduces the amount of raw materials used to produce my washer/dryer. It also does not need a vent, so it reduces the number of holes in my walls. It does, however, take a long time to dry and wrinkles things.
I'm enjoying all the talk abo
I'm enjoying all the talk about clotheslines and drying outside... one of the first additions to wherever I've lived is a clothes line. My coworkers thought it funny that I found hanging clothes to be relaxing, but it reminds me of my mother and her quest to have everything smell like the sun ... there's nothing like the crisp "sun" smell on your pillowcase ... I try not to run the dryer from May to October and although I'm not sure how much money it actually saves, it gives me an immeasurable warm memory ...
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