# Savings from using clothesline and hand washing dishes?



## Countrygal23

Anyone just use a clothesline for drying and hand wash their dishes? Do you have an estimate of how much money you've actually saved switching to those two instead of using the dryer and dishwasher? Thanks so much!!


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## jwal10

A lot. No power use, no appliance to buy. We heat the water with a coil in the wood stove, we have running hot water because we have a gravity fed spring. We don't use grid power or propane so can have a very small off grid system. We recycle the water used on the gardens, both edible and flowers. Soapy water is a good bug deterant....James


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## doozie

It will all depend on how many loads you dry. Try line drying for a month and see the difference in your bill.
I line dry almost everything except blankets or really bulky things, sometimes I just start in the dryer and finish off air drying. 
It also depends on humidity. 
In the winter things line dry so fast in my house. I think I may save 20.00+ a month, but it's just two of us.
It really doesn't take that much time to line dry, but that dryer was a hard habit to break at first for me. 

I also have an electric water heater now, so I am getting used to cold water washing, that's a savings too.

Never had a dishwasher so I just enjoy the extra cabinet space in my kitchen.


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## Rural Economist

This is very dependent on several things. Some have been mentioned already such as the number of loads. 

Another factor is how much you pay for the power. Here in Alabama we pay .0821 per kilowatt hour. I ajve heard of other states that pay upwards of .18 per kilowatt hour. Obviously they would save a lot more money doing this than we do. 

At our low rate we save only about 35 cents per load dried. Yes I did the math and I am that bad of a geek. Having said that, I just like my clothes line dried and 35 cents per load does add up. Just food for thought.


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## Maura

Your clothes last longer if they are line dried, so factor that in as well. As for the dishwasher, you don&#8217;t save water when hand washing. I don&#8217;t know that a dishwasher really ends up using less water, and it does not if you hand rinse everything before hand. Hand washing will save on electricity.


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## cfuhrer

Don't forget to factor in what your time is worth and how much you do or don't enjoy doing a job.

Line drying and hand washing take longer and take more labor input.

I abhor doing dishes - I am convinced dish water feeds on the human soul. So at our house dishes are likely to stack up, whereas if I had a dishwasher there'd never be a dirty dish in the house.


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## Moboiku

I've only ever line dried - better for the clothes and saves a ton on gas/electricity. In the winter I can sometimes line dry on a really nice day. Otherwise, I hang the clothes on a clothing rack indoors and place it over a heating vent. They don't dry as quickly as on the outside line but are dry in about 24 hours.

I do use a dishwasher now, though for about 20 years I didn't even own one. The problem with hand-washing dishes is it is hard to have a neat looking kitchen as there are always either dirty dishes stacking up on one side of the sink, or clean dishes in a dish drainer on the other. Now that I own a dishwasher, I like that the dirty dishes are out of sight. However I still do one load per day of dishes like pots and pans that my manual recommended should not be washed in a dishwasher. These days I use the lower rack of the dishwasher as my dish drainer, so that I can close the door when I'm done and let them drain into the bottom of the dishwasher, then put them away later when they're completely dry. In the meantime the kitchen looks neat and clean.


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## DisasterCupcake

My house came with appliances. Electric stove, dishwater, clothes washer, gas (thankfully) clothes dryer, refridgerator.

Since we wouldn't have spent any more or less on the house for or without the appliances, they were free. 

I only do laundry once a month. (lol) So I use the dryer. I hand wash most of the dishes. Only time I don't is when we have a party and have TONS of dishes to 'hide' away in a hurry. They just go in the ancient dishwasher and I run it a cycle. It doesn't do a good job anyway and uses a lot of water.


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## Maura

It doesn&#8217;t take long to discover the true use of the dishwasher. To hide the dishes, clean or dirty.


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## cowbelle

I stopped using my dryer about 4 yrs ago when it quit working. I've used racks in front of the heater ever since, and the line outside when it's warm for sheets etc. Haven't ever owned a dishwasher. Of course, I'm a single, which makes a difference, but every little bit of savings helps


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## cfuhrer

How does everyone keep their line dried items from getting stiff?


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## Moboiku

cfuhrer said:


> How does everyone keep their line dried items from getting stiff?


I've never used a dryer on a regular basis so I may be the wrong one to make the comparison but I don't find line-dried clothes stiff at all. Maybe it is just that you are used to dryer-dried clothes?

I wash in warm water, rinse in cold. My machine is a front-loader and I use Sun brand HE laundry detergent. No fabric softener. No bleach. Just water and detergent. Hang them to dry for a few hours and bring them in. I don't find them stiff at all and love how fresh they smell.


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## BohemianWaxwing

We do have both a dishwasher and a drier (as of a couple months ago that someone gave us) but we hand wash and hang dry. To me, it's a life quality issue. Yes, it takes a few more minutes, but it's a zen way to spend those few minutes, kind of like trimming weeds in the pasture on a dewy morning with a scythe instead of running the noisy, stinky mower on a hot afternoon. The fact that it cuts down on the electric bill at all is just a bonus.


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## Countrygal23

Thanks y'all! I've been wanting a clothesline for a few years keep telling hubby and he hasn't put one in yet but this year im literally making him lol


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## doozie

You don't have to wait, I use my shower rod and hangers for light tops, tshirts.
There are clips that attach to hangers to dry dish cloths,shorts, or jogging pants. Collapsible hanging racks for socks/undies. We used conduit attached to rafters in basement for hangers too.


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## katlupe

I have been washing clothes and dishes by hand since 1999, since I am off the grid too. I can't really say how much money it would have saved since we don't have anything to compare it to. I line dry and never had the laundry be stiff. In the winter, I have a laundry rack that I set up next to our chimney upstairs with plastic under the rack to catch any dripping water. 

Dishes is another story. I hate that job, but have been doing it every day since I moved here. But our system is pretty small and not able to handle a dishwasher and our water is not piped into the house anyway. Not going to complain about it since I really like the lifestyle.


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## Maura

Laundry hang dried will be stiff if you use too much detergent. Next time, run everything through with no detergent, just water. The remains of the detergent left in the clothes will be enough to clean them. Most things need half the amount of detergent that is recommended, often even less than that.


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## Vickivail98

In addition to reducing the amount of soap used I add a little white vinegar to the rinse cycle (in an old downy ball) and it zapps out all stiffness and static.


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## n3ttst3r

If you don't like the feel of line dried clothes line dry them then toss them in a drier on a fluff only no heat with a drier ball. Gives the drier drier feel without adding the extra electric to heat it, doesn't take long maybe 10ish minutes to fluff them up. My husband doesn't like the feel of line dried so that's our work around to it, saves some money and he gets the fluffy soft clothes he is use to having.


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## Ladyleo191

Another trick to avoid stiff clothes is try to do laundry on a breezy day. The more clothes move, the softer they will be. It even improves towels.


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## Witch's Broom

While I've never calculated the savings associated with line-drying and washing/drying dishes by-hand, reality tells me there are savings to be had in both categories.

I grew up in a home with no automatic dishwasher, so remember helping my mom wash and dry dishes all the time, and the same went for clothesline drying, we had a line, and we used it all the time.

Personally I love washing/drying dishes by-hand, and while we do actually have an automatic dishwasher, I rarely use it, in fact, I can't honestly remember the last I ran a load of dishes through my dishwasher. Been a good 2-3 years (anyhow).

As for line-drying, I line-dry from spring until fall (faithfully). Love the nostalgic look of clothes on a line!

Additionally, I find hand-washing and drying dishes (by-hand) to be relaxing and almost meditative.


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## muleskinner2

cfuhrer said:


> How does everyone keep their line dried items from getting stiff?


I like the feeling of line dried clothes. It's how my great grandmother, grand mother and mother did it. Feels fine to me.


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## Witch's Broom

muleskinner2 said:


> I like the feeling of line dried clothes. It's how my great grandmother, grand mother and mother did it. Feels fine to me.


100% agree! Nothing like climbing under fresh line-dried bedding at the end of a long day.


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## muleskinner2

Maude said:


> 100% agree! Nothing like climbing under fresh line-dried bedding at the end of a long day.


Yep.


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## Wolf mom

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/energy/frustrated-users-back-agency-move-to-allow-dishwashers-that-clean-and-dry-in-an-hour.

Breaking news.


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## Witch's Broom

Wolf mom said:


> https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/energy/frustrated-users-back-agency-move-to-allow-dishwashers-that-clean-and-dry-in-an-hour.
> 
> Breaking news.


Got to love the good old-fashioned method of washing and drying dishes by-hand, which for the record, seldom takes me any longer than about 20-30 minutes, and on days where pots and pans are absent, I can complete a typical full kitchen cleanup in 10-15 minutes. That's dishes washed, dried, and put away, with counters and stovetop clean.


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## GTX63

My grandmother had a disdain for dishwashers. She used to say if you just wash what you used you'd always have an empty sink and a full cupboard. She also believed letting dirty dishes sit in the dishwasher waiting to fill up was like pooping in the toilet and flushing once a week.


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## Witch's Broom

GTX63 said:


> My grandmother had a disdain for dishwashers. She used to say if you just wash what you used you'd always have an empty sink and a full cupboard. She also believed letting dirty dishes sit in the dishwasher waiting to fill up was like pooping in the toilet and flushing once a week.


Your grandmother and I would have gotten along very well.


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## vickinell

I hand wash my dishes. I usually wash as I cook. I use my dishwasher when I have a lot of company or when I wash the dishes in my cabinet and shelves in the dining room that I only use occasionally. I also have a lot of tea sets on display. When all my grandchildren have the room I will give them the ones they have chosen. Until then, we enjoy having tea.


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## altair

cfuhrer and I are kindred, I hate dishes. I typically use the same bowl and glass for days if I can, rinsing and putting it back on the counter for my own use. 

I grew up in a home that used both a dryer and the clothesline. I love the smell of dryer clothes and the warmth of them when it's cold. With pets, I also love the fact dryers help subtract animal hair. I do appreciate clothes racks and would likely use them more if my cats didn't sharpen their claws on my grandmother's rack. So now and again I'll throw an article of clothing I don't want in the dryer over a chair or something temporary.

Good original question though! My husband and I probably do dishes once a week and wash clothing even less than that so I don't think our savings would be extravagant but certainly every little bit helps.


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## In The Woods

Washing dishes....

My wife and I have this conversation once in a while. Usually it’s after watching a home improvement or real estate show. We are always amazed when the people make such a big deal of the dishwasher - or the lack of one - e gads!

We’ve been married for some 25 years now and have never had one. When I ask her if she ever had one before we met she said no. Neither of us would know how to operate one if we had it.

We are both in the belief in washing dishes and pot/pans as we go. It only takes a few seconds each time. I just can’t see doing it any other way.


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## tracylee

I use a wringer washer so I can control how long the laundry washes, never owned a dryer, I hang outside until the temps hit about 0*then hang in the house. I've never owned a dish washer.


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## Witch's Broom

tracylee said:


> I use a wringer washer so I can control how long the laundry washes, never owned a dryer, I hang outside until the temps hit about 0*then hang in the house. I've never owned a dish washer.


What I'd give to wash a load of laundry again using a good old-fashioned wringer washing machine!

Growing up in a home with baby siblings, not only did I help and pitch-in with the changing of their diapers, I used to help my mom wash their diapers, too, using a wringer washing machine. Occasionally a pair of rubber pants would find their way through the rollers (accidentally), and boy did they ever let out a loud bang! They'd pop just like a balloon!


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## Witch's Broom

Was just giving thought to the diaper days in our house (my own children, 1983 to 1996), and how nice it was to pin those diapers up on the outdoor clothesline to dry. No additional heat coming from the electric tumble dryer on a hot summer day adding to the discomfort in the home, no listening to the steady hum of the motor of the electric tumble dryer, and line-drying the diapers meant no additional wear-and-tear on the fabric. Diapers lasted longer.

Also, with those old-fashioned cloth diapers came old-fashioned rubber pants, and being vinyl-plastic, having an outdoor clothesline to pin up those rubber pants to air and dry was a must! I remember cycling between two pairs of rubber pants throughout the day... with one pair on baby's bottom, and the other pair airing on the outdoor line between changes.

I tell people, when you remove the lint-filter after drying a load of laundry and it's full of fluff, that's the fibers from all of the clothing and items being dried in the tumbler, whereas line drying preserves the fabric longer. WAY less wear-and-tear on things when line-dried the old-fashioned way.


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## Annie in S.E. Ohio

I washed dishes by hand for over 25 years in hard lime laden water and always detested ever minute of it. I enjoy and find great satisfaction in cooking, but all the messy dishes and pots and pans ruined the joy from cooking. So when we built the new house I requested a water softner be installed and that was the greatest thing ever ! No need to routinely scrub sinks, tubs, shower stalls and their glass doors, the soft water left no water and soap residue anywhere. Only need a quarter of the detergent, shampoo, and soap to still get everything spotlessly clean and laundry soft and fluffy without fabric softner. So the water softner has paid for itself in conserved cleaning products in the first year of use. I go through one 40 pound bag of softner salt a month, purchased at Aldi for under $5 dollars.

Had to go look up the amount of water used by my top of the line, super duper efficient, and whisper quiet Bosch dishwasher: less than 7 gallons used for the Auto cycle for a full load of dishes and pots and pans. Auto cycle takes 2 hours and 15 minutes. The Speed 60 cycle only takes less than 5 gallons used, and gets the full load washed and dried in an hour. So it's more efficient to use the Speed 60 cycle, which really surprised me !

Where we live electricity is supplied by a Co-op and is very moderately priced, can't complain. But our water comes in from a private for profit water company (wells around here tend to go dry during the extended droughts in the summer) and costs over $100 for around 4,000 gallons. Average water bill is usually around $45 a month. 

I can't even come close at water used by hand washing the amount of dishes a full load the magic Bosch does for under 5 gallons.

So, it depends on the make and model of the dishwasher when comparing total costs and efficiency of hand washing versus using a dishwasher. And for a Bosch model, cycles of an hour are even more efficient than the over two hour long cycles.


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## robin416

I'm on town water. Everything I have in the house is a water saver type device, the dishwasher and washing machine included. The only time I've ever paid more than the minimum maintenance amount was when I had a leak. 

I've got far too many trees to line dry clothes. I'd end having to rewash them after the birds in the trees had their way with them. And I really don't want to cut the trees down to put up a clothesline.


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## Jealous Gypsy Homestead

cfuhrer said:


> Don't forget to factor in what your time is worth and how much you do or don't enjoy doing a job.
> 
> Line drying and hand washing take longer and take more labor input.
> 
> I abhor doing dishes - I am convinced dish water feeds on the human soul. So at our house dishes are likely to stack up, whereas if I had a dishwasher there'd never be a dirty dish in the house.


I have the same issue, the hubby hust got a generator, im very tempted to try to find a low wattage portable dishwasher. He had suggested a washer, however i think a dishwasher would make me much happier. Does this make me a bad homesteader?


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## sapphira

Bad experience line drying when lived in Florida. Teenager screaming in the bathroom. Towel she used apparently had fly larvae or something on it in excess. Re showered her and had to redo all my towels, drying on porch. To this day I never line dry without that 15 minutes in dryer after they are dry. We had no dryer in Florida.


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## farmmaid

We down sized to 720 sq ft...no working dishwasher. When hubby remodeled the kitchen I wanted things organized in kitchen so I would not have to reach up in cupboards for everyday dishes and glasses.. There is just hubby and I so this is what I came up with. He instilled a very clean non working dishwasher next to the sink where you would put a working dish washer. I store everyday dishes, silverware, glasses etc. there, just like rollout kitchen cabinets but old dishwasher, free on craigs list. I wash the dishes in sink and put them on the dish washers"s roll out racks. I place a dish towel, to collect drips, on the door and leave the door open until the dishes drip dry, next to the other stored dishes. Then I pick up the towel and close the dishwasher door, So dishes dry in the place they are stored. Hang the towel up to dry ( has only clean water on it and ready for next time). No messy kitchen and saves a step from drainer to cupboard. I am coming 72 and always thinking of possible future needs. Works wonderful, broken dish washer free, no dishes in a drain and no lifting dishes into overhead cabinets.


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## Jealous Gypsy Homestead

farmmaid said:


> We down sized to 720 sq ft...no working dishwasher. When hubby remodeled the kitchen I wanted things organized in kitchen so I would not have to reach up in cupboards for everyday dishes and glasses.. There is just hubby and I so this is what I came up with. He instilled a very clean non working dishwasher next to the sink where you would put a working dish washer. I store everyday dishes, silverware, glasses etc. there, just like rollout kitchen cabinets but old dishwasher, free on craigs list. I wash the dishes in sink and put them on the dish washers"s roll out racks. I place a dish towel, to collect drips, on the door and leave the door open until the dishes drip dry, next to the other stored dishes. Then I pick up the towel and close the dishwasher door, So dishes dry in the place they are stored. Hang the towel up to dry ( has only clean water on it and ready for next time). No messy kitchen and saves a step from drainer to cupboard. I am coming 72 and always thinking of possible future needs. Works wonderful, broken dish washer free, no dishes in a drain and no lifting dishes into overhead cabinets.


Great idea for space saving


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