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No Clothes Dryer, No problem?

T Blankinship

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posted 2 weeks ago

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So for the past few years I have not used my clothes dryer as a dryer. I have been using the top as table. Now I come to a point where I am thinking about selling/giving it a way/other ideas. It is a 30 year old or older gas dryer and I have ideas on what to do with the space. I know there are places on this planet that do not use dryers. There is a part of me that thinks I should keep it "just in case". The main reason I stopped using it was to save money and to stop toxic fairy dust getting on my clothing. So here are some of my ideas on what to do:

Find a "just in case" way to dry clothing.
1. Use a laundromat as a back up or friends/family dryer.
2. Find a permies way to dry clothing. Years ago my father told me about a dryer using centrifugal force to dry. Has any used one and liked it?
3. I know Paul Wheaton in Building World Backyard book or in a Podcast talked about using a dehumidifier in a room to dry clothing. And I can not forget using a Solar dehydrator as a dryer too.

This to do with the space.
1. Make more storage for things and may be an area to line dry.
2. Or since I brew turn the area into a small brewery.

Well what are your ideas?

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Deane Adams

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posted 2 weeks ago

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If you have the space how about an outdoor line or two? That's all I use these days and a line in the basement. But I live alone and only do laundry every two weeks or so. Also I can use an indoor folding dryer rack near my new wood stove.

Peace

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T Blankinship

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posted 2 weeks ago

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Deane Adams wrote:If you have the space how about an outdoor line or two? That's all I use these days and a line in the basement. But I live alone and only do laundry every two weeks or so. Also I can use an indoor folding dryer rack near my new wood stove.

Peace

I have an indoor folding rack and I have a rope in my den that I use to dry bed sheets and other big things. I have in the past used outdoor lines when it was 100F and in 15 minutes things were very dry. The more I think about how I can use the space that the dryer is currently using. The more fun I am having!

You should never forget that every creature has its purpose in the cycle of nature and can also be very important to humans. Sepp Holzer's Permaculture

Anne Miller

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posted 2 weeks ago

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I use my dryer for storage which works for me.

Harvester ants like to get on stuff hanging on the line.

I kinda fold the stuff when dry and stuff it into the dryer. Harvester ants may die ...

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Anna Miller

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Location: Southwest VA, zone 6b

posted 2 weeks ago

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I keep my dryer for my knits (t shirts, underwear, etc) that would be a pain to hang, but I line drying the rest. A while ago, I saw something called a “bathroom dryer” being used in japan. Basically, it is a bathroom vent that also heats. Last time i checked, i cannot reasonably get one here in the US, but, now when we have a week of rain, or in the winter, I hang my clothes on the shower curtain rod, turn on the vent fan, and bring in a little space heater. It works great.

I used to hang clothes in my basement, which always has a dehumidifier running, but in the winter, they would still smell moldy by the time they dried.

Anne Miller

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posted 2 weeks ago

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Dear hubby and I bought our first house before we got married and moved in after the wedding.

Two bedroom, one bath and no shower.

The first thing I did was buy a shower curtain rod to hang in the middle of the tub. When I washed I would land the clothes on hanger which were hung on that rod.

The next morning everything was nice and dry. I still use that method when rain is predicted. Jeans would be something else.

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Jay Angler

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posted 2 weeks ago

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I only use our dryer if I need to shrink something.

If it's really damp like today, I hang the clothes on a rack and point the output of our dehumidifier at it. We use the dehumidifier water to fill the washing machine, as our deep well has very hard water which doesn't clean as well as the dehumidifier water does.

We also have a wood stove for if it's cold, and that does a fine job of drying clothes also.

There are creative ways to upcycle the embodied energy of your old dryer if you're not going to ever use it. Most of them aren't that easy to sell, as they tend to last much longer than washing machines.

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Jill Dyer

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posted 2 weeks ago

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My dryer is in the shed doing duty as a table for all sorts of small machines/tools - whatever needs a flat surface at the time. My washing machine has a very efficient spin cycle, so clothes take little time to dry. I have an expanding clothes airer in my laundry - north facing, so gets lots of sun and an outside Hills Hoist - it looks like the bones of one of those shade contraptions, but is firmly anchored onto the ground. The clothes get pegged out in squares, it takes up very little space. Outside in summer the clothes dry in about 10 minutes. In winter, inside they dry overnight. Anything a bit bulky goes over the back of a chair in front of the wood stove overnight. I can remember clothes hanging about for a week in winter in the UK, and sheets with icicles . . .

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Nancy Reading

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I think if you've not used the dryer in several years then what ever you are doing instead is working well and you certainly don't seem to need it. I'd put it up for adoption and see if you get any takers, the space sounds like it will be far more useful to you now.

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T Blankinship

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Nancy Reading wrote: I'd put it up for adoption and see if you get any takers, the space sounds like it will be far more useful to you now.

Ok sounds like a good idea.

So I have been looking at a all in one 10 Gallon electric brewing system. It is smaller than the dryer and I feel this would be more useful in up coming projects. Some ideas I have had is to sous vide foods, making mushroom substrate and of course brewing beer.

You should never forget that every creature has its purpose in the cycle of nature and can also be very important to humans. Sepp Holzer's Permaculture

Tereza Okava

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Nancy Reading wrote:I think if you've not used the dryer in several years then what ever you are doing instead is working well and you certainly don't seem to need it.

I'd agree.
My question is, do you ever find yourself with clothes not drying, and need a solution in that situation? A lot of us don't use dryers, and between all of us we do it all a lot of different ways, someone may have an idea for you.

(I think brewing gear is always a great idea btw)

Rez Zircon

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posted 2 weeks ago

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I have my grandmother's 1960s "apartment sized" dryer. Usually I just hang stuff up (mostly on a frame in the porch, so the birds don't poop on it nor the wind fairy steal it) but sometimes I need something dry a lot faster, and this dryer will do one one or two large things, if you don't mind it being HOT (it only knows HOT). I've used it more during winter than I expected, mostly when the outdoor gear is taking too long and needs some encouragement to dry out.

Since I only use it in winter, it vents into the house -- might as well keep the heat and humidity inside where it's needed!

But wait! there's more! there are three more dryers here and there (garage, other house, basement of other house, none especially in the way), and they all work! they're also old enough that they will work forever, unlike the newer appliances. That alone is a reason to keep them out of the landfill.

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C. Letellier

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posted 2 weeks ago

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1. The name for a drier that works by centrifugal force is an extractor. Don't really dry. Only experience with the little one for swim suits, Leaves stuff still feeling damp.

2. Goals here are 3 fold.

a. Greenhouse for drying
b. HRV with solar draw using the outlet to dry.
c. solar thermal storing heat up high and fan to pull it down when the drier turns on so most of the heat comes from solar.

Country oriented nerd with primary interests in alternate energy in particular solar. Dabble in gardening, trees, cob, soil building and a host of others.

Catie George

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I have a dryer, and use it occasionally, because some days things just don't dry, and my basement with the dehumidifiers often has a smell I don't want transfering to my clothing.

I lived several years without one - my trick is a hair dryer for emergency clothes drying.

Mila Leffel

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posted 1 week ago

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We have a small washer that wrings out the water as best as it can.
We use the bathroom to dry the clothes that we put on hangers, including socks, and underwear.

There is over the shower door retractable metal drying rack that has helpful. Put on the dehumidifier, and it’s done with in a few hours.

Of course, the bigger or hot only items we take to the laundromat.

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