Hanging out laundry is probably one of the most repetitive and time-consuming household tasks. Between attaching springs, ensuring that pieces don’t blow away in the wind and hastily collecting everything when it starts to rain, a significant amount of energy is lost.
Recently, the Spanish news agency Europa Press revealed a method popularized in China that promises to recover around 200 hours a year and eliminate dependence on weather conditions with a simple change in routine: abandoning the traditional clothesline.
The method, which has gained followers due to its practicality in Asian countries, is based on optimizing the workflow within the home. The premise is to stop treating drying and tidying as two distinct stages, merging them into a single continuous process that saves physical and mental effort.
The end of clips and marks on clothes
The first major change suggested by organization experts is the replacement of the conventional drying rack (be it ropes, floor or ceiling) with a “drying station” based on rods or carts. The idea is that the clothes, when they come out of the washing machine, are immediately placed on hangers, instead of being secured with springs.
This simple gesture eliminates several problems at once. Firstly, it avoids the marks that the springs leave on the fabrics and which require extra effort when ironing. Secondly, when drying directly on the hanger, gravity helps to straighten the fibers of the fabric naturally, meaning that many pieces (such as t-shirts, shirts and dresses) are ready to wear as soon as they dry, eliminating the need for ironing.
From the drying rack directly to the closet
The secret to saving those 200 hours per year lies in eliminating the “folding the laundry” step. In the traditional method, we remove the dry clothes from the clothesline, place them in a basket, take them to the sofa or bed, fold them piece by piece and only then put them away.
With this technique, the intermediate step disappears. Once the clothes are already on the hanger, as soon as they are dry, just pick them up and transfer them directly to the wardrobe. The process becomes fluid: from the machine to the drying rack, and from the drying rack to the cabinet. Only the smallest items, such as underwear or socks, require a different system or a special spring drying rack for small items.
Ignore the weather outside
Another advantage of this method is its total independence from the weather. By creating a dedicated drying area inside the home, which could be in a guest room, in a corner of the laundry room or on a closed balcony, those who take care of the clothes are no longer hostage to rain, wind or external humidity.
To speed up the process and ensure efficiency, it is recommended to use a dehumidifier or a fan pointed at the clothes. Air circulation is the most critical factor for rapid drying, often proving to be more important than ambient heat itself.
With the correct spacing between the hangers and good ventilation, the clothes dry quickly without gaining the unpleasant musty smell, characteristic of slow drying on rainy days. As mentioned by , this approach not only frees up precious time in the schedule, but also keeps the house visually organized and free from clothes scattered everywhere.
Also read:
