My mom has always been one to hang her laundry outside when the weather is clear. I think she did it because she likes the way it smells, and it reminds her of how her grandmother used to hang things outside too. As a result, I am always excited to see the weather improve to the point where I can string up my line. I also love the way the clothes smell, full of sunshine it seems to me, and I even enjoy the faint scratchiness of air dried laundry.
However, it turns out that happy memories and good smells are not the only reasons for doing things the old-fashioned way. One of the single biggest energy hogs in our homes is the dryer. Because of the amount of heat it must produce over and extended time, these machines are very expensive. The make and model (and repair reccord!) of your dryer determine exactly how much energy is used, but it's safe to say that if you did not machine dry clothes all summer you could save quite a bundle.
As if that were not enough, there a third important reason to line dry. My friend pointed out that she line dries her clothes simply because she hates having her house heat up on already hot summer days. Why would you want to turn on a major heat source when you're already trying to stay cool? Worse yet, I imagine some people crank up the air-conditioning to combat the effects of the clothes dryer! Get yourself some clothes pins, stay cool, and then enjoy the reward of sun-scented sheets.
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