Line-drying clothes uses far less energy than using a dryer and makes clothes last longer.

There are almost 90 million clothes dryers in the United States, each emitting over one ton of carbon dioxide every year. Clothes dryers are among the biggest energy spenders in an average home (right behind heating/AC and refrigerator), consuming about 6% of the total household electricity usage. Drying your clothes on the line uses no energy.

To dry your clothes on a line, shake them first to avoid wrinkling. You can hang your clothes on hangers (plastic or wood, metal will rust) and leave them on a line or rod. Once they are dry, you can move them straight to your closet. Large items like bedding and towels can hang on the line (to reduce drying stiffness, add some vinegar to the rinse water (half a cup per load)) while smaller things like socks and underwear can be thrown on a rack. Make sure to use pins, especially when windy.

Drying clothes outside has other benefits besides saving energy. Sunlight is the best natural bleach for clothes, plus the UV rays are an antiseptic and kill bacteria (if worried about fading, turn clothes inside out). This makes line drying especially good for children's clothes. Line-drying also saves your clothes as frequent heating makes them tear more easily and breaks elastic. (here's an article about it, not sure how to link to it) In hot dry conditions, drying clothes inside will cool the space. In winter, it works as a humidifier.
Putting laundry out to dry gives you exercise, fresh air and sunlight.

If line-drying is not an option, make sure you use your dryer efficiently – do not dry your clothes longer than necessary, don’t over- or under-load the machine and dry clothes of similar thickness together. If your washer has a high-speed spin cycle, use that to get most water out of the clothes before they hit the dryer. Always clean the lint filter in the dryer after every load to improve air circulation.

For more about the advantages of line drying, check out Project Laundry List, a non-profit dedicated to promoting simple ways of saving energy – such as line drying.

Willenge: Dry clothes on a line to make them last longer and save energy.