A note left to one homeowner trying to air-dry their clothes has sparked confusion within a subreddit, r/AmItheA******.
The consensus found the original poster was not in the wrong, especially since neighborhoods can benefit in many ways from doing away with dryers.
The OP described that their dryer broke recently and that they can't afford to replace it at the moment. As the weather had been nice, they decided to air-dry their clothes outdoors on a clothesline.
"Today I came home to a handwritten note on my front door [...] saying that my clothesline is disrespectful and bringing down property values," they wrote in the initial post.
Hundreds of comments ensued, deciphering why the community would be against air-drying clothes in the first place. Many described that going without a dryer can save homeowners loads of money by reducing energy costs.
"I am in California and we hang everything on the clothes line," one Redditor wrote. "Energy is too expensive to just be using the dryer, and my clothes last so much longer and fit better. Love my clothesline!"
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Another from Australia stated that it is totally normal to use a clothesline.
"It's so weird that Americans appear to use their dryer for everything," they said. "In Australia, I bet like 95% of the population dries their clothes outside."
Air-drying clothes can substantially reduce your energy bill. One University of Michigan study found that households that air-dry their clothes can save $2,100 over the lifetime of a dryer, reducing their air-polluting emissions by more than three tons per household.
When it comes to neighbor disputes, it's natural to question how one can change their ways to support the collective mindset of a community. However, sometimes these mindsets can hinder money-saving hacks that also support the environment.
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Asking others, as this OP did in the subreddit, can be a good indicator of what one should do moving forward.
One commenter stated bluntly: "Not the a****** at all. Air drying clothes is normal, economical, and better for the environment. If a simple clothesline is enough to 'bring down property values,' then the neighborhood has bigger problems."
Indeed, discussing your decision with your neighbors to bridge the understanding could help keep the community in agreement. In most cases, sustainable options benefit the community as a whole.
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