Amish families share 'unusual' but very effective way they dry their laundry without household appliances: 'No need'

Finding ways to dry laundry in winter without racking up utility bills or relying on energy-hungry appliances is a challenge for many households. But Amish communities — long known for their lifestyle of "off the grid" living — have a simple method for drying clothes without a powered dryer. 

The scoop

According to Amish365.com, Amish families primarily stick to the same clothesline method year-round — even in winter. When temperatures drop, they still hang laundry outdoors. The clothes might go through a bit of a flash freeze, but it works all the same.

As Speed Queen explained, this works because winter line-drying is essentially freeze-drying, a process where ice evaporates directly from solid to vapor (known as sublimation). Clothes may come off the line stiff from freezing, but they'll dry out and soften fully once brought indoors — just lay them flat as they thaw out.

Other Amish households adapt to winter by stretching clotheslines across their basements, which may get the room a bit more humid but still gets the job done. You could also opt for placing lines near wood stoves (just keep an eye out to make sure they don't catch fire). Some families build lofted platforms above stoves to dry shoes, socks, and small items.

How it's helping

A major benefit non-Amish people will notice right away with this hack is savings. Dryers are among the most energy-intensive household appliances, so cutting back can lower electricity or gas bills significantly. These methods also reduce wear on clothing, meaning fewer replacements over time.

According to EnergySage, a modern clothes dryer can use between 1,500 and 5,000 watts of electricity an hour. That adds up, if you wash and dry about three times a week, to over $5 per month. Beyond the cost, it also contributes to planet-warming pollution when connected to the public grid, which is generally still reliant on fossil fuels. On the other hand, hanging clothes to dry is free.

Line-drying cuts down on home energy use and helps shrink the carbon footprint of laundry, which means cleaner air for communities. And because these solutions avoid commercial dryer sheets, artificial-scented boosters, and plastic-wrapped laundry products, they help reduce household plastic waste, too.

Readers looking to pair these practices with gentler, low-waste natural cleaning alternatives can see extra savings, less clutter and waste, and less exposure to chemicals daily.

What everyone's saying

Readers praised the practicality of these methods.

One user said: "Oh the clothes smell so better than garbage of the chemicals!!" 

Another shared that they found the method by happenstance, saying: "I live in Massachusetts and my dryer died 15 years ago and I dry clothes indoors or outdoors on a line. No need for a clothes dryer."

Another commenter joked: "I once mentioned to a co-worker that I hang wash out and her reply, 'people still do that?' LOL! I've always hung wash. I'd much rather spend money on traveling, not to mention reduce my carbon footprint."

What's your current laundry situation? I own a washer and dryer 😎 I use a shared laundry room 😒 Laundromat 💸 Wash and fold service 👕 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

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