We all have our eco sins, no matter how green we live our lives.  There’s always just one more step we can take to be greener.  For years, my eco sin was remembering my reusable shopping bags. I have that one down now!

For almost a decade, I had to hang my laundry outside out of pure necessity.  I didn’t own a dryer. Then when I finally did own a dryer, it made life so much easier to just toss the clothes in rather than go outside and hang them.  It took less time, the clothes came out softer, the dog hair and lint was removed, and the clothes were less wrinkled.  That all sounds great, except for the eco guilt I felt and the dirty little secret of living off-the-grid.

Last week, I bought new clothes pins and a new basket (not the plastic kind).  I have converted back to my laundry hanging ways.  Here are five reasons you should follow in my footsteps.

1.  Exercise

2.  Sunlight kills germs

3.  Save energy

4. Extend the life of your clothes

5. Get outside!

These reasons are all rather self-explanatory, but I do find there is great exercise in carrying a basket of wet, heavy clothes, as well as continually lifting your arms over head to hang them.

I hope I can keep up my laundry hanging ways, at least during the warmer months.

Image:  License Some rights reserved by Mike Lacon