Wednesday, September 26, 2007

Laundry Day

I rarely see laundry air-dried outside the apartments any more because most people go to the laundromats or have washers and dryers at home nowadays. So you can imagine my excitement when I saw this image of laundry on the roof top as I stepped off the subway this past weekend. Not only were the shirts fluttering in the wind, they were also all white, which gave it a beautiful effect.

Do you prefer your laundry air-dried or dried in a machine?

24 comments:

Lynette said...

Great photo, the result of your observant self. Our apartment has a laundry room. Mama reported at supper that we got new dryers and newly reworked washing machines today. She also said it look as if a load of washing has gone up a quarter--at least it's indoors!

Bel said...

Awesome shot Ming, even more so because all the clothes were white. They look so clean, fresh and crisp!

I don't have a dryer, so I have no choice but to hang my clothes on the line. I can see their convenience in the winter, but it's such a waste of electricity
:o(

pusa said...

i prefer air dried... we are lucky in the philippines to have the sun shining great, saves us electricity consumption as well and the clothes somewhat smells better when it is air dried. :)

Anonymous said...

I've never had laundry dried in the air. Part of me is glad and part of me is sad because of that.

thwany said...

i couldn't find a dryer anywhere in asia and really disliked hang-drying my clothes.

give me a box of bounce, a dryer and a chair to watch my clothes spinning and i'm good to go!

Olivier said...

bravo pour le coup d'oeil, on dirait une photo d'un autre temps (peut etre en faire une version b&w avec un leger grain)


cheer for the glance, one would say a photograph of another time (can be to make of it a version b&w with a light grain)

Jun said...

hey is it illegal to air-dry laundry in the open? over here u'll get a fine (but ppl still do it anyway esp us asians *hehe*)-- cos it spoils the view apparently (esp if u're living in the city apartments LOL

Missy,Mrs and Mum said...

Hi Ming,
Great photo, I do prefer my laundry to get some fresh air but it can be a bit difficult with British weather. But with towels I do like to put them in the tumble dryer as it makes them soft and warm.
Hope you are well, I was reading a magazine yesterday and theyhad pictures of SATC The Movie being filmed. So exciting!!!!

Z said...

A lot of people air-dry their clothes in Switzerland, and a second alternative is that the shared laundry rooms in multiple-apartment buildings have clothes lines and a dehumidifier installed in them. I try to use the clothes dryer as seldom as I can (to reduce energy consumption), though not as seldom as I should. ;-\

Drop by Villigen if you have time and tell me what sort of coffee machine you have.

www.DeltaMovies.com said...

Nice pic. This is interesting because I was just thinking of this issue recently and wishing I had an outside clothes line. Sheets, pillow cases, fine shirts, and a few other articles are so nice dried outdoors. Jeans tend to benefit from the indoor tumbling process I think...but just saving on energy consumption would be more than worth the effort to do them outdoors.

Someone mentioned that they would be in violation of their local laws if they air-dried laundry...I am quite stunned and sadened by that knowledge. It is amazing that while contemplating your question about air-dried laundry I am now pondering the meaning of individual freedom.

Have a wonderful Wednesday in NYC!

B.

stilettoheights said...

this is a great shot!!! I would have been thrilled too.

Craftymoose Crafts said...

Neat photo, but I wonder if they finish out clean with all the soot that must arise from those chiminies?

In summer I like to hang the clothes outside (in a much more rural setting!), and in winter I use the dryer!

I'll take sheets fresh off the line anyday!

Shammickite said...

I hang my laundry outside on sunny windy days, but during the Canadian winter I have to admit to using my dryer.
Plus the towels always dry better in the dryer, when hung outside they tend to get stiff and sctratchy.

Lori said...

That's a lovely photo! You were there just at the right time. I hardly ever see laundry put out on a line like that. If the air is nice and fresh, it's a much better way to dry clothes though.

sonia a. mascaro said...

Just beautiful photo, Ming!

I prefer my laundry air-dried. Here in my yard,(São Paulo, Brazil, a tropical country) we are lucky to have the sun shining all the year. But when it's raining, I put the towels in a dryer.

Anonymous said...

I haven't hung my laundry outside in years. There's nowhere to hang it here! But I have lived in places where we had clotheslines. On a sunny day, they are great, but on rainy days ... ugh. Not to mention how dirty the clothes can get hanging outside where the, uh, pigeons are flying overhead.

Anonymous said...

Air-dried is better for the clothes, especially sun-dried :) ...I try to have them air-dried inside the apartment, nearest the window.

Unknown said...

I dump most clothings into the dryer. I do my laundry at nite after getting back from work, so there's no sun to sun!

Chris said...

I am so glad you posted this photo today! We just returned from Europe where people hang laudry off of balconies and on their roofs all over! I commented that I had not seen laundry hanging outside in the NYC area and wondered if anyone ever did. You answered the question!

Great photo!

Neva said...

I love clothes fresh from the line! My mom still hangs out her clothes...calls it her "Therapy". Unfortunaetly, I can't hang clothes out where I live...it is against the codes.
Great shot.

• Eliane • said...

My mother used to do that in the summer. She has that theory that when you lay white laundry on the grass, it gets so much whiter and smell fresh. I think she might be right. I do like the smell of fresh grass!

nita said...

popped over from THB. i love this picture!

Todd HellsKitchen said...

Great capture!

stromsjo said...

Talk about Little Italy. This is all Italy to me but maybe that's just because I've spent a lot of time there.

I agree with Craftymoose Crafts - one wonders how clean the wash is after a while.

Good shot.