laundry

Utahns Martha Jensen and her mom Mary hang out several times a year to raise awareness.
Photo: Martha Jensen.

Here’s a great way to mark Earth Day next month. Each year, the grassroots group Project Laundry List promotes the very picturesque observance of National Hanging Out Day, both to raise awareness about the enormous energy benefits of air-drying laundry and also to draw attention to the fact that, amazingly, this practice is severely restricted in many places around the U.S., especially green ol’ California, where 35,000 homeowners’ associations have banned the practice.

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But electric dryers are inefficient and expensive to run, so the “right to dry” is becoming a new rallying cry around the land. PLL is pushing legislation in a number of states, including its home state of New Hampshire, where the measure recently failed.

So on April 19, consider a colorful clothesline display, plus info from PLL’s site to enlighten and amuse. A lot hangs in the balance, you might say.

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