National Hanging Out Day:

Celebrated annually on April 19th, National Hanging Out Day is observed to promote the use of clotheslines as opposed to energy-consuming dryers.

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Why National Hanging Out Day:

After a single glance at the title, you are probably thinking about planning a day to hang out and chill with your friends. Well, don’t be too hasty to judge by the title because this holiday is not related to the first impression you get from it. It’s a no-chill serious day that is significant in a world where energy consumption is exponentially growing and depleting natural resources at an alarming rate.

While technology and machines have made our lives much easier, our inclination to depend too much on machines has taken its toll on the environment through the indiscriminate use of non-renewable resources like electricity. We can always rely on machines for back-breaking jobs. But when it comes to our daily chores which are relatively manageable, if we can cut down the use of machines, we are doing the planet and our future generations a huge favor.

Laundry may not be one of your favorite chores, but how about instead of using the dryer you hang the clothes on a clothesline in your backyard? This might sound like an odd thing or a new technology to you especially if you have never seen anyone dry their clothes utilizing the natural renewable energy available at no cost! The freshness of the crisp clothes that are dried under plenty of natural sunlight and wind is unmatched.

The National Hanging Out day was popularized by Project Laundry List in 1995, which was a New Hampshire-based organization. Project laundry list promoted the practice of washing clothes in cold water and air-drying them as a simple and effective method to conserve energy. The organization was also instrumental in passing the “right to dry” law in many states by opposing the Home Owners Associations that deemed the act of drying clothes as an offense in their communities.

Drying your clothes outside is highly advantageous for the environment, your clothes, and your pocket. By skipping the use of a dryer you reduce the energy consumption by 8% reducing your electricity or gas bills significantly. The less energy you consume, the less gas is required lowering the carbon emissions and smokestack pollution.

Dryers are harsh on clothing items, abrading and aging them with the high heat resulting in damages to the fibers and seams, not to mention the annoying threadbare that occurs on the shirts. Going out to hang your clothes in the backyard creates a therapeutic effect as you spend some time in the fresh air and get to do a bit of stretching and bending exercise as you hang your clothes.

The only disadvantage of air-drying clothes is the increased wrinkles and the long duration it takes to dry the clothes. But comparing the pros and cons, the pros certainly outweigh the disadvantages and in fact, are more beneficial for you.

It is time to advise your homeowners on saving the environment and setting an example by hanging out your clothes to be air-dried. Without much ado, save your environment and save yourself by getting out those clotheslines and clothespins.

How Can We Celebrate National Hanging Out Day:

• Air-Dry Your laundry

Resort to air-drying whenever possible and make your favorite clothes last longer.

• Join In With the Warriors

Volunteer for Project laundry List and help the cause by creating awareness. You can also post flyers in your community centers to inform people about the benefits of air-drying.

• Share Your Experience

You can share your experience drying clothes and give a shoutout for the cause using #NationalHangingOutDay and #HangingOutDay

Interesting Facts On National Hanging Out Day:

Few Facts Related To National Hanging Out Day!

• The early cloth dryers were known as ventilators

• Cloth dryers were first used in France and England in the 1800s

• Only 10% of American Households could afford a clothes dryer as it was expensive.

• The Right To Dry Bill was introduced by Senator Dick McCormack in Vermont.

• Project Laundry List was still under the development phase when Hanging Out Day was founded in 1998.
• If all the households in The US swapped the dryer for clothesline the carbon dioxide output can be cut down by 3.3%
• The energy consumed by a single dryer in a US household is more than that of the energy consumed by an African in a year.

History Of National Hanging Out Day:

The National Hanging Out Day was founded by Alexander Lee in 2007 who was regarded as a clothesline activist. The day was born as a protest against the ban of hanging clothes as per the local laws.