There are countless reasons to hang clothes outside on a line of clothesline pulley system to dry instead of using a standard electric or gas dryer. bFirst off, the savings in utilities costs really start to add up over the course of months and over the years. Any appliance with a heating element really burns energy, which in turn burns through your cash.

But also it’s important to remember that your dryer is slowly destroying your clothes. Every time you put clothes in there, it’s damaging them (that’s what all of that lint in your trap represents). All of the friction from the dryer wears out your clothes and breaks down the fibers whereas hanging them to dry allows them to last longer.

And an often overlooked reason to air dry laundry is the chance to get outside, even for a small amount of time, in order for you personally to get some sunshine and a chance in a natural setting. These are just some of the myriad of reasons to hang your clothes outside on an Amish clothesline versus sticking with your dryer. Trust us — ask anyone who uses a clothesline to hang up clothes to dry and they can fill you in on what you’re missing.