It’s Not Ugly… It’s Green!

Did you know that hanging clothes in the open is illegal in the United States? On the contrary, it is considered a norm in China, where the majority of the residents don’t even own a dryer at home. It is reported that 1.3 billion people believe in this old tradition and feel that nature is superior and is more reliable than the modern technology we have today. A saleswoman for Haier washing machines, named Zhao Na, even said that their factory had stopped the production of dryers as they were considered to be unnecessary. People also thought that it was too expensive and not worth the price. With their newly washed clothing hanging from metal poles horizontally sticking out the window, they could dry their clothes for free using natural energy, rather than using energy and wasting fossil fuels.

At the same time, there are also many added benefits of taking advantage of the solar energy. Of course, one of the advantages of using sunlight is that it saves energy and fossil fuels, like said earlier in the article. This, in turn, leads to a decrease air pollution, which has been a serious problem over the years. Furthermore, sunlight actually kills the bacteria living on the clothing, allowing the material to last longer and reduces wear and tear.

While many know that this is an attempt to go green, there are many others who believe that this tradition is an “eyesore” and should not be allowed. For instance, government officials in Shanghai are attempting to clean up the mess as they are striving for a sleeker appearance. They went as far as issuing an edict against line drying clothing outside balconies before the Shanghai World Expo as it seemed so “unsightly”. Also, there are some who find that the hanging clothes brings down the property value and makes the entire community look bad.

While we may appreciate this go green effort, please keep in mind that this is illegal in the U.S.!

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There are 18 comments

  1. Joanne Li

    I had no idea that it was illegal to hang clothes in the US! When I think back to my visit to China, I remember seeing a lot of clotheslines. Great job!!

  2. Natasha K.

    The article was very interesting! I learned that hanging clothes outside in America is illegal.

  3. Anahita

    I never knew that hanging clothes outside in America is illegal. I think this is a great way to save energy, and decrease air pollution. This article was very fascinating!

  4. Logan Chang

    Nice article. I think its really great that the Chinese are finding subtle ways to decrease their energy consumption, especially given their large population and numerous factories that produce tons of air pollutants. Hopefully, the Shanghainese government won’t make this environment-friendly act unlawful.

  5. Jason S.

    Great article Hitomi! I find it really great that people in China are doing their part to help the environment! I also didn’t know that hanging clothes across a line kills germs and reduces wear and tear! Thank you for sharing!

  6. Stephanie Cen

    Thank you for sharing about how this is illegal in the US. If that was not clarified, I would have definitely tried this tradition. Although I have seen this tradition in China I was not aware of how popular this was.

  7. Serene L.

    Great article, great idea, and it is green. But I doubt that people will stop buying or using dryers from now on.

  8. Matthew Lecher

    Wow, Hitomi. I had never known that so much energy could be saved by just leaving clothes out in the open. Maybe us in the US have something to learn from China, but first we need to change that law. I had seen this practice in action in other places throughout my travels, but this is really interesting. Thank you for sharing.

  9. Dylan Swickle

    Wow! Thanks so much for sharing this article with us, Hitomi. I found it very interesting that so much energy could be saved by simply leaving your clothes outside to dry instead of using a dryer like we do in the US.

  10. Anica

    Wow! I never knew hanging clothes out in the open is illegal in the U.S! I will keep that in mind for next time!

  11. Herin Ahn

    I think we should allow hanging clothes too because it preserves much energy and reduces pollution. However, I do agree with opinions that claim hanging clothes are an eyesore. It does look bad. Why would this be illegal in the U.S? Is it because someone might steal the clothes and it makes the community look bad?

  12. Ria Bhasin

    I didn’t know we weren’t allowed to hang clothes in America. After reading this article it sounds like such a great idea there are so many benefits. One is you can save energy and another one is fossil fuels. I do agree with the officials in Shanghai, it is an “eyesore” if they cleaned it up it might look a lot better. One thing that would bother me is if I left my clothes out what if they smell. I really enjoyed this article.

  13. Harrison Berger

    I find it fascinating that it is illegal to hang clothes outside in the US. I probably knew this but never realized this because just not many people hang clothes in the US. I think there are many benefits of hanging your clothes outside. One thing is it is all natural. Also you do not have to use energy so it conserves a lot of power. Also it saves money because you are not paying as much for an electricity bill. The only problem with this is if you don’t know there is a storm coming and it hits you have very wet clothes.

  14. Ashley Lu

    I never knew that it was illegal to hang clothes outside in the US. I think that it’s a great idea that Chinese people are finding ways to use less energy. Its also good to hang your clothes outside because it can kills germs and it can reduce wear and tear. Its very interesting to know just by hanging clothes, you can save energy. Hanging clothes can also reduce pollution.

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