Giving Up My Clothes Dryer for Lent

Homemade yo-yo clothespin apron hanging on my line, Fall 2011

       Here's my Lenten confession: I have not hung clothes on my clothesline since October, maybe even September. I have been working on a big project and battling a sinus infection since before Thanksgiving and I decided to give myself the gift of using the dryer. I justified it by reasoning that it was winter anyway. At first, doing the laundry never seemed easier, but I have to say that after five months it is just as much a chore as it ever was. So why would I want to make my life harder by hanging clothes out on the clothesline?

       I am not a big believer in giving things up for Lent. I don't think it's good theology. It is the height of hubris to think that anything we give up can compare with the sacrifice Christ made. And I don't think God wants us to suffer or deny ourselves, just to get rid of the things that separate us from closeness with him. Here's the thing: Hanging clothes out on the clothesline makes me feel good, it makes me feel close to nature, God's creation. It is, in fact, a spiritual thing for me. If Lent is about getting rid of the junk in our lives, then reconnecting with God while hanging my clothes out seems like a pretty good thing to do. I like to think of it as taking on (or taking back) a good habit, but if you want to call it giving up my dryer for Lent, fine. But I don't plan to start using my dryer on a daily basis once Lent is over.

My son's baby clothes, July 1997.

         My Mom and I are clothesline radicals. As much as I hated the job of hanging out laundry as a child, I now love the fresh smell of the shirts and the rough feel of my air-dried towels. Colorful fabrics flapping in the breeze are art to me. When my children were babies, my Mom took pictures of tiny, baby clothes hanging out on the line. The organization Project Laundry List has a gallery of images that are truly breathtaking.

    The elitist Home Owner Association restrictions again clotheslines infuriate me. Not only is it classist to argue that hanging laundry outside is a property-devaluing practice, it shows an ignorance of how much energy the dryer uses, 6% or more of most people's monthly electric bill. And I thought being green was an elitist practice. See Project Laundry  List for the top 10 reasons to line dry and more ways to advocate for changes in your HOA covenants.

     So if you're looking for me this Lent, you might very well find me just outside the back door, clothesbasket on my hip, bringing in some freshly-dried clothes. I'm sure to see the first robins of spring, and the daffodils about ready to open. I'll be taking deep breaths of air, clearing my head of this winter's junk and reflecting on the gloriousness of God's beautiful earth. It doesn't really sound like a sacrifice, does it?