Solar or wood fired clothes dryer

The propane ran out for our dryer. It's not a big deal. We used to have several propane appliances, but the dryer is the only one left. We did away with the automatic propane service and the 500 lb tank. Now I use 20 lb tanks like you'd use on a grill. The dryer is used so little that I haven't gotten around to having the tank filled.

During the winter we hang the clothes near the woodstove. That works out pretty well. Wood heat tends to dry the air out, so the added humidity from the laundry is a good thing.

We also have a clothesline. Low tech, but does the job. In fact, sunshine is very good for sanitizing laundry. That's an added bonus. The only problem is that we've had a lot of rain recently. I keep a close eye on the forecast and satellite data. Often there is enough of a break between storms to use the clothesline. In a pinch, we can always resort to hanging it inside. Without the woodstove going, it takes longer to dry, but it does dry.

In a real pinch, I suppose I could run down to the village store and get the propane tank filled. We will make sure it's full and the dryer ready to go when we have company. It's especially handy when the grand kids come to visit as they have a unique ability to generate laundry.

The dryer is getting on in years. I've already torn it apart and replaced parts three times. Limiting its use stretches out its life. It's funny how we got it in the first place. One of my wife's friends stayed with us for a while. She was appalled that we didn't own a dryer. She could not imagine living with towels that had not been tumbled with fabric softener sheets. This is a woman who was living with us because she could not afford rent at the time. She talked her father into buying a dryer for us. Go figure.

As for my lovely wife and I, we are perfectly happy living without a dryer.

-Sixbears