It was something of a throwaway line. Drowning in jetlag and laundry, I tossed it out: I am not a fan of the clothes dryer.

I like it for towels and sheets and underwear and some socks. I’m sure there are other things I like it for … but I’ve been up for hours and I can’t remember them now. (Kids have also been up for hours. They have eaten three breakfasts and are sitting in front of the television. They are currently beating the crap out of each other. This is how they decide who gets to choose the next show.)

Back to the dryer.

I’m suspicious of it. I think it ruins clothes. I know it shrinks clothes. And while I’m quite fond of the low heat setting, to me it seems slightly menacing. Sort of like a laundry dalek. (Dr Who fans: you are most welcome.) 

I have lived abroad without one and not been happy. Nobody likes a crunchy towel. But when it comes to clothes, I am suspicious. 

When I wrote about this, the response was swift: With so little time on my hands, and so much laundry, how could I possibly insist on air drying everything?

And then came the other air-dryers. They emerged them from dark shadows of their own laundry rooms to testify.

Here are some pictures:

Apartment style air drying.

  This is apparently a Victorian drying rack called a Sheila maid! There is so much to love about this.

  Someone else dealing with laundry room overflow. I am coveting these drying racks as well.

  This is a picture of what I seriously want. I had one of these in my youth in England. It spun. I had absolutely nothing to do with laundry back then, and I’m sure the people that did would’ve been much happier to toss everything into a giant dryer. 

But now when I look out at my garden all I can see is this drying rack of my dreams. I imagine it spinning around. I do not intend on using it for most linens (just table linens?) as in this picture, but I imagine it with our gauzy, sun-soaked, air dried clothes.

Reality is that we live in New York City. Yes, THAT New York. Summer in New York is moist, muggy, and occasionally stormy. Most likely any clothesline that I have will be a swampy wet mess surrounded by an army of carnivorous mosquitoes perching on clothes that refuse to dry.

Stay tuned. And please please post any pictures in the comments of your own air drying clothes.