An informal group of local residents interested in sustainability, cost savings, and energy efficiency will host a “clothesline demonstration” in conjunction with Swap Day at the Andover Transfer Station on Saturday, July 9 from 8 AM to noon. The display will include a variety of designs available for passively drying clothes indoors or outdoors, as well as information about the energy and cost savings associated with using a rack or line instead of an electric or gas dryer.

Clotheslines may seem rather old-fashioned, but “solar clothes dryers” are one of the easiest ways to reduce your carbon footprint and give your clothes and bedsheets that nice fresh, sun-dried scent as an added bonus. It turns out that clothes dryers account for 6% of the country’s residential electricity, and it has been estimated that a household can save upwards of $100 a year (and extend the lifetime of their clothes in the process) by using low-tech solutions such as clothespins, a string, and some extra time. A switch from hot to cold water offers additional money savings, and many detergents are now specifically formulated to be effective in cooler temperatures.

Future plans for this group include sponsoring a clothesline photo contest and an installation “blitz.” More information on these will be available at the July 9 event. Residents will be invited to share photos of their own clotheslines, whether indoors or out, collapsible or permanent, artistically crafted or just Plain Jane. Funny and creative photos are welcome, as are straightforward ones. All are intended to encourage other residents to take this simple step toward lowering their energy usage and utility bills. Winners will be chosen in various categories and published in a future Beacon. Have a photo of your clothesline to share? Send it to Susan Chase at srfchase@nullgmail.com or PO Box 311, Andover NH 03216.

Later in the summer, the group is planning a clothesline installation “blitz,” working in conjunction with Global Awareness Local Action (GALA), a non-profit based in Ossipee. Their “Sustain-A-Raiser” program borrows from the concept of barn raising – the original neighbor-helping-neighbor work party. A team of local volunteers will help residents make their homes and yards more energy-efficient by installing clotheslines where requested. Let us know if you’d like more information.

This project is associated with the Kearsarge Valley Transition Initiative and the Andover Community Association, the same groups that coordinated the recent Bike Tune-up and Swap event on the Village Green.