We have never owned a clothes dryer
|
Sometimes I've been asked "How do you dry your clothes, then?"
Air-dry! It started as an economic decision, but as we have discovered more benefits of air-drying our laundry, it's become a life-style choice. The latest benefit I have discovered is improved lymph flow. |
Am I crazy for air-drying my clothing? Nah!
|
Say What?!
How Does Air-Drying My Clothing
Improve My Lymph Flow?
Lately I've come across several advertisements and articles advocating "dry brushing." You use a special stiff brush on your body, starting at the extremities and brushing towards the heart. Among other benefits, it is supposed to stimulate the lymph system. Google it if you're curious for more information.
The lymphatic system is a major part of the body’s immune system. It is made up of organs and lymph nodes, ducts and capillaries that transport lymph throughout the body. Many of these lymph capillaries run just below the skin and proponents of dry brushing claim that brushing the skin regularly helps stimulate the normal lymph flow within the body and help the body detoxify itself naturally.
From what I've learned in my Manual Lymph Drainage classes, I can not disagree with the benefits of dry brushing. But I do not have time to add yet another thing I'm supposed to do daily - I struggle with fitting in exercising and sometimes eating lunch. Then I realized that I was already dry brushing every time I showered.
You remember, we do not dry our laundry. People always tell me that is great because it is environmentally conscious, but they would never do it because they don't like stiff towels. I never noticed a problem with my towels - I like the invigorating rub over my body as I dry myself off. Besides, after the first use with a clean towel, it softens up significantly.
So now that I know about dry brushing, I conscientiously dry my body with my stiff air-dried towel in the direction of the lymph flow. I also do this when I sauna and rub myself down (but the benefits of sauna is a whole other post by itself. . .).
But if you are not convinced to give up your dryer and still need your soft towel, well then, may I recommend booking a manual lymph drainage (MLD)! MLD is a gentle massage which encourages the natural drainage of lymph and in the process helps to build the immune system. As the winter season approaches, MLD is one more way to help your body fight off the viruses and bugs that are around.
The lymphatic system is a major part of the body’s immune system. It is made up of organs and lymph nodes, ducts and capillaries that transport lymph throughout the body. Many of these lymph capillaries run just below the skin and proponents of dry brushing claim that brushing the skin regularly helps stimulate the normal lymph flow within the body and help the body detoxify itself naturally.
From what I've learned in my Manual Lymph Drainage classes, I can not disagree with the benefits of dry brushing. But I do not have time to add yet another thing I'm supposed to do daily - I struggle with fitting in exercising and sometimes eating lunch. Then I realized that I was already dry brushing every time I showered.
You remember, we do not dry our laundry. People always tell me that is great because it is environmentally conscious, but they would never do it because they don't like stiff towels. I never noticed a problem with my towels - I like the invigorating rub over my body as I dry myself off. Besides, after the first use with a clean towel, it softens up significantly.
So now that I know about dry brushing, I conscientiously dry my body with my stiff air-dried towel in the direction of the lymph flow. I also do this when I sauna and rub myself down (but the benefits of sauna is a whole other post by itself. . .).
But if you are not convinced to give up your dryer and still need your soft towel, well then, may I recommend booking a manual lymph drainage (MLD)! MLD is a gentle massage which encourages the natural drainage of lymph and in the process helps to build the immune system. As the winter season approaches, MLD is one more way to help your body fight off the viruses and bugs that are around.
Continue reading to learn the benefits of air-drying your clothes.
Benefits of Air-Drying Your Clothes
- Use less electricity - I've heard that dryers are the most energy-sucking appliances in our homes
- Clothing does not wear out - Which could also be a problem. My clothing rarely wears out, so I wear out-dated styles because I don't like to go shopping.
- Gets me outside - I love to listen to birds singing as I hang my clothes on the line. And observe our cat prowl around our garden.
- Fresh-smelling laundry - I especially love climbing into bed with clean outside air-dried sheets!
- Increased humidity in the house - This is a great benefit when I hang our clothing downstairs during the winter when the inside air is extra dry from running the heater. It was a problem when we lived in the tropics and we had too much humidity and ran a dehumidifier in the house. Instead, we hung the clothes outside under a roof - and it still took several days for them to dry during the humid rainy months.
- More space in my small laundry room - Although I admit that you need to find space to dry your clothing. In my small college rooms and our Moscow apartment I got creative in hanging up our laundry - I was too stingy in those days to buy a small drying rack. I now have multiple racks for inside and a nice line outside.
- Improved lymph flow - The lymphatic system does not have a pump (like the heart is the pump of the circulatory system). Instead, the lymph is moved through the system by muscle contractions, deep breathing, and manually opening up the lymph capillaries.
Reality of Air-Drying - Plan Ahead
In the dry desert climate of Utah, our clothes dry quickly, but when we lived in the tropics of Ecuador, Mexico, and Guatemala, it took extra time. I simply adjusted and planned ahead. The kids did not even know that there was a possibility of drying their clothes in an hour with a machine.
When I plan on hanging my clothing outside, I do check the weather forecast for rain or snow to be certain there is enough time for it dry. Sometimes I have to adjust my schedule and do laundry a different day, or wash less.
I can hang several loads of laundry on my line outside, but I don't have as much line space inside and can usually only hang one load of laundry on the lines that I have.
It means planning ahead to make certain that we have clothing cleaned when we need it! Because it's what we've always done, it has rarely been a problem.
Give it a try! Hang a load or two of laundry to air-dry. You might like it also!
When I plan on hanging my clothing outside, I do check the weather forecast for rain or snow to be certain there is enough time for it dry. Sometimes I have to adjust my schedule and do laundry a different day, or wash less.
I can hang several loads of laundry on my line outside, but I don't have as much line space inside and can usually only hang one load of laundry on the lines that I have.
It means planning ahead to make certain that we have clothing cleaned when we need it! Because it's what we've always done, it has rarely been a problem.
Give it a try! Hang a load or two of laundry to air-dry. You might like it also!
RSS Feed