by Carly Foubert, CFICE Communications RA
Have you ever done your laundry and taken the clothes out of the dryer to find that your favourite shirt has shrunk? Or that your athletic clothes are losing their elasticity? Or noticed that your socks are slowly shrinking in numbers as they are mysteriously disappearing in the dryer?
Frustrating, isn’t it?
There is a way around these common issues though! Hanging your clothes to dry is a great way to prevent damaging your clothing and not to mention it is also environmentally friendly.
I know what you’re thinking: “it’s December and I’m not hanging my clothes outside on the clothesline just to turn my socks into icicles, thanks, but I’ll pass.” Wait! I didn’t say you had to hang them outside. You buy purchase handy racks at most home outfitter stores and Canadian Tires so that you can hang your clothes to dry inside the house during the winters.
I’m sure you’ve probably had to clean out the lint from the dryer, but did you realize that that’s coming from your clothes?! Your dryer is compromising the quality of your clothing! *Gasp*
Thats right! So by taking a break from the dryer, you’re giving your clothes a longer life. And also saving you money in the long run from having to buy new clothes more often. 
Refraining from using the dryer will also help the environment and your electricity bills! Almost 60% of households own a dryer, which means that more than 14 million people are using a dryer instead of hanging their clothes to dry. The average dryer uses 4 kilowatts of energy an hour and produces 1.8kg of CO2. Although you could purchase a more energy efficient dryer, it would probably be best for your wallet and the environment if you just air dry your clothes instead. You’ll also be saving money on your monthly electricity or gas bills by refraining from using the dryer.