Sunday, March 11, 2018

Clothes Drying in Japan

When I lived in the US, I had a washer dryer set.  I hung some delicate or knit items, but most things dried in the electric dryer.  


(not my W/D, but I had something similar)


The only clothes drying machines I've seen in Japan are the coin laundry variety in a hotel.  




Most people in Japan hang clothes to dry.  In Hokkaido, I hung clothes inside in the winter, where they dried quickly because of the dry indoor heat. Here in Shizuoka, people can hang clothes outside year round.  






How do you dry clothes in your area?

12 comments:

rosey175 said...

I hang our clothes to dry too; I just prefer the lovely smell of sun-baked items. I have an old-style rack (similar to this) to hang stuff on. We have incredibly hard water though (even with a softener!) so they do get "crunchy" haha. I rarely use our dryer, mostly it's for de-fuzzifying blankets or fluffing pillows.

Shirokij said...

Most people in Russia hang out their clothes. Dryers are a rare kind here. As well as coin laundries too.

Queeniepatch said...

In Sweden, some housing units won't ALLOW hanging laundry on the balcony - it doesn't look good, so things are dried in a tumble dryer or hung over the bathtub.
In the UK washing is often dried in the back garden on a washing pole contraption that rotates in the wind.
Here in Tokyo I hang everything indoors to dry, in the spring - too much pollen in the air outside, but I do use the dryer for fluffing up fleece or pillows etc.

Janie said...

We use our families washer and dryer here. But I do love the smell of sun dried laundry too.
Back home, in Folsom, CA, there's a lot of pollen in spring and dust in the summer, so I would use an indoor rack to dry clothes.

Jen L said...

In New York City it's usually the (apartment) building laundry room (electric) dryers. Or, in the winter I put smaller items, like socks, on the radiators to dry and hang larger clothing over the bath tub. (Interiors tend to be overheated). Some years ago, in Brooklyn, I had access to a yard and used to hang things from time to time, but generally it was not practical, especially if rude upstairs neighbors have a tendency to throw cigarette butts out of their windows (ugh!). In my home state of California, dryers are common too, but I used to like to dry my cotton and linen clothes out in the dry, hot Central Valley sun in the warmer months. Nice and crispy. I know those Japanese hotel dryers too. The ones I used rarely got everything completely dry.

Lin said...

I have always hung out my washing (except when I was in a tiny flat with no garden or balcony but that was only for a short time - too damp!) I have a lovely washing line at the side of the house where it gets sun most of the day and picks up any gentle breezes. Have never owned a tumble dryer! xx

Carol- Beads and Birds said...

I think I live in a dirty air area. I would not hang my clothes outside, though I used to 40 years ago. Now I would have minuscule dirt and allergens on it. Not to mention that my dogs would probably have a heyday with the laundry hanging on a line, lol. I use a gas dryer and try to take my laundry out immediately to avoid wrinkles.
xx, Carol

Weronika said...

In Poland we almost don;t use dryers. We simply hang out it. Inside or outside the building depends of where do you live and the weather of course.

Anthea said...

Always interesting to see/read about how domestic things happen in other countries... Here in my part of Western Australia, mostly I hang washing outdoors... we have several lines of differing sizes... #1 is in our laundry courtyard in full sun... #2 is under our very big patio; my preferred spot to hang things so they don't fade & I don't get sunburn when hanging it up! Plus, it does get dry even in winter. #3 is on the wall in our garage, which is also great for winter. I rarely use our dryer.

Vireya said...

I've never owned a drier. Washing is always hung outside. I have two clothes lines here - one in the sun, and one under the back verandah in the shade. Delicate stuff gets dried in the shade, and everything else is hung in the sun. For winter if it is raining we have a ceiling rack on a pulley system in the laundry. It will hold a full load of washing, which dries quickly there because the flue from our wood heater goes up through the laundry ceiling.

Sheryl said...

Most people here in Spain dry their washing outside in the sun but if you live in a flat it is illegal to hang clothes where visible from the street. I hang my washing on the verandah at a low level behind an outer wall and invisible from the street. Some people own dryers and a lot of coin laundries have popped up over the last couple of years - ideal for bulky items.

Leonore Winterer said...

I do love my drier, it's so nice and convenient and the clothes are soft an warm...but I do know a lot of people who will just hang their laundry to dry, it's pretty mixed around here.