Laundry Lines and Pests

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Oh May—how we have missed you.  With your warm weather and long days, it seems like it’s been quite a while since we have last saw you.  While we are no doubt excited for the beginning of the warm weather (finally!) we understand that this is a great time of year to break out the clothesline and dry your laundry in an economical and fresh way!  However, with May being the month that many pests begin to resurface, you’re probably wondering how you can dry your clothes on the line in a pest-free way. Well, keep on reading as we give you all the tips you need to know!

Drying your clothes outside is a great way to save on energy costs, and it is often the way that laundry is done abroad—especially in countries like Italy.  Pests may want to come to the party as well, but there are a few thing you can do to limit their impact on your freshly washed clothes:

  • Don’t hang your clothes under a tree

A tree is definitely a sturdy place to tie your clothesline off to, but just remember not to hang your clothes directly under it.  Not only is it going to be shady—and limit the effectiveness of leaving your clothes to dry in the sun—but it is the most likely area where pests will be hiding.  One strong wind or an overly-curious ant is all that is needed to send a barrage of pests into your laundry, so try your best to keep your clothes away from the trees!

  • Hang your clothes at dusk

For the savvy-launderer or the extreme procrastinator, hanging your clothes at night after washing them in the early evening may actually work to your benefit, especially when it comes to defending against pests.  Since bugs, like people, will rest at night, hanging your clothes in the early evening will reduce the chances for bugs to come crawling. Not only that, but with a less-intense sun to worry about, you don’t need to worry about your colors fading away.

  • Give Your Laundry a Good Shake

Remember to give all of your clothes a strong shake when taking them off the line to dislodge any critters that may have found their way into a pocket or seam.  No need to go super vigorous on this—a firm shake will be good enough. If you want to go the extra mile, throwing your clothes in the dryer on high for 10 minutes will be enough to kill any bug that unfortunately made its way into your clothes.

When it is all said and done, the chances of bugs ruining your laundry is pretty slim.  Sure, it happens, but it is really not that big of a deal in the scheme of things. Just stick to these tips, and you’ll be good to go—and remember, even the nastiest of bug stains can be fixed with another run in the washer!

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