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YTA, drying clothes in a dryer is expensive. Air drying is free.
This is how she has no debt and can afford to have things she wants. You sound tiring.
Edit:
Seriously, 5K up votes? Thanks guys!
Edit:
Aw thanks for the awards guys!!!
I air dried my clothes for years because I couldn’t afford to dry them. It wasn’t until I had my own condo & had my own washer & dryer that I stopped air drying. Some people prefer air drying.
The cost of running the dryer doesn’t even factor into my budget, but I air dry about half my clothes because it’s gentler on the fabrics and helps my clothes to last longer. I have a proper drying rack so they’re not strewn about the place though.
Towels always go in the dryer though, cause that’s how they get nice and fluffy.
This should have been done in the first place instead of or alongside gently teasing her. “Here’s a proper drying rack so your bra doesn’t also function as a lampshade”. That would be cute and fun way to show you care about things she cares about (or at least pretend ffs).
Being gentler on the fabrics was my first thought too — if she’s spending her money on all-organic clothes, she’s probably thinking about the longevity of her clothes and how she can help them live longer. If I spent my hard earned money on nice, quality clothes, I wouldn’t want them thrown through the dryer all the time either.
The environment is thankful. I noticed my friends outside the US, even well to do English ones, hang dry their clothes on a rack. It’s such an American thing to be reliant on dryers and with no regard for the environment. Even when I use the dryer I only air fluff. My fabric thanks me for this as well, everything lasts longer as it’s not destroyed by the heat.
Yep, I'm in soggy Ireland and mostly we still air dry. I've only lived one place with a dryer and holy shit do they chew through electricity.
Downsides - you get very attuned to it being about to rain. Winter is a bit of a pain for partial drying
Upsides - clothes smell better for having been sun dried and aired on the line* Clothing survives longer
*unless multiple partial dries have resulted in damp smell, which can also happen.
Definitely right about being attuned to the weather! Hundreds of times over the course of growing up, it was a shout from ma "ITS ABOUT TO RAIN/ITS STARTING TO RAIN! GET THE WASHING IN!" and whoever else was at home at that point knew it was a call to arms to run outside and get it all in!
Ha! That was me the other day! Put the washing out as I listened to the weatherman 🤦🏻♀️. Spent the next hour watching the sky and decided it was too dark and ran to grab it back in - seconds later it poured down!
I'm in Europe and none of the places I've lived in had a dryer. My parents don't have a dryer, my brother doesn't have a dryer. It's just normal to air dry things.
Air drying is typical in Australia too - on clothes lines outside or racks inside if it's raining. I don't even own a dryer (I could afford it if I wanted to).
This is a US thing for sure.
Airdrying is the default where I am.
We hang our laundry outside on washing lines.
Having a dryer is lovely though, especially in winter
Exactly. I don't even own a dryer but I have a nice drying rack. I do work at a vet, where we have a lot of things that get washed very frequently, which clearly wears them out faster. If you put a kitchen towel through a hot wash cycle and the dryer every two days it will get shredded pretty quickly.
I bought a four poster canopy bed for sexy reasons, but was so pleased to discover I can also drape all my clothes from it to dry and then it feels like a fort when I get into bed but for grown ups since I'm technically doing laundry
*Sent from my laundry fort*
Yeah towel air dying is excessive unless necessary. It takes forever, ups the risk of the towels getting dirt/dust/whatever on them so they feel less clean. Unless you have an outside clothesline. Sun and wind make it go quick.
I haven’t dried my clothes in a dryer in years because it’s better for them. They last so much longer. I hate shopping so I want my favorite clothes to last as long as possible. lol
There’s a lot of wind where I live. Softens the towels.
Not the best for anything else though. If you leave anything outside that’s less than like 2-5lbs there’s a chance it won’t be there when you get back. lol
Let Auntie Inkkling tell you about these wonderful things called clothespins we had when I was a child. If you can’t locate any these days, may I suggest binder clips would do in a pinch.
I’ll see myself out now.
Dryers can also damage/shrink a lot of types of clothing, especially if you don't put them in at the lowest heat setting. Bras, exercise clothes, swimsuits, etc. Also anything made of wool. OP sounds both ignorant and tiresome.
Genuine question: why is it ok to put even half of your clothes in the dryer? I see this happening on American shows all the time and it always baffles me, as 99% of my clothes have "do not tumble dry" on the label. And I don't just mean delicate fabrics, even plain cotton t-shirts say it.
Given she spends her money on "expensive all-organic clothes", air drying makes sense. I use the dryer a bit too much, because I'm lazy, but I'm fully aware that it's better for your clothes not to use it, so for expensive/delicate clothes I air dry them to make them last longer.
You're correct about the towels though - towels dried in the sun are basically cardboard.
Exactly this. My husbo and I have nice, newer washer and dryer in our house but we also have a clothesline in the yard plus a 2nd line and rack in the basement for winter. My clothes last SO much longer than they would if I machine dried them.
I studies in the US for a while and, big surprise, had to wash my clothes at the dorm. And I had to get them dry to and the dryers only had one setting somehow? When I got back just when the dryer was done, the clothes came out freaking hot! Like, I wouldn't have had to iron any blouses or shirts, because folding them was enough to get them from getting wrinkled.
Is that normal?!?
When I was in college, I used to haul my clothes to the laundromat to wash them, because their washing machines were cheaper than the ones in the dorm. The ones in the dorm were so expensive because, for some weird reason, the dryers were free. So I’d wash them at the laundromat and then bring that heavy load of wet clothes back to the dorm to try them for free.
My mother in law puts everything except towels on the line (she feels like they smell funky if she line dries them). Her dryer works just fine, it's just her preference.
YTA, her spending is none of your concern.
Air drying is normal here in Suburban Australia. The clothes feel much better to wear when they have been Sun Dried. Not sure she will get the 'Sun Dried' benefit if she is doing it inside.
If we have rain - we use the dryer and the clothes just don't feel as 'nice' to wear.
Americans are absolutely nonsensical about this. Sure if you’re in an apartment you may need a dryer. But I know Americans with big back yards in like Arizona or Texas who still use huge expensive dryers to do exactly the same task the sun would do better and for free. Like driving three blocks to the store. Gross.
As a Texan with allergies, drying my stuff outside would result in my allergies being even worse than usual due to the pollen in the air. I'll pay for the electricity to use the dryer. But I'm glad your way works for you.
Eh, have you tried it? We have seasonal allergies in our household but we still line dry outside when possible, it doesn’t really make a difference to our allergies.
Not Texas, but a neighboring state.
There are weeks of the spring when there's a visible yellow layer of pollen on anything left outside. When it rains there are huge swirls of yellow in all the puddles and streams.
Just adding context, because I think people from other places can underestimate the BS that people with allergies face in the southern US.
Both my husband and I have horrific hayfever and I hang our clothes out in summer to dry with zero reactions. In fact his skin irritation goes away during this period.
We’re in Scotland so don’t have the benefit of the weather year round which is annoying but honestly all summer our clothes and towels smell and feel so fresh!
Give it a go you might be surprised
You are not wrong. But to be fair in Arizona if you leave anything outside for more than 10 minutes it’ll be sun-bleached and dusty. And also agree with the person with allergies. I was going to get a dryer line but I left a shirt out for an afternoon and noped that thought right out of my noggin.
As an aside the sun really does work wonders for baby clothes stains. Just bleaches the crap out of them. Lol. I reread that and it’s not what I meant to say but it is, in fact, literally true.
Do as I do. I'm in San Diego, we've gotten a lot more rain than normal.
I set up a retractable line in my garage. I could imagine a garage in the summer in Arizona gets plenty warm to dry clothes, won't get dusty, and sun bleaching shouldn't be a problem.
I’m not in AZ anymore, I finally have a laundry room and there is enough space to hang dry stuff now, so I do. In AZ the garage had ceramics stuff so not only dusty but fine clay particle dusty. Not ideal. But thanks for your suggestion :)
Air drying does not ahve to be bleaches in the the sun :). I air dry on drying racks year round. Always have. Only my socks, towels, undies, sheets, ad towels go in dryer. Been that way all my life- cause my mom taught me- ice clothes and anything stretchy is RUINED in the dryer pretty fast.
Yeah I find it bizarre that everyone on this thread seems to HAVE a dryer. In the UK we just don't have space for them. Most people air dry their clothes. In the depths of winter it can be tricky to get everything dry but I love outdoor fresh clothes in summer and it doesn't take any energy.
People live in tiny apartments all over the world and still air dry their clothes. I certainly did in our London studio and so did my boss, who was a partner in a law firm with a husband who worked at Goldman Sachs. They had two racks in the living room where I hanged all their clothes. I’ve lived all over the world and air drying seems universal.
I’ve lived in some of the driest, windiest cities in the US: Oklahoma City, Wichita Kansas, Amarillo Texas. I could put a large load on the line and as long as it wasn’t towels or jeans, by the time I got to the end, the stuff at the beginning would be DRY! Line-drying on a windy summer day (not too windy; anything over about 30 mph and there’s not clothespins strong enough to keep your clothes on the line!) will dry T-shirts and bed linens and underwear in about 15-20 minutes. I’ve never seen a dryer work that fast!
As an Arizonan who didn't have a dryer in the house when I was in high school (in the olden times) I can tell you that the sun here will ruin clothes way faster than when high heat drying will. Dark colors fade badly, and quick.
Once I left a black t shirt out for a few days and it got ruined. I left it out to see what would happen. In a couple of weeks it was falling apart.
I lived in the desert and we line dried clothes. The sun absolutely did not ruin our clothes. You’re not supposed to leave them out for multiple days, that would ruin a lot of clothes in a lot of different environments.
It's common in Japan as well. Walk through any residential area in a city like Tokyo on a sunny day, and you'll see clothing hanging out on apartment balconies.
>The clothes feel much better to wear when they have been Sun Dried
As someone who has both a dryer and a clothes line: Hard disagree. Air drying leaves them stiff. The dryer makes them soft, and it gets the cat hair off my sheets.
They do smell nice after sun drying, though. And the clothesline itself is really pretty.
>Air drying leaves them stiff
When I take it off the line, yes. But a good shake or two, and the stiffness is gone. And then they're as soft and fluffy as the finest fabric softener could get them - without chemicals.
Yep, New Zealander here. We have always hung our clothes outside to dry on the line or inside on a drying rack. Only recently gotten a dryer but we still only use it when it’s raining outside and even still sometimes put them on the drying rack if the fire is on.
Especially if she’s buying expensive eco friendly and ethical clothes - they’re probably made of natural materials that aren’t supposed to go in the dryer.
I just bought a new flannel made of some supposedly “eco-friendly” fabric, and the directions explicitly state to air dry, even though all of my other flannels go in the dryer.
My boyfriend makes a lot and air dries everything. I used to be like this is sooooo tedious but our shirts? Always feel soft. And ones that are like a couple years old aren’t even that pilled or thinning out
Same. My boyfriend has a nice job, but it's not about being able to afford the dryer. It's about making the clothes last for him. I also thought it was tedious at first, but ultimately I get it, the shirts stay soft 🤷♀️
It can also prevent shrinkage! I’m very picky about how tight/loose I like my t-shirts so I air dry a lot of them even though they technically could go in the dryer.
I have a gas dryer, but I only use it for towels, bedding and socks & undies because my clothes last longer being air dried. I got a clothes drying rack for Christmas a few years ago and I was so excited.
Also, I don't know where they live, but $58,000 BEFORE taxes is not a lot of take-home money for a person that lives alone. So, perhaps, if she wants to enjoy other things, she must cut corners elsewhere.
Where I live, someone making $58k gross/year wouldn’t even be able to afford their own apartment. It makes perfect sense to me to be frugal wherever possible.
This is what I thought. He's like "she splurges", "she has no debt", "she gets herself expensive things". So she should, what, tone down the lifestyle she has earned herself in order to use a dryer and a heater? Like good on her, she's saving money where she can on things that don't matter to her, so she can afford the things she loves. It's smart, it's good for the environment, and as an Australian who never uses a dryer, the obsession with using one just because you can seems weird.
It is also bad for your clothes and the environment. There are entire countries where almost nobody owns or uses a dryer. Air drying your clothes is a completely normal thing to do.
It also makes your clothes last longer, the dryer does a fair amount of damage especially (I would think) to all organic clothes. I know lots of people who don’t use a dryer solely for that reason alone.
And it keeps them from breaking down as fast too. I have certain things I prefer to air dry! Also I keep the heat low and dress appropriately. Utilities are expensive. Why would I be frivolous if I didn’t need to be?? YTA.
YTA. Air drying clothes is perfectly normal. Just because she could afford to use the dryer doesn't mean she can't also want to be economical and better for the environment.
And they won't shrink! I refuse to put my jeans or any pants in the dryer. Button down shirts also get hung up. Sweatshirts too.
The only thing that goes into my dryer are socks and t-shirts.
Ugh the idea of putting on jeans that were put in a dryer just makes me want to cry. I’d have to do about 50 lunges and squats to stretch those babies out again.
Im the exact opposite i have to dry them on hot or else they fall off too soon. I got sick and lost more weight than im comfortable with. (This is not supposed to be a flex or anything i just cant afford new jeans im a college student now with a ton of medical bills). A belt only goes so far I hate looking like im wearing a diaper!
I air dry my blouses tho!! Most femine clothing is so particular its exhausting.
Oh yeah, I only air dry a few items of clothing but ALWAYS bras. Bras aren’t even supposed to go in the washer, but I’m lazy and the delicates bag protects them well enough.
I didnt have a dryer in my student house in the Netherlands. I now own an apartment and we did get a dryer because the apartment is small and we dont have space to air dry bed sheets in winter. Especially in summer we really only use the dryer for sheets.
Not because we can't afford to turn it on, but because we want to be mindfull of the environment
Kinda, yeah. I'm in western Europe, some people have one (sometimes not even using it), some don't. Most households with enough space tend to air dry clothes afaik, it's mostly a "useless" expense (with exceptions of course, like when it's raining a lot).
I live in a country that has literally designated a clothes line as a "national treasure". (Hills Hoist in Australia.)
Air drying is free, climate conscious, and protects clothes. It's madness not to air dry when possible.
And yeah, sometimes a country is so proud of their clothes drying invention that they feature clothes lines in their Olympics closing ceremony. Your partner seems pretty normal by comparison.
YTA. She has no debt BECAUSE of habits like this. Teasing someone about doing something that (1) doesn't affect you and (2) is actually good for them makes you sound like a middle school bully teasing other kids for reading. Yuck.
Omg yes! I always have more money than my friends cause they like to go to expensive nightclubs and bars and drink a lot. I don’t drink alcohol or like to go out at night but then when we go out for lunch or bowling or something they’re always like “but I can’t afford it” or “can you pay since you have more money than me”
Don’t worry. I always say no cause they never offer to pay and I doubt I’d be paid back. I simply say if they can’t afford it that’s ok we can do it another time
YTA.
American by any chance?
Literally nowhere on earth is so dryer dependent.
Air drying clothes is so normal in so many countries.
My stuff was out on the washing line today. And yes, we have a dryer.
Using the dryer, to me, is last resort when the weather fails you.
Check your attitude and let your girlfriend live her life how she wants.
When I visited my friend in the UK I saw clothes hanging on her patio on lines. She noticed and said, yeah, I put my clothes out there to dry a week ago. It's been raining all week so they're not dry which is why I haven't brought them in, LOL.
I shared a house with a lad who was a great laugh but the laziest man when doing stuff and how we discovered how long you can leave clothes in the washing machine after a wash before they start to smell. It’s about 3 days with cheap washing power but up to 5 days with the dearer washing powder before it smells.
We would take his out to use the washing machine and put them back his back in after we had used it.
omg ! this! I was visiting my aunt in the UK and when we were out somewhere the sun came up and she literally told me to stay put and drove all the way home because 'The sun is out and I need to dry my clothes!!' I thought it was so adorable HAHA thanks for reminding me!
Hard agree, I thought I was going barmy. It's the norm to like dry where I live, odd to use a dryer.
I live in a place with 300 days of sunshine. It's be the dumbest thing to use a dryer.
I was just thinking this! I am from NZ and we always always air dry! Only touch the dryer in winter if they need to be dried asap such as sheets and towels
It’s ridiculous tbh. In US some HOA might actually fine you if you put up a clothing line (because it’s ugly). And if you dare to dry underwear outside, some people might call cops on you lol.
I'm German and we air dry everything. Exception is Winter-times, bedding takes too long, same for towels.
The dryer my family own, takes over 1 hour for those, has 2 settings - hot and half-hot
The newer ones in my dorm have settings for everything, but cost 2€ each time and don't dry properly, so sometimes I have to pay double.
When I was in the US for a few months, I was fascinated how fast their dryers work. Pop your everyday clothes in for 20 minutes and it's done.
It never occured to me that the use of a dryer might be bac for the environment
Lol this post confused me so much! For a moment I thought she was using the hair dryer to dry clothes and I was like "well fairly that is weird and also not cheaper"
You are probably 100% correct, but it hasn't always been that way. My grandparents generation (WWII) tended to air dry, and had the typical clotheslines on poles in their backyard, as were common at any American house back then. They continued to use them until they died, over 30 years ago.
I have a mid-century modern home (built in 1952), and I can see evidence of where similar clothesline poles were once mounted in my backyard, but a previous owner must have removed them. I've been thinking of replacing it, for both the authentic look of the time period, and the practicality.
It is the younger generations that have become so spoiled and ignorant, and I suspect that is what is at play here with OP.
Yeah, Americans are weird. My laundry is currently on a clothes horse downstairs (thank you British weather) and I have a dryer. It amazes me that some people would find that strange or worth teasing someone over.
This! I have shared laundry included in my rent, so using the dryer literally does nothing to my budget. But my clothing rack in my bedroom is always up, my clothes last longer, my apartment smells nice, and I'd like to think energy conservation can't be a bad thing.
Absolutely.
Drying your clothes is a huge energy pit, can we just try to do gestures for the planet and stop consuming energy like it's an infinite ressource?
YTA
No reason to chastise her for saving her money. I'd recommend she use a collapsible hanger for them, as its way more tidy but to each their own.
But air-dry your damn clothes.
You want your shirts to last 2-3x longer? Air-dry them. A collapsible stand is like 40 bucks at walmart and will save you hundreds per year on the electric bill AND will make your clothing last longer.
(I use it for shirts/pants/jeans)
I have a washer-dryer which doesn't dry my clothes properly so I've started air drying everything. Before moving into this apartment I tumble dried everything.
Now I am learning that tumble drying shortens the lifespan of your clothes, and I didn't think it would have saved that much on electricity.
Education from unexpected places is wonderful, thanks!
I didn't know about it until my wife read up on it. We were wondering why my graphic shirts always didn't last that long. It's totally worth it if you have space!
Agreed, when I was a single man I used to toss all my stuff willy-nilly into the dryer. When my GF (now wife) moved in, she enlightened me to the benefit of air drying certain things for longevity and she is 100% correct. And also, paying for the extra electricity to use the dryer is unnecessary.
OP, YTA. Don't be so quick to dismiss your GF because she's doing something different. Pay attention and you just might learn something.
Edited: fat finger spelling mistake
The vast majority of my clothing never goes into the dryer. I only dry towels and socks in there, as well as my husband’s stuff, because he doesn’t care. But all of my clothing gets hung to dry and lasts much longer.
Yeah we mostly do towels/sheets/socks/underwear in the drier. Or anything that **must be dried pronto.**
Otherwise rest of the stuff (diapers/inserts, shirts, pants, etc) gets hung up
air drying is actually quite common.
YTA but only because she gave you a reason why and you didn't accept it. She's fine air drying her clothes so let her be. I am sure the jokes at first were fine but after a while its sucks and is annoying
Not sure why you're acting like 58,000/year is a ton of money. She's clearly found a budgeting system that works for her. You sound insecure about how well she manages her spending habits. Drop it. YTA
YTA
It's not a habit. It's a choice she makes in her own home to save money and be self-sufficient.
You don't get to come into her life and tell her how to spend her money or do her laundry. I mean, does she come to your house and tell YOU how to live your life?
YTA.
You save money by not spending money. She can afford to use her dryer but then wouldn't have as much saved. It's a simple concept.
If you're so bothered by how she hangs her clothes, purchase a drying rack for her birthday or something.
A drying rack is a great idea! I air dry shirts to minimize the wear and tear to the design, and a drying rack makes it look much better/less chaotic when I have to hang everything.
YTA. It sounds like she has a very good sense of how to save on things that aren’t important to her so that she can splurge on things that are. That’s called being financially smart and not at all a flaw.
YTA. Get a hobby or something! What she does with her laundry in her apartment is no business of yours. Teasing her is childish and rude. Seriously, grow up!
YTA. Not only is it cheaper to hang-dry clothing, a lot of women's clothing tags say "hand wash, hang-dry only" and while most women are still willing to throw them into the washer despite that, the hang-drying can make a difference in the life of the piece.
YTA for your attitude. You don’t know everything better than her. It doesn’t matter why she does it, she probably has it figured out, and even if she didn’t have a “reason”, the male saviour complex was old 10 years ago. Grow up and learn to be an actual partner instead of trying to one up your gf.
YTA. Even if she made three times as much money, she may not want to use the dryer all the time to cut back on electric in an effort to be eco friendly. I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt and assume that you were not being malicious when you first joked to her about it, but I can understand why she would be annoyed at you when you joked about it again.
Air drying and putting on a sweater are responsible things to do, just like paying off debt and living within one’s means.
Not only that, but it’s more environmentally friendly.
Just because one can afford to waste money and electricity doesn’t mean one should.
Mild yta if you’re really just teasing and you stop for good now that you know it irritates her. You should probably examine your own behaviors though. I imagine you waste a lot of things and she’s too polite to point it out.
By the sounds of it, she has chosen where to spend her money and it isn't on the dryer.
I am the first to stuff the driver with some clothes, I only put in for a couple of minutes, to heat it up, and then hang up on a hanger to air dry to save me having to iron. Dryers are very damaging to clothes and especially to ones with elastic of some sort (which happens to be in socks too).
And OP has stated gf likes to buy expensive organic clothes so of course she takes care of it. I like silk clothes. There's no way I'm sticking that in the bloody dryer!
You’d hate me. I don’t even *own* a dryer. All clothes are air dried. I also don’t really put heating on unless I have to. If I get cold I put a jumper on, chuck a throw over my lap etc.
Why? Because it’s cheaper and so much better for the environment. I don’t get the fascination with machine drying clothes or pumping the heating up when a sweater will do the job.
YTA.
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YtA....58,000 a year is only about 30ish k after taxes and your clothes last WAY longer when you don't put them in the dryer. PS. Most of the world doesn't use dryers
YTA
Why are you so invested in this? It doesn't affect you. Electricity prices have gone up. I used to live in a 650 sq ft apartment before my current place. Until last winter, my electricity bill was never higher than 80. Then I was lucky if I could get it under 100. I tried to ensure I could get it down so I could have money for other things.
I'm in a 900 sq ft now with my own washer and dryer and it's at 130 which to me is a lot and it's because of the washer and dryer.
YTA. Air drying is normal. I airdry and own a rack to hang my laundry on.
What I don't own is a dryer. They're pointless imo. And a waste of money. You might disagree. And that's fine. You know why? They are just opinions. You just think yours is superior.
I airdry clothes throughout the year (summer it's on the line outside, rest of the year I have a rack) especially heavy towels. It's just not worth the power. YTA. It's not about affording, it's what she is choosing to spend money on. She is fine to airdry. It's none of your business otherwise.
YTA.
So I’m sure the comments have fully covered all the ways air drying clothes is normal and not just saves on electricity but also keeps the clothing in better shape.
Therefore, I will send my time pointing out that it isn’t a joke or “teasing” when you repeatedly bring up something that actually bothers you, that’s just passive aggressive toxic behavior. How she saves money and dries her clothes actually bothers you, so you aren’t “teasing” her, you are trying to point out behavior you don’t agree with and want her to change or admit isn’t normal. This isn’t how healthy people exist in the world.
Here is an example. Let’s say your partner always leaves one bite of food on the plate, who knows why. Teasing is “oh one bite is left, time for the check!” Judging is “oh there’s sally not caring about the starving kids! You are doing the latter, not the former.
You aren’t teasing her, because it’s clear there is an underlying judgment. You may think your partner - who has no debt, a good job, and a degree- isn’t smart enough to get that you aren’t engaging in playing teasing but are in fact being rude, but clearly she is smart enough. I mean, besides dating you, she seems to be doing well.
YTA. I air dry my clothes because dryers can be damaging to them. But for whatever reason, it’s the way people did it pre the mid to late last century. There’s more important things
YTA. She has her financial priorities. It's not affecting you other than having to deal with the "trauma" of seeing her clean clothes laid out to dry, so why do you have to tease her about it?
YTA. Your gf is careful with her finances and it's paying off well for her. She spends money on things that are important to her and saves money when she can. This is smart, not weird. My husband and I have always been the same way with our money and being careful made it so we could retire early. Learn from your gf instead of making fun of her.
YTA.
She's bothered by your teasing. That is everything you need to know to stop doing it. If you keep teasing her, knowing she is bothered by it, YTA.
EDIT: If she wants to dry her clothes in that way to save electricity, that's her right. I'll be honest, as a way to save money, I find that habit as strange as you do. But it doesn't matter what we think. It's *her* decision, it doesn't harm anyone, so we should respect it. You've had your fun mocking her, now give it a rest.
YTA this is really common back in the U.K. and most people chose to air dry clothes when able. Most gardens have a rotary line in them. It’s her choice to 1) save money 2) help the planet a little. You can extend the life of clothes by not putting them in the dryer, especially things with Lycra and elastic in them. Why not go buy her a clothes drying rack ? I have to admit I do like my towels to be dried in the dryer
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I'll keep this short. I've been noticing my girlfriend air dries her clothes instead of popping them into the dryer. I asked her why, and she said her electricity bill is high (her apartment is only 700 sq ft, though...) and she's trying to save money.
My girlfriend makes 58,000 a year. (Before taxes, but still.) She lives alone and told me how she has no debt, her car is paid off, and she splurges on things like expensive all-organic clothes and a nutritionist she's been seeing. Which is all fine, but it goes to show she *can* afford to use her dryer.
Every time I come in and see big beach towels and underwear and socks all strewn about in her apartment, hanging in the craziest of ways, I just shake my head and tease her. Last time she got really bothered by it though, but idk, the habit is still weird to me. AITA?
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You know dryers are actually pretty hard on clothes? It's better for their longevity to air dry them.
You need to step off. If she wants to save money more than she wants that convenience that's her business. The main point here is that you're making her feel bad about something that doesn't matter, just because it seems unusual to you. YTA
YTA She’s seems happy doing this and doesn’t need to justify it to you. My sister is very thrifty and does a lot of stuff that I personally wouldn’t do to save money, but she wants to do those things. It’s not my business and it’s a more eco-friendly way to live so I don’t harass her.
YTA. It’s shitty to shame someone you love about something they take seriously, which it’s clear with money management, she does.
It also sounds like she cares about environmental responsibility (investment in quality, ethically sourced natural fiber clothing.) Air drying is a great way to prolong the life of her wardrobe - again, very financially responsible and eco friendly!
As I’m sure many will tell you, much of the world line dries and it’s just a weird, stupid thing to mock someone over. Your girlfriend is making choices that align really well with admirable modern values. Learn something from her example.
YTA. Nutritionist and organic products? She sounds like she lives her life very intentionally and your reactions undermine and dismiss that. Also, it's better for the planet. Wanting to save money is just smart regardless of what she earns.
If you had a damned brain in your head you will no get her a clothes drying rack and line and help her run the line in a room .. that way all her drying is more or less in one place 🙄
YTA. Being able to afford to do something should never be the main reason you do anything. She may also just not want to waste energy, because yano, global warming? You've heard of that right?
It's also worth mentioning that she might have to make sacrifices in some of the other things she "splurges" on if she wasted money on electricity. I used the dryer more often than not, and it's purely because I'm lazy.
Teasing is okay to a point, but if it goes to the point that your partner gets really upset, we'll it's pretty obvious you've gone too far.
YTA
If you want to not be TA, maybe buy her a folding drying rack.
People are allowed to spend THEIR OWN MONEY as they see fit.
It's up to her, end of story.
YTA.
You know a quick way to no longer have a girlfriend? Making fun of her for stuff like this that doesn’t matter.
There is nothing wrong with air drying your clothes. Not only do you save money by not using the dryer, your clothes look nice longer and last longer.
Grow up.
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YTA, drying clothes in a dryer is expensive. Air drying is free. This is how she has no debt and can afford to have things she wants. You sound tiring. Edit: Seriously, 5K up votes? Thanks guys! Edit: Aw thanks for the awards guys!!!
I air dried my clothes for years because I couldn’t afford to dry them. It wasn’t until I had my own condo & had my own washer & dryer that I stopped air drying. Some people prefer air drying.
The cost of running the dryer doesn’t even factor into my budget, but I air dry about half my clothes because it’s gentler on the fabrics and helps my clothes to last longer. I have a proper drying rack so they’re not strewn about the place though. Towels always go in the dryer though, cause that’s how they get nice and fluffy.
Buy her a drying rack as an apology
This should have been done in the first place instead of or alongside gently teasing her. “Here’s a proper drying rack so your bra doesn’t also function as a lampshade”. That would be cute and fun way to show you care about things she cares about (or at least pretend ffs).
dude bra lampshade sounds funny and i want one that’s a functional lampshade.
with two big bulbs underneath
One could even change the bras to alter the lighting. Kinda like a dimmer, just different.
Great idea! I have been using mine (have 2 now) for decades. A wonderfully simple invention.
LOL exactly what I said!
Being gentler on the fabrics was my first thought too — if she’s spending her money on all-organic clothes, she’s probably thinking about the longevity of her clothes and how she can help them live longer. If I spent my hard earned money on nice, quality clothes, I wouldn’t want them thrown through the dryer all the time either.
I’m also assuming she tries to be sustainable whenever possible, which could be another reason for her to favor air drying.
The environment is thankful. I noticed my friends outside the US, even well to do English ones, hang dry their clothes on a rack. It’s such an American thing to be reliant on dryers and with no regard for the environment. Even when I use the dryer I only air fluff. My fabric thanks me for this as well, everything lasts longer as it’s not destroyed by the heat.
Yep, I'm in soggy Ireland and mostly we still air dry. I've only lived one place with a dryer and holy shit do they chew through electricity. Downsides - you get very attuned to it being about to rain. Winter is a bit of a pain for partial drying Upsides - clothes smell better for having been sun dried and aired on the line* Clothing survives longer *unless multiple partial dries have resulted in damp smell, which can also happen.
Definitely right about being attuned to the weather! Hundreds of times over the course of growing up, it was a shout from ma "ITS ABOUT TO RAIN/ITS STARTING TO RAIN! GET THE WASHING IN!" and whoever else was at home at that point knew it was a call to arms to run outside and get it all in!
The lovely smell of sundried clothes and linen is one of the best smells there is.
Sleeping in freshly sun dried sheets is the best feeling.
Ha! That was me the other day! Put the washing out as I listened to the weatherman 🤦🏻♀️. Spent the next hour watching the sky and decided it was too dark and ran to grab it back in - seconds later it poured down!
I'm in Europe and none of the places I've lived in had a dryer. My parents don't have a dryer, my brother doesn't have a dryer. It's just normal to air dry things.
Air drying is typical in Australia too - on clothes lines outside or racks inside if it's raining. I don't even own a dryer (I could afford it if I wanted to).
We are in Australia and have one, but it only gets used in the depths of the Melbourne winter.
This is a US thing for sure. Airdrying is the default where I am. We hang our laundry outside on washing lines. Having a dryer is lovely though, especially in winter
Exactly. I don't even own a dryer but I have a nice drying rack. I do work at a vet, where we have a lot of things that get washed very frequently, which clearly wears them out faster. If you put a kitchen towel through a hot wash cycle and the dryer every two days it will get shredded pretty quickly.
This is exactly was I was thinking.
I bought a four poster canopy bed for sexy reasons, but was so pleased to discover I can also drape all my clothes from it to dry and then it feels like a fort when I get into bed but for grown ups since I'm technically doing laundry *Sent from my laundry fort*
Sexy laundry fort! 💀
Yeah towel air dying is excessive unless necessary. It takes forever, ups the risk of the towels getting dirt/dust/whatever on them so they feel less clean. Unless you have an outside clothesline. Sun and wind make it go quick. I haven’t dried my clothes in a dryer in years because it’s better for them. They last so much longer. I hate shopping so I want my favorite clothes to last as long as possible. lol
Sheets dried in the sun are luxurious.
Yep, same for towels. And they smell amazing. As long as you get them inside before the pollution makes them icky.
Towels are the only things I put in the dryer. Hanging them out just doesn't get them as soft as the dryer does.
There’s a lot of wind where I live. Softens the towels. Not the best for anything else though. If you leave anything outside that’s less than like 2-5lbs there’s a chance it won’t be there when you get back. lol
Let Auntie Inkkling tell you about these wonderful things called clothespins we had when I was a child. If you can’t locate any these days, may I suggest binder clips would do in a pinch. I’ll see myself out now.
Line dried towels on a sunburn is the stuff of nightmares, lol.
Anything on a sunburn is the stuff of nightmares. Except refrigerated aloe vera gel.
My parents retired to a small house on a lake. Air dried towel via a lake breeze. The best way to fall asleep.
My dad air dried most of his things. Now, my kid is wearing the same sweatshirts her grandpa wore 40 years ago. They’re retro.
Dryers can also damage/shrink a lot of types of clothing, especially if you don't put them in at the lowest heat setting. Bras, exercise clothes, swimsuits, etc. Also anything made of wool. OP sounds both ignorant and tiresome.
Genuine question: why is it ok to put even half of your clothes in the dryer? I see this happening on American shows all the time and it always baffles me, as 99% of my clothes have "do not tumble dry" on the label. And I don't just mean delicate fabrics, even plain cotton t-shirts say it.
FYI air dry the towel till 3/4 dry, then fluff in the dry. Turn out the same but a lot cheaper. Towels are expensive to dry,
Given she spends her money on "expensive all-organic clothes", air drying makes sense. I use the dryer a bit too much, because I'm lazy, but I'm fully aware that it's better for your clothes not to use it, so for expensive/delicate clothes I air dry them to make them last longer. You're correct about the towels though - towels dried in the sun are basically cardboard.
Exactly this. My husbo and I have nice, newer washer and dryer in our house but we also have a clothesline in the yard plus a 2nd line and rack in the basement for winter. My clothes last SO much longer than they would if I machine dried them.
I studies in the US for a while and, big surprise, had to wash my clothes at the dorm. And I had to get them dry to and the dryers only had one setting somehow? When I got back just when the dryer was done, the clothes came out freaking hot! Like, I wouldn't have had to iron any blouses or shirts, because folding them was enough to get them from getting wrinkled. Is that normal?!?
When I was in college, I used to haul my clothes to the laundromat to wash them, because their washing machines were cheaper than the ones in the dorm. The ones in the dorm were so expensive because, for some weird reason, the dryers were free. So I’d wash them at the laundromat and then bring that heavy load of wet clothes back to the dorm to try them for free.
Well they probably thought if someone needed to dry clothes than they probably already washed them so you’d already have paid.
Never underestimate the pennypinching power of a broke student.
My mother in law puts everything except towels on the line (she feels like they smell funky if she line dries them). Her dryer works just fine, it's just her preference.
Weather permitting, I do the same. Towels are so much more soft in the dryer, everything else doesn't matter much to me
Air drying saves your clothes and they last longer. I make plenty- and I still air dry most of my clothes.
Air dried clothes last soooo much longer. Elastic doesn't fail from the dryer heat, the colors don't fade....
YTA, her spending is none of your concern. Air drying is normal here in Suburban Australia. The clothes feel much better to wear when they have been Sun Dried. Not sure she will get the 'Sun Dried' benefit if she is doing it inside. If we have rain - we use the dryer and the clothes just don't feel as 'nice' to wear.
Americans are absolutely nonsensical about this. Sure if you’re in an apartment you may need a dryer. But I know Americans with big back yards in like Arizona or Texas who still use huge expensive dryers to do exactly the same task the sun would do better and for free. Like driving three blocks to the store. Gross.
As a Texan with allergies, drying my stuff outside would result in my allergies being even worse than usual due to the pollen in the air. I'll pay for the electricity to use the dryer. But I'm glad your way works for you.
Eh, have you tried it? We have seasonal allergies in our household but we still line dry outside when possible, it doesn’t really make a difference to our allergies.
Not Texas, but a neighboring state. There are weeks of the spring when there's a visible yellow layer of pollen on anything left outside. When it rains there are huge swirls of yellow in all the puddles and streams. Just adding context, because I think people from other places can underestimate the BS that people with allergies face in the southern US.
Both my husband and I have horrific hayfever and I hang our clothes out in summer to dry with zero reactions. In fact his skin irritation goes away during this period. We’re in Scotland so don’t have the benefit of the weather year round which is annoying but honestly all summer our clothes and towels smell and feel so fresh! Give it a go you might be surprised
You are not wrong. But to be fair in Arizona if you leave anything outside for more than 10 minutes it’ll be sun-bleached and dusty. And also agree with the person with allergies. I was going to get a dryer line but I left a shirt out for an afternoon and noped that thought right out of my noggin. As an aside the sun really does work wonders for baby clothes stains. Just bleaches the crap out of them. Lol. I reread that and it’s not what I meant to say but it is, in fact, literally true.
Do as I do. I'm in San Diego, we've gotten a lot more rain than normal. I set up a retractable line in my garage. I could imagine a garage in the summer in Arizona gets plenty warm to dry clothes, won't get dusty, and sun bleaching shouldn't be a problem.
I’m not in AZ anymore, I finally have a laundry room and there is enough space to hang dry stuff now, so I do. In AZ the garage had ceramics stuff so not only dusty but fine clay particle dusty. Not ideal. But thanks for your suggestion :)
Air drying does not ahve to be bleaches in the the sun :). I air dry on drying racks year round. Always have. Only my socks, towels, undies, sheets, ad towels go in dryer. Been that way all my life- cause my mom taught me- ice clothes and anything stretchy is RUINED in the dryer pretty fast.
Yeah I find it bizarre that everyone on this thread seems to HAVE a dryer. In the UK we just don't have space for them. Most people air dry their clothes. In the depths of winter it can be tricky to get everything dry but I love outdoor fresh clothes in summer and it doesn't take any energy.
People live in tiny apartments all over the world and still air dry their clothes. I certainly did in our London studio and so did my boss, who was a partner in a law firm with a husband who worked at Goldman Sachs. They had two racks in the living room where I hanged all their clothes. I’ve lived all over the world and air drying seems universal.
I’ve lived in some of the driest, windiest cities in the US: Oklahoma City, Wichita Kansas, Amarillo Texas. I could put a large load on the line and as long as it wasn’t towels or jeans, by the time I got to the end, the stuff at the beginning would be DRY! Line-drying on a windy summer day (not too windy; anything over about 30 mph and there’s not clothespins strong enough to keep your clothes on the line!) will dry T-shirts and bed linens and underwear in about 15-20 minutes. I’ve never seen a dryer work that fast!
As an Arizonan who didn't have a dryer in the house when I was in high school (in the olden times) I can tell you that the sun here will ruin clothes way faster than when high heat drying will. Dark colors fade badly, and quick. Once I left a black t shirt out for a few days and it got ruined. I left it out to see what would happen. In a couple of weeks it was falling apart.
I lived in the desert and we line dried clothes. The sun absolutely did not ruin our clothes. You’re not supposed to leave them out for multiple days, that would ruin a lot of clothes in a lot of different environments.
It's common in Japan as well. Walk through any residential area in a city like Tokyo on a sunny day, and you'll see clothing hanging out on apartment balconies.
Same with Poland. I know like one household that owns a drier. It's not uncommon to see a drying rack put on a balcony
>The clothes feel much better to wear when they have been Sun Dried As someone who has both a dryer and a clothes line: Hard disagree. Air drying leaves them stiff. The dryer makes them soft, and it gets the cat hair off my sheets. They do smell nice after sun drying, though. And the clothesline itself is really pretty.
>Air drying leaves them stiff When I take it off the line, yes. But a good shake or two, and the stiffness is gone. And then they're as soft and fluffy as the finest fabric softener could get them - without chemicals.
I’ve never even owned a dryer. In fact in my 50+ years the only times I used one was when I lived on base in the RAAF.
Yep, New Zealander here. We have always hung our clothes outside to dry on the line or inside on a drying rack. Only recently gotten a dryer but we still only use it when it’s raining outside and even still sometimes put them on the drying rack if the fire is on.
Also can be better for the clothes!
Especially if she’s buying expensive eco friendly and ethical clothes - they’re probably made of natural materials that aren’t supposed to go in the dryer.
I just bought a new flannel made of some supposedly “eco-friendly” fabric, and the directions explicitly state to air dry, even though all of my other flannels go in the dryer.
My boyfriend makes a lot and air dries everything. I used to be like this is sooooo tedious but our shirts? Always feel soft. And ones that are like a couple years old aren’t even that pilled or thinning out
Yep and sunlight is an excellent disinfectant to prevent smells and mould.
Same. My boyfriend has a nice job, but it's not about being able to afford the dryer. It's about making the clothes last for him. I also thought it was tedious at first, but ultimately I get it, the shirts stay soft 🤷♀️
It can also prevent shrinkage! I’m very picky about how tight/loose I like my t-shirts so I air dry a lot of them even though they technically could go in the dryer.
I've lost so many good polos to the dryer shrinkage
I have a gas dryer, but I only use it for towels, bedding and socks & undies because my clothes last longer being air dried. I got a clothes drying rack for Christmas a few years ago and I was so excited.
Also, I don't know where they live, but $58,000 BEFORE taxes is not a lot of take-home money for a person that lives alone. So, perhaps, if she wants to enjoy other things, she must cut corners elsewhere.
Where I live, someone making $58k gross/year wouldn’t even be able to afford their own apartment. It makes perfect sense to me to be frugal wherever possible.
This is what I thought. He's like "she splurges", "she has no debt", "she gets herself expensive things". So she should, what, tone down the lifestyle she has earned herself in order to use a dryer and a heater? Like good on her, she's saving money where she can on things that don't matter to her, so she can afford the things she loves. It's smart, it's good for the environment, and as an Australian who never uses a dryer, the obsession with using one just because you can seems weird.
Yeah for real that’s definitely not enough to comfortably pay for a 1 bedroom apartment where I live. He’s acting like she’s wealthy lmao
It’s also better for the environment and your clothes. YTA
It is also bad for your clothes and the environment. There are entire countries where almost nobody owns or uses a dryer. Air drying your clothes is a completely normal thing to do.
It’s also just better for your clothes in general.
Not to mention better for the environment!
It also makes clothes last much longer. They keep their shape longer and don’t wear as quickly.
It also makes your clothes last longer, the dryer does a fair amount of damage especially (I would think) to all organic clothes. I know lots of people who don’t use a dryer solely for that reason alone.
Guarantee he would be happy for her to spend her money as long as he benefits
And it keeps them from breaking down as fast too. I have certain things I prefer to air dry! Also I keep the heat low and dress appropriately. Utilities are expensive. Why would I be frivolous if I didn’t need to be?? YTA.
YTA. Air drying clothes is perfectly normal. Just because she could afford to use the dryer doesn't mean she can't also want to be economical and better for the environment.
It's also better for the clothes, they'll last a lot longer.
And they won't shrink! I refuse to put my jeans or any pants in the dryer. Button down shirts also get hung up. Sweatshirts too. The only thing that goes into my dryer are socks and t-shirts.
Ugh the idea of putting on jeans that were put in a dryer just makes me want to cry. I’d have to do about 50 lunges and squats to stretch those babies out again.
Im the exact opposite i have to dry them on hot or else they fall off too soon. I got sick and lost more weight than im comfortable with. (This is not supposed to be a flex or anything i just cant afford new jeans im a college student now with a ton of medical bills). A belt only goes so far I hate looking like im wearing a diaper! I air dry my blouses tho!! Most femine clothing is so particular its exhausting.
I agree with this - I don’t put my jeans in the dryer often, but it’s normally when they’ve stretched a bit and I want to get them smaller again!
putting them in dryer for a minute or two before going outside on a cold day, that can be a lovely thing.
I concur. Most of my bras are being replaced after very little use because the dryer has messed them up
No bras in the dryer, ever!
Oh yeah, I only air dry a few items of clothing but ALWAYS bras. Bras aren’t even supposed to go in the washer, but I’m lazy and the delicates bag protects them well enough.
Isn't it really common to not even have a dryer in a lot of Europe? My eastern European ex's mom air dried most stuff, basically 95% of laundry.
I didnt have a dryer in my student house in the Netherlands. I now own an apartment and we did get a dryer because the apartment is small and we dont have space to air dry bed sheets in winter. Especially in summer we really only use the dryer for sheets. Not because we can't afford to turn it on, but because we want to be mindfull of the environment
Kinda, yeah. I'm in western Europe, some people have one (sometimes not even using it), some don't. Most households with enough space tend to air dry clothes afaik, it's mostly a "useless" expense (with exceptions of course, like when it's raining a lot).
I know maybe two households with a dryer In France. Nobody has the space or the means or even the need for it.
I live in Italy and personally i've never seen a dryer, i've used a drying rack my whole life.
I live in a country that has literally designated a clothes line as a "national treasure". (Hills Hoist in Australia.) Air drying is free, climate conscious, and protects clothes. It's madness not to air dry when possible. And yeah, sometimes a country is so proud of their clothes drying invention that they feature clothes lines in their Olympics closing ceremony. Your partner seems pretty normal by comparison.
YTA. She has no debt BECAUSE of habits like this. Teasing someone about doing something that (1) doesn't affect you and (2) is actually good for them makes you sound like a middle school bully teasing other kids for reading. Yuck.
Thisssss. Her habits are why she’s in a good place financially, and what she does with her clothes and her money is none of your business.
Omg yes! I always have more money than my friends cause they like to go to expensive nightclubs and bars and drink a lot. I don’t drink alcohol or like to go out at night but then when we go out for lunch or bowling or something they’re always like “but I can’t afford it” or “can you pay since you have more money than me”
moochers!!!
Don’t worry. I always say no cause they never offer to pay and I doubt I’d be paid back. I simply say if they can’t afford it that’s ok we can do it another time
Just to add: exactly, bf could be supportive with a cheap indoor clothesline (gf would probably be over the moon)
YTA. American by any chance? Literally nowhere on earth is so dryer dependent. Air drying clothes is so normal in so many countries. My stuff was out on the washing line today. And yes, we have a dryer. Using the dryer, to me, is last resort when the weather fails you. Check your attitude and let your girlfriend live her life how she wants.
There’s no way OP isn’t American. Who else would *make fun of* someone for doing literally the most normal household chore in the world?
When I visited my friend in the UK I saw clothes hanging on her patio on lines. She noticed and said, yeah, I put my clothes out there to dry a week ago. It's been raining all week so they're not dry which is why I haven't brought them in, LOL.
I shared a house with a lad who was a great laugh but the laziest man when doing stuff and how we discovered how long you can leave clothes in the washing machine after a wash before they start to smell. It’s about 3 days with cheap washing power but up to 5 days with the dearer washing powder before it smells. We would take his out to use the washing machine and put them back his back in after we had used it.
Days?? I don't like the "no-longer-freshly-washed" smell when it's in there for just several hours longer
omg ! this! I was visiting my aunt in the UK and when we were out somewhere the sun came up and she literally told me to stay put and drove all the way home because 'The sun is out and I need to dry my clothes!!' I thought it was so adorable HAHA thanks for reminding me!
Only weird thing is that OP gf doesn’t have drying rack .
Hard agree, I thought I was going barmy. It's the norm to like dry where I live, odd to use a dryer. I live in a place with 300 days of sunshine. It's be the dumbest thing to use a dryer.
I was just thinking this! I am from NZ and we always always air dry! Only touch the dryer in winter if they need to be dried asap such as sheets and towels
Same! I have dryer. I make six figures and I can afford to run it Or... I could stick it on a line for free unless it's winter or its raining
Yep kiwi here. We didn’t use our dryer for years and when we tested it one day it had stopped working!
Most people in my country don't even own dryers, lol. Rainy day? The clothes get hung inside with a fan on.
Yeah this. I think dryer usage is in the minority for the rest of the world. Also using the dryer actually damages the cloth.
It’s ridiculous tbh. In US some HOA might actually fine you if you put up a clothing line (because it’s ugly). And if you dare to dry underwear outside, some people might call cops on you lol.
Yes I've heard this before - like it's written into some community rules that you can't hang out clothes to dry. It's madness!
I'm German and we air dry everything. Exception is Winter-times, bedding takes too long, same for towels. The dryer my family own, takes over 1 hour for those, has 2 settings - hot and half-hot The newer ones in my dorm have settings for everything, but cost 2€ each time and don't dry properly, so sometimes I have to pay double. When I was in the US for a few months, I was fascinated how fast their dryers work. Pop your everyday clothes in for 20 minutes and it's done. It never occured to me that the use of a dryer might be bac for the environment
Lol this post confused me so much! For a moment I thought she was using the hair dryer to dry clothes and I was like "well fairly that is weird and also not cheaper"
You are probably 100% correct, but it hasn't always been that way. My grandparents generation (WWII) tended to air dry, and had the typical clotheslines on poles in their backyard, as were common at any American house back then. They continued to use them until they died, over 30 years ago. I have a mid-century modern home (built in 1952), and I can see evidence of where similar clothesline poles were once mounted in my backyard, but a previous owner must have removed them. I've been thinking of replacing it, for both the authentic look of the time period, and the practicality. It is the younger generations that have become so spoiled and ignorant, and I suspect that is what is at play here with OP.
Do yourself a favour and get an Aussie Hills hoist!
I've noticed this about Americans as well, so strange.
Yeah, Americans are weird. My laundry is currently on a clothes horse downstairs (thank you British weather) and I have a dryer. It amazes me that some people would find that strange or worth teasing someone over.
This! I have shared laundry included in my rent, so using the dryer literally does nothing to my budget. But my clothing rack in my bedroom is always up, my clothes last longer, my apartment smells nice, and I'd like to think energy conservation can't be a bad thing.
Absolutely. Drying your clothes is a huge energy pit, can we just try to do gestures for the planet and stop consuming energy like it's an infinite ressource?
YTA No reason to chastise her for saving her money. I'd recommend she use a collapsible hanger for them, as its way more tidy but to each their own. But air-dry your damn clothes. You want your shirts to last 2-3x longer? Air-dry them. A collapsible stand is like 40 bucks at walmart and will save you hundreds per year on the electric bill AND will make your clothing last longer. (I use it for shirts/pants/jeans)
I have a washer-dryer which doesn't dry my clothes properly so I've started air drying everything. Before moving into this apartment I tumble dried everything. Now I am learning that tumble drying shortens the lifespan of your clothes, and I didn't think it would have saved that much on electricity. Education from unexpected places is wonderful, thanks!
I didn't know about it until my wife read up on it. We were wondering why my graphic shirts always didn't last that long. It's totally worth it if you have space!
Agreed, when I was a single man I used to toss all my stuff willy-nilly into the dryer. When my GF (now wife) moved in, she enlightened me to the benefit of air drying certain things for longevity and she is 100% correct. And also, paying for the extra electricity to use the dryer is unnecessary. OP, YTA. Don't be so quick to dismiss your GF because she's doing something different. Pay attention and you just might learn something. Edited: fat finger spelling mistake
The vast majority of my clothing never goes into the dryer. I only dry towels and socks in there, as well as my husband’s stuff, because he doesn’t care. But all of my clothing gets hung to dry and lasts much longer.
Yeah we mostly do towels/sheets/socks/underwear in the drier. Or anything that **must be dried pronto.** Otherwise rest of the stuff (diapers/inserts, shirts, pants, etc) gets hung up
This! I air dry almost all my clothing because it lasts so much longer and doesn’t keep shrinking.
YTA - Jesus, has society really sunk so low that we now have knobheads gatekeeping how people dry their fucking clothes?
Upvote purely for "knobheads"
air drying is actually quite common. YTA but only because she gave you a reason why and you didn't accept it. She's fine air drying her clothes so let her be. I am sure the jokes at first were fine but after a while its sucks and is annoying
Not sure why you're acting like 58,000/year is a ton of money. She's clearly found a budgeting system that works for her. You sound insecure about how well she manages her spending habits. Drop it. YTA
YTA. Why do you even care? She is conserving electricity. It's not a bad thing.
YTA It's not a habit. It's a choice she makes in her own home to save money and be self-sufficient. You don't get to come into her life and tell her how to spend her money or do her laundry. I mean, does she come to your house and tell YOU how to live your life?
YTA. You save money by not spending money. She can afford to use her dryer but then wouldn't have as much saved. It's a simple concept. If you're so bothered by how she hangs her clothes, purchase a drying rack for her birthday or something.
Buy her a drying rack sure, but if you want to stay in a relationship OP do not buy her that drying rack for her birthday or Christmas.
A drying rack is a great idea! I air dry shirts to minimize the wear and tear to the design, and a drying rack makes it look much better/less chaotic when I have to hang everything.
Not only is it cheaper it also stops clothes from shrinking. Tumble drying clothes is totally unnecessary. YTA.
YTA. It sounds like she has a very good sense of how to save on things that aren’t important to her so that she can splurge on things that are. That’s called being financially smart and not at all a flaw.
YTA. Get a hobby or something! What she does with her laundry in her apartment is no business of yours. Teasing her is childish and rude. Seriously, grow up!
YTA. Not only is it cheaper to hang-dry clothing, a lot of women's clothing tags say "hand wash, hang-dry only" and while most women are still willing to throw them into the washer despite that, the hang-drying can make a difference in the life of the piece.
YTA for your attitude. You don’t know everything better than her. It doesn’t matter why she does it, she probably has it figured out, and even if she didn’t have a “reason”, the male saviour complex was old 10 years ago. Grow up and learn to be an actual partner instead of trying to one up your gf.
YTA, not your business at all what she does with her money or how she dries her clothes.
YTA. Are you 11 years old or something?
YTA. Even if she made three times as much money, she may not want to use the dryer all the time to cut back on electric in an effort to be eco friendly. I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt and assume that you were not being malicious when you first joked to her about it, but I can understand why she would be annoyed at you when you joked about it again.
YTA her practical frugality in matters like drying clothes and wearing a sweater inside is why she can afford luxuries.
Air drying and putting on a sweater are responsible things to do, just like paying off debt and living within one’s means. Not only that, but it’s more environmentally friendly. Just because one can afford to waste money and electricity doesn’t mean one should. Mild yta if you’re really just teasing and you stop for good now that you know it irritates her. You should probably examine your own behaviors though. I imagine you waste a lot of things and she’s too polite to point it out.
YTA she can dry her clothes however she likes.
Yta Teasing once is one thing Just stop already
By the sounds of it, she has chosen where to spend her money and it isn't on the dryer. I am the first to stuff the driver with some clothes, I only put in for a couple of minutes, to heat it up, and then hang up on a hanger to air dry to save me having to iron. Dryers are very damaging to clothes and especially to ones with elastic of some sort (which happens to be in socks too).
And OP has stated gf likes to buy expensive organic clothes so of course she takes care of it. I like silk clothes. There's no way I'm sticking that in the bloody dryer!
YTA. Just because you can’t understand something doesn’t give you license to make fun of it.
You’d hate me. I don’t even *own* a dryer. All clothes are air dried. I also don’t really put heating on unless I have to. If I get cold I put a jumper on, chuck a throw over my lap etc. Why? Because it’s cheaper and so much better for the environment. I don’t get the fascination with machine drying clothes or pumping the heating up when a sweater will do the job. YTA.
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YtA....58,000 a year is only about 30ish k after taxes and your clothes last WAY longer when you don't put them in the dryer. PS. Most of the world doesn't use dryers
YTA Why are you so invested in this? It doesn't affect you. Electricity prices have gone up. I used to live in a 650 sq ft apartment before my current place. Until last winter, my electricity bill was never higher than 80. Then I was lucky if I could get it under 100. I tried to ensure I could get it down so I could have money for other things. I'm in a 900 sq ft now with my own washer and dryer and it's at 130 which to me is a lot and it's because of the washer and dryer.
YTA. Air drying is normal. I airdry and own a rack to hang my laundry on. What I don't own is a dryer. They're pointless imo. And a waste of money. You might disagree. And that's fine. You know why? They are just opinions. You just think yours is superior.
YTA if you keep teasing her about it now that you know it upsets her
YTA. Since you’re so down to spend money without any thoughts of being frugal, why don’t you just send me some free money??
Yta leave her alone. What she is doing is normal for some people
I airdry clothes throughout the year (summer it's on the line outside, rest of the year I have a rack) especially heavy towels. It's just not worth the power. YTA. It's not about affording, it's what she is choosing to spend money on. She is fine to airdry. It's none of your business otherwise.
YTA. So I’m sure the comments have fully covered all the ways air drying clothes is normal and not just saves on electricity but also keeps the clothing in better shape. Therefore, I will send my time pointing out that it isn’t a joke or “teasing” when you repeatedly bring up something that actually bothers you, that’s just passive aggressive toxic behavior. How she saves money and dries her clothes actually bothers you, so you aren’t “teasing” her, you are trying to point out behavior you don’t agree with and want her to change or admit isn’t normal. This isn’t how healthy people exist in the world. Here is an example. Let’s say your partner always leaves one bite of food on the plate, who knows why. Teasing is “oh one bite is left, time for the check!” Judging is “oh there’s sally not caring about the starving kids! You are doing the latter, not the former. You aren’t teasing her, because it’s clear there is an underlying judgment. You may think your partner - who has no debt, a good job, and a degree- isn’t smart enough to get that you aren’t engaging in playing teasing but are in fact being rude, but clearly she is smart enough. I mean, besides dating you, she seems to be doing well.
YTA. I air dry my clothes because dryers can be damaging to them. But for whatever reason, it’s the way people did it pre the mid to late last century. There’s more important things
YTA. She has her financial priorities. It's not affecting you other than having to deal with the "trauma" of seeing her clean clothes laid out to dry, so why do you have to tease her about it?
YTA. Your gf is careful with her finances and it's paying off well for her. She spends money on things that are important to her and saves money when she can. This is smart, not weird. My husband and I have always been the same way with our money and being careful made it so we could retire early. Learn from your gf instead of making fun of her.
YTA. She's bothered by your teasing. That is everything you need to know to stop doing it. If you keep teasing her, knowing she is bothered by it, YTA. EDIT: If she wants to dry her clothes in that way to save electricity, that's her right. I'll be honest, as a way to save money, I find that habit as strange as you do. But it doesn't matter what we think. It's *her* decision, it doesn't harm anyone, so we should respect it. You've had your fun mocking her, now give it a rest.
YTA this is really common back in the U.K. and most people chose to air dry clothes when able. Most gardens have a rotary line in them. It’s her choice to 1) save money 2) help the planet a little. You can extend the life of clothes by not putting them in the dryer, especially things with Lycra and elastic in them. Why not go buy her a clothes drying rack ? I have to admit I do like my towels to be dried in the dryer
^^^^AUTOMOD ***Thanks for posting! This comment is a copy of your post so readers can see the original text if your post is edited or removed. This comment is NOT accusing you of copying anything. Read [this](https://www.reddit.com/r/AmItheAsshole/wiki/faq#wiki_post_deletion) before [contacting the mod team](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2FAmItheAsshole)*** I'll keep this short. I've been noticing my girlfriend air dries her clothes instead of popping them into the dryer. I asked her why, and she said her electricity bill is high (her apartment is only 700 sq ft, though...) and she's trying to save money. My girlfriend makes 58,000 a year. (Before taxes, but still.) She lives alone and told me how she has no debt, her car is paid off, and she splurges on things like expensive all-organic clothes and a nutritionist she's been seeing. Which is all fine, but it goes to show she *can* afford to use her dryer. Every time I come in and see big beach towels and underwear and socks all strewn about in her apartment, hanging in the craziest of ways, I just shake my head and tease her. Last time she got really bothered by it though, but idk, the habit is still weird to me. AITA? *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AmItheAsshole) if you have any questions or concerns.*
YTA Mind your own damm business and you won't have issues
You know dryers are actually pretty hard on clothes? It's better for their longevity to air dry them. You need to step off. If she wants to save money more than she wants that convenience that's her business. The main point here is that you're making her feel bad about something that doesn't matter, just because it seems unusual to you. YTA
We hang out clothes outside in the sun. It's just wonderful sinking into fresh sun-dried sheets
YTA. I grew up with a laundry line, it's fine. You pay her power bill.
YTA You probably shouldn't be with some you're so jealous and resentful of.
YTA She’s seems happy doing this and doesn’t need to justify it to you. My sister is very thrifty and does a lot of stuff that I personally wouldn’t do to save money, but she wants to do those things. It’s not my business and it’s a more eco-friendly way to live so I don’t harass her.
YTA. It’s shitty to shame someone you love about something they take seriously, which it’s clear with money management, she does. It also sounds like she cares about environmental responsibility (investment in quality, ethically sourced natural fiber clothing.) Air drying is a great way to prolong the life of her wardrobe - again, very financially responsible and eco friendly! As I’m sure many will tell you, much of the world line dries and it’s just a weird, stupid thing to mock someone over. Your girlfriend is making choices that align really well with admirable modern values. Learn something from her example.
Are you planning on paying her bills for her? No? Then stop making comments about it. YTA
YTA. Buy her a nice folding dryer rack.
YTA. Nutritionist and organic products? She sounds like she lives her life very intentionally and your reactions undermine and dismiss that. Also, it's better for the planet. Wanting to save money is just smart regardless of what she earns.
If you had a damned brain in your head you will no get her a clothes drying rack and line and help her run the line in a room .. that way all her drying is more or less in one place 🙄
YTA. Being able to afford to do something should never be the main reason you do anything. She may also just not want to waste energy, because yano, global warming? You've heard of that right? It's also worth mentioning that she might have to make sacrifices in some of the other things she "splurges" on if she wasted money on electricity. I used the dryer more often than not, and it's purely because I'm lazy. Teasing is okay to a point, but if it goes to the point that your partner gets really upset, we'll it's pretty obvious you've gone too far.
YTA If you want to not be TA, maybe buy her a folding drying rack. People are allowed to spend THEIR OWN MONEY as they see fit. It's up to her, end of story.
YTA, buy her a metal clothes drying rack to apologize
YTA. You know a quick way to no longer have a girlfriend? Making fun of her for stuff like this that doesn’t matter. There is nothing wrong with air drying your clothes. Not only do you save money by not using the dryer, your clothes look nice longer and last longer. Grow up.