The
California statewide legislation intrigued me, so I investigated laws from my
home state, Delaware. I have never been under a residency ordinance that
prohibits hanging laundry outside. I have grown-up with the tradition of
hanging laundry out to dry and have observed my suburban neighbors in the
everyday practice.
I
have done some local research on my neighborhood restrictions that are dated
from 1954. These restrictions are recorded with the State of Delaware Deed
Records. Restriction number ten is specifically about drying laundry. Below the image shows the wording of the detailed instructions for drying laundry
in the backyard.
Neither
of my adjacent neighbors nor myself uses the portable revolving type of laundry
dryers that is specifically mentioned in the description. My clothesline is
tied to a tree in the backyard and is attached by an eyehook to the back porch
area of my home. My one neighbor has a similar set-up for their clothesline. My
other neighbor has old metal T posts that are permanently set-up in the ground
to construct laundry lines. Those metal poles were there from my previous
neighbor who lived there for many years. The couple that purchased the home
recently repainted the rusty poles a bright lime green color and does use the
laundry lines. In my neighborhood there have not been any restriction with
various forms of laundry lines.
A
2012 Sightline Institute article argues that outside laundry drying relies on
solar energy. While laws in Delaware (Title 29 Chapter 80) allow for roof
mounted solar energy systems there are no specific laws for clotheslines. The
article refers to the State of Oregon law that voids restrictions on “solar
radiation as a source for heating, cooling or electrical energy.” Solar rights
in specific US states can include clotheslines as a low-tech version of solar
power by the act of hang-drying, which relies on the sun’s radiation to
evaporate water in wet laundry.
Southern California does
have a different climate than the Mid-Atlantic region, especially with the
changing of the seasons. On a clear fall day, I rely less on solar drying and more on wind power for my laundry and energy conservation. In the fall season the sun’s heat is less intense in the northern part of the East Coast. Last fall, I was working through very preliminary ideas for the 2016 On The Line submission with video and capturing my wind blown laundry. The included video clip appropriately represents how the change of seasons does affect the everyday practice of drying laundry.
REFERENCES
California
Becomes a “Right to Dry” State! (2015) [Internet], Berkeley, Nolo Law for All. Available
from: http://blog.nolo.com/blog/2015/10/16/california-becomes-a-right-to-dry-state/
[Accessed
December 8, 2015].
TITLE
29 Chapter
80 [Internet].
Delaware, State of Delaware The Official Website of the First State. Available
from: http://delcode.delaware.gov/title29/c080/sc02/
[Accessed March 18, 2016].
Howland,
J. (2012) Clothesline Bans Void in 19 States. [Internet]. Seattle, Sightline
Institute. Available from: http://www.sightline.org/2012/02/21/clothesline-bans-void-in-19-states/
[Accessed December 8, 2015].
Lyons,
J. (2015) Brown signs bill reversing bans on clotheslines. [Internet]. San Francisco,
SFGATE. Available from: http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Brown-signs-bill-reversing-bans-on-clotheslines-6560304.php
[Accessed December 8, 2015].
