Wind energy drying devices; no community association shall prohibit an owner from installing, etc. (SB1065)

From: Lampbulb@aol.com
Date: Tue, 24 Feb 2009 11:52:10 -0500
Subject: SB1065, Wind energy drying devices
To: delkbyron@house.virginia.gov; delbpurkey@house.virginia.gov; delbcline@house.virginia.gov; dellewis@house.virginia.gov; deldmarshall@house.virginia.gov; deltrust@house.virginia.gov
CC: alee@laundrylist.org

Deal Delegates:
I am writing to voice my opinion to those who voted against the amendment to SB1065, and I would like to give you a perspective from one who was been drying her laundry outside all her life; in fact, I would not live anyplace where I could not have a clothesline. The young people today feel that a person is poor if they hang their laundry outside - so, what is wrong with being "poor"? I am not poor. At one time, my salary was in six figures. Have any of you ever experienced getting into bed with sheets which have been dried outside, or pillows which have been aired outside, or blankets which have been aired outside? It's a heavenly experience.

Plus, this saves energy. The sun bleaches out stains, makes whites whiter. And clothes last much longer when they are not placed in a man-made machine to dry, and they do not shrink. I hang my clothes outside year-round, even in freezing weather. It's therapeutic, gets one outside. It's interesting that people today think a clothesline is unsightly when, not so terribly many years ago, it was the only way to dry laundry. We need to get back to those days. It also saves money to dry laundry outside. It is unfortunate that, in many housing developments, clotheslines are prohibited. I would not purchase a home where I could not put up a clothesline. It would be good if you people up there on the Hill would visit my place and smell line-dried laundry.

In this time, when we want energy-efficient cars, T. Boone Pickens is trying to educate us on saving energy, why would you not pass a bill which allows us to save energy by drying our laundry outside? I'll bet T. Boone Pickens knows a lot about drying laundry outside.

HOA in NC states they fear that people hanging their clothes outside to dry will decrease property values in that prospective buyers will think they are too poor to afford a dryer. Interesting that our citizens are "Keep up with the Joneses" type of people and this shows how materialistic people are. I'm 65 and been hanging my clothes outside all my life. It's cleaner, more economic, better for the clothes - they last longer, and it's so nice to be outside doing this and the clothes smell so fresh, rather than a synthetic dryer scent, especially towels, which are more absorbent when dried outside, and sheets. Clotheslines are also a wonderful way to air out blankets, pillows, anything.

Please pass this bill.

Carolyn Leetch
7161 Main Street
Clifton, VA 20124

I refer to my clothesline as my "solar dryer." It's so much more chic than a hot, noisy electric one.