Sun Family in Spain

Being from the US I am spoiled by a large washing machine that can wash even the most disgusting teen boy’s gym clothes in an hour and most cycles in 45 minutes.  We have dozens of detergents that claim to whiten, soften, keep colors bright, protect sensitive skin, that smell like flowers or smell like nothing.  My dryer has a function to steam clean, to fluff towels and to sanitize dog beds.  My towels come out like clouds of soft terry cloth.  

In Spain like much of the world the dryer is an electricity hog and doesn’t get much fanfare.  Clothes are line dried on our small patios on rickety drying racks that fold up to slide between a wall and an appliance to maximize limited space in a tiny apartment. 

My clothes dry quickly between the hours of 1 and 5.  Before that there isn’t enough sun on my patio and after that the sun dips behind the hill across the valley and my optimum drying time comes to an end.  The detergent aisle is filled with colorful bottles and boxes with many smelling potions that claim to clean and freshen clothes in the three hour cycle of your washing machine.  I am not sure that an extra hour or two is necessary but European appliances seem to all be set for very long and extra long washing cycles. The standard eco setting is usually long, I have learned to look for turbo or other settings, fortunately the time is usually displayed on the machine but this has taken a while to learn. 

Once the two or three hour cycle is complete I fill my tiny clothes basket and head to the terrace, unfold the unstable drying rack and begin to shake and hang my clothes.  The shake is essential to loosen the spin cycle wrinkles and to allegedly make the clothes softer once dried.  Admittedly, sheets and pants are pretty nice line dried. Towels on the other hand, come out stiff and able to stand at attention.  Our white fluffy towels that we brought from home are sad scratchy stiff fractions of what they once were.

I feel vindicated that I am doing my part to save the planet and use less electricity while my skin is exfoliated with every stroke of my crunchy line dried towel. My husband, on the other hand, is willing to risk global warming for a soft towel.