The Nordic-Inspired Laundry Practice To Try This Winter That Keeps Blankets Fresh For Longer

Even if you have a state-of-the-art dryer in your laundry room, there's just something charming about an old-fashioned clothesline. Admittedly, it's more effort to lug a heavy basket of damp linens outside and heave them over a taut line. You have to wrestle with clothespins without pinching yourself and pray the wind doesn't throw your laundry around the yard. The task is even more challenging in winter, when frosty temperatures kill your motivation. Scandinavians are masters of sensible sleep solutions, like each person having their own comforter and leaving little ones outside in strollers for sub-zero naps. There's a Nordic winter laundry practice that keeps blankets fresh for longer, too. Those living in chilly European countries like Sweden air blankets and other bedding outside in the frigid winter temperatures.

When you hang blankets out in the cold, you aren't just embracing a charming northern ritual. You're also tapping into a surprisingly effective health hack. You've probably already researched ways to get the mildew smell out of your laundry, but ever wondered how it got there in the first place? Although it's possible for germs to thrive in either hot or cold temperatures, the bacteria that contribute to persistent odors on linens prefers warm, humid conditions. Cold air whipping through your comforter or bedsheets as they dry may kill such bacteria. If your sheets smell faintly moldy, cold air won't necessarily kill the fungal spores responsible, but it can make them go dormant.

The benefits go beyond just the effect cold temperatures have on bed linens. Adding a DIY clothesline to your yard for linens isn't a new concept — even our grandparents knew that exposure to a stiff breeze and some sunshine helps neutralize odors in fabric. On even the most frigid days, bright sunlight means your linens are soaked in UV rays and oxygenated air. It's because of this that drying your clothes outside reduces bacteria and fungi more than all other methods. When it's crisp and snowy outside, the air contains less moisture. This lack of humidity doesn't just mean your linens will dry faster; it also harms germs, allergens, and microscopic insects like dust mites, which hate dry air.

If you've never tried hanging your laundry outside, it's surprisingly simple. You'll need to install a clothesline in your outdoor space, like the Riveda Retractable Outdoor Washing Line, and get yourself some large, weatherproof clothes pegs, like Sunkaioo Anti-Rust Plastic Blanket Clothes Pins. A porch or deck railing with enough height to keep your linens off the ground will work in a pinch. Wipe the railing clean before you hang your comforter over it, and weigh down sheets with something heavy if it's windy. Get started on this method and you may find the idea of tumble drying your sheets starts feeling like a missed opportunity for a little fresh air. When you finally bring your blankets back inside, your bed will smell like the clean, crisp winter air. It's an effect no dryer sheet can fake.