Line Drying in the Basement?

[MrsH]

This summer we've made some great strides towards drying much of our laundry outside. I have two laundry racks and together, they can fit any sized load except the sheets. I've been trying to visualize having them in the basement when winter hits but am having an issue: I think of my basement as inherently dirty and don't want my clothes to hang out down there! We thoroughly cleaned and scrubbed the floors this spring, after the place got flooded, and have kept up pretty well by continuing to sweep it on a regular basis. But any horizontal surface more over about waist-high is covered in a disgusting layer of dust. I'm sure there are also spiders lurking down there, ick. And since we have wood floors above, it seems like the dirt and sand just falls through the cracks. Is it possible to have a clean-ish basement so I can line-dry my clothes down there without stressing about them getting gross?

[SleeplessMommy]

How old is your house? I am guessing it is older ...

There are major air leaks in many basements around the band joist (where the foundation walls meet the floor joists for first floor. This is a huge source of dirt/dust (and small bugs) coming into the house ... hence spiders.

Concrete walls may also get powdery over time - this happens when water from outside seeps in. Our former house had this problem, we fixed it with dry-lok paint. (after 5 years it was looking dirty again, ready for repaint)

Once all this is fixed, you still have humidity. Get a monitor and make sure it stays under 70% while drying clothing. Otherwise, you will risk a mildewy mess. In the winter, in MA, in an older house the line drying should work but you still need a monitor.

[lonegirl]

My basement is always a bit damp and I run a dehumidifier year round or we would have mold issues....it dries my clothing quite quickly.

[adorabelle]

I line dry my clothes year round in the basement and don't have problems. I do use a dehumidifier. I try to make sure I remove the clothes by the next day so they don't smell like the basement!