One of our readers Sarah commented the other day on our plastic bag drying rack post and mentioned that she was looking for a clothes drying rack idea.  I wasn’t able to find a good bamboo rack for you but I found a number of other solutions. 

Dryers can suck down quite a bit of energy so drying you clothes without the dryer saves a lot in energy costs and is much easier on the planet.  Most of them you can buy or DIY, it just might take a little trial and error.  I have my own bamboo solution that I am going to try out.  If it goes the way I intend, it will be the greatest drying rack ever and I’ll post the DIY here, otherwise I might have to revert back to the retractable clothes line.   Also, if you have a great idea, share it with us.

While this isn’t the prettiest looking thing, it is a neat idea.  Basically they saved a broken umbrella from the trash and removed the fabric leaving a metal frame, flipped it upside down, hung it from the ceiling in what looks like the shower and viola, a collapsible clothes drying rack.  Innovative upcycling, although I question how strong it is. [via]

Here’s another option, frankly my favorite, a retractable clothes line.  You can hang it anywhere but the shower is a perfect place.  The one below has five lines, but you can cram a bunch on the single line by hanging your clothes to dry on coat hangers.  You can buy them at the links below or at your local hardware store.  This is something that you could DIY, but the challenge is having enough tension so all the clothes don’t slide down to the middle. 

BUY: 

Single Line - $10
5 Line - $13

This folding wooden rack is made from reclaimed Oregon Douglas Fir wood.  You can buy it at Green Feet for about $43.  These are also available at almost any retailer but since these have been around for years that is probably a surplus our there so we suggest checking good will or your local swap shop first.

Here is a little more of an elaborate contraption, but it still gets the job done sans electricity.  This one mounts to your ceiling and has a retractable line so you can let it down to a height where you can reach it then pull it up so your damp garments dry, high and out of the way… High and dry :o)  You can get these from Laundry Lift for $85. 

Here’s a rack that is like the umbrella racks for your back yard, but this one mounts on the wall, indoors or out and folds up.  Although it’s a little big for indoors it’s definitely a possibility.  Check out the video on their site to see it in action.

This one is made from pine and birch and is nice looking.  They say its sturdy but they don’t say how much weight it can handle.  This sells for $62 at Abundant Earth. 

 
This over the tub rack, well, drys your clothes over the tub.  I can be a multiple line clothes line, or it can lay flat to creat a platform.  This is available for $34 at Organize-It. 

We’d love to hear how you dry your clothes so post your idea in the comments and if you have pictures of something interesting send em over to contact at greenupgrader dot com.