Do you hang or tumble?

The differences in the way people live their lives in different parts of the world are fascinating and sometimes these differences are surprising and revealing about the way people think.

I heard a comment on the radio while driving this week which suggests that in most of the US no one would ever dream of hanging their washing out on a washing line to dry and that most people tumble dry their washing. According to the comments it was suggested that Americans somehow see hanging ones washing out as just not quite the done thing and if I picked it up right I think it was suggested that in some places there are even rules preventing people from hanging their washing out.

If this is true I wonder if it is rooted in what seems to be a common American mind set that somehow technology and technological solutions are always preferable to simpler and non technical solutions. I think in many countries people have something of this mind set but the yanks seem to have this in spades.

In these days of people beginning to think about how efficiently they are using the worlds resources it does seem a bit daft if people are using tumble dryers when there is free fresh wind just outside their doors. I can understand people in high rise apartments using tumble dryers but for people who have gardens it does seem an unnecessary waste and actually a second best solution to natural drying on a line.

Of course it could be that Americans are just a bit more easily embarrassed than the rest of us at letting anyone see their underwear hanging on the washing line.

Maybe any American readers can throw some light on this issue - is it true that no one hangs washing outside and if so why?