Clotheslines

[ShesSoVaVaVoom]

I use the clothes drying racks inside of my house, and there's about a 5ft clothesline above the washer and dryer... don't care to hang my clothing in the back yard as there are other houses on the property and I'd rather my clothes smell like dryer sheets (or just detergeant if I'm rack drying them), than cigarette smoke.

I've noticed it's helped my darks stay darker when they aren't in the dryer, I used to dry everything and use the woolite darks, and that didn't do much other than hurt my pocketbook.

 

[tuppence]

Australia

Everybody had the Hills Hoist when we were kids.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hills_Hoist
Took up a big part of the back yard.We use to fly off these(when Mum wasn't looking).
You kids really missed out.
An Aussie Icon

 

[goldwyn girl]

Oh how I miss the old Hills Hoist, The one in my mum's yard has been there since 1952. I have a clothes line here in Vegas and always use it.

 

[LondonLuke]

We've got a clothesline, makes the clothes smell lovely, but unfortunately this rain kind of prevents it's use!

 

[DutchIndo]

When I was married my wife made me get a dryer. I grew up with Mom putting clothes on the line so I thought my wife would followed suit. Guess not but I could not suvive without one. I remember my first impressions of Amsterdam is clothes being dried out on balconies. The beautiful architecture being marred by clothelines and satellite dishes. They (Dutch) use a small centrifuge like the spin cycle in a washer to get most of the water out. Then they hang clothing all over the house . I have never seen anything like it especially in that climate.

 

[BonnieJean]

My dryer quit working exactly a year ago. Upon further inspection we discovered that there had been a small fire inside from some lint and I'm surprised and grateful that my home didn't catch fire as well. I purchased some metal folding racks (they look just like the old fashioned wooden drying racks, only they're metal) and a couple folding garment racks (they're approx. 5 ft. tall and fold to about 3" in depth. I use these racks indoors when its raining. I dry most of my stuff in the living room where I have a ceiling fan and I'll run that and also an oscillating pedestal fan. It kind of simulates the breeze outdoors. It's faster to dry my clothes inside with my central A/C when its humid outside. But when there's a good breeze, I'll usually hang stuff outside on my clothesline and even will set up my racks in the yard if I have a lot of laundry. Since I live in a rural small community we don't have any laws governing clotheslines, but I do get a little miffed when my neighbor decides that he has to burn some trash in his backyard while my laundry is drying. And in the winter, depending on the weather outside, I'll hang stuff outside (I learned to wear insulated leather gloves to keep my fingers somewhat warm) and bring it in later and hang them indoors to finish the drying if they're slightly damp.

My laundry drying "rules":
I usually hang all the shirts (even T-shirts) on hangers and clip a several clothespins on the bottom of the shirts to help de-wrinkle (is that a word?) them as they dry. I'll hang most bottoms, pants and jeans with skirt hangers. I just clip a skirt hanger to the bottom of each pant/jean leg and hang them upside down. If you put the side seams of the pant legs in the middle of the hanger (like you would fold them to make a crease down the middle), they'll get a subtle crease/fold that I didn't put any effort into. Ditto for the shirts/blouses--very few wrinkles. Most sweaters I'll just gently drape over my small drying racks. Same with socks and other undies. Outside, I'll just hang the socks by the toe and put on a clothespin, that way no funny "dents" at the top of your socks. I even will use a pant hanger that is made for several pairs and I'll hang undies and other small things on that. It takes up less space on the line or rack. I've gotten pretty creative in my drying methods and hubby doesn't seem to mind some clothes hanging in the living room when he gets home from work, just as long as he can still see the TV! lol

I started out using a clothesline/drying racks out of necessity, and a year later, I wouldn't have it any other way. This may be strange to some, but I actually find hanging laundry very therapeutic and relaxing. It brings back fond memories of my grandmother and that smell of freshly laundered clothing gently flapping in the breeze. Aaah, the simple life!

 

[lazydaisyltd]

Replying to this old thread because I am so happy it is clothesline season again! Finally warm enough here in Southern Middle Tennessee to hang my clothes outside rather than on my indoor drying racks in my laundry room...to celebrate, my husband and I installed a set of t-bar lines in the backyard. Last year I strung a basic line between the pine trees and promised myself I'd get a better line if I kept up with hanging clothes outside...well, I did it, and so my reward is here! A clothesline is such a simple thing--energy saving, some extra exercise and sunshine for me, easier on our clothes. I hang a lot of clothes because I have two kids and one in cloth diapers, but I like it so much....wish that more people would jump on the bandwagon! lol

If anyone doesn't have one and wants to set up a line, but doesn't know how to start, Wal-Mart sells the basics for cheap--clotheslines, pins, pulleys, etc.

 

[olive bleu]

i hung out my first line of clothes for the season today, such a beautiful warm day.

 

[LizzieMaine]

Clothesline lovers rejoice --

http://knox.villagesoup.com/Government/story.cfm?storyID=161122

One more reason why Maine is the Common Sense State.

 

[Cigarband]

Clothesline lovers rejoice --

http://knox.villagesoup.com/Government/story.cfm?storyID=161122

One more reason why Maine is the Common Sense State.

Ohio is the Dunce Cap State. Homeowners Associations (read Petty Power Hungry "Boards") here are still allowed to ban clotheslines. I hope that will change.

 

[Paisley]

^ I like the term "little tin gods." But I guess if you don't like covenants, don't move to a neighborhood that has them.

 

[carouselvic]

Picked this up from Wile E. Coyote

indoor clothes line and the box it came in

 

[Viola]

^ I like the term "little tin gods." But I guess if you don't like covenants, don't move to a neighborhood that has them.

I agree in theory, except I've known people who've had the association move in after they do, or a restructuring where something mild has been replaced with something Draconian.

I would like to always avoid Homeowners Associations because the ones around here, anyway, have horrendous taste in landscaping and often mandate things like vinyl siding in your choice of 2 shades each of gray or brown.

 

[lolly_loisides]

I love my clothesline, the local bird population also loves my clothesline. Sometimes my clothes come off second best.

[/IMG]

 

[Paisley]

A balance is nice. In my neighborhood, you can pretty much do what you want to with your landscaping, house color, etc. There are codes that the city enforces, though, like trash collection. But our code enforcement officers seem utterly blind to junk cars and Barcaloungers on the porch. They're good at writing tickets for weeds in the alley though. Very helpful.

 

[Geesie]

So do most of you have T-poles or what? Where I grew up, we had a couple eyebolts in trees. Now, of course, as an apartment dweller I just use indoor racks.

 

[Rachael]

my clothesline goes from the shed to the corner of the house along the north end of the back yard. At one end is an eyebolt and the other is a tension screw used in wire railings. I also have a cargo tie-down to cinch out the slack.

 

[LizzieMaine]

I have three lines, tied from the side of the house across the backyard to the board fence that separates my yard from the junkyard.

We had T-poles when I was growing up, and the washing made a convenient backstop for backyard games of wiffle-ball.

 

[carter]

Great thread.
Never heard of a Hills Hoist before reading here. Have seen something similar but not capable of being raised and lowered or folded and removed.
The Acme Indoor Clothesline is a smart find.
I have wonderful memories of the clean scent from clothes hung on a line to dry.

 

[get_atomized]

When I was married my wife made me get a dryer. I grew up with Mom putting clothes on the line so I thought my wife would followed suit. Guess not but I could not suvive without one..

What's stopping you!