Hanging your laundry on a clothesline

[lolly_loisides]

^^^^^
I always line dry my jeans inside out (then the sun doesn't fade them). I find the heat from a dryer perishes elastic in underwear much more quickly over time than line drying. I always line dry my towels, but give them an extra 15 minutes in the dryer to soften up.

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

Try to catch Phil Hendrie's radio show-- he often talks to an HOA President, Bobbie Dooley (and her husband Steve.)
She has rules against just about EVERYTHING-- and bizarre methods of enforcement.

What station is Phil Hendrie on now?

 

[ButteMT61]

You all do know Phil is a joke, right?
@Lollly: yes, inside out is good. But it only works well on heavy items like jeans. Luckily, we have a big grapefruit tree that provides shade. Good point though on the inside out.

 

[Espee]

Phil Hendrie, in L.A., is on KTLK 1150 starting at 10pm. And he's syndicated.
Yes, we know the show is a joke... but we didn't necessarily want everyone else to know that, right away.

 

[Drappa]

We live in military housing and have two cement pillars provided in the garden for a clothesline. This "summer" has been far too wet to use it, however. I don't hang socks or underwear up outside as I'm just not that comfortable with neighbours on two sides seeing them.
I only use the dryer occasionally for bedding or in emergencies when I need something quickly, otherwise it's the drying racks inside (we have three) or the clothesline.
There are many appartements in town who have their racks on the balcony and their clothes are hanging over the edge of the balcony, which would make me really anxious in case they fell off.

 

[lolly_loisides]

^^^^^^
I used to worry about that, but honestly if the neighbours want to peer over the fence to look at my undies then I don't really care. As my Grandfather used to say there's nothing shameful about clean clothes.

 

[Drappa]

Our fence is only wire mesh and very low, so they couldn't help but see it. I don't think it's shameful, but I find it really personal.

 

[lolly_loisides]

Our fences are reasonably high, so the neighbours would have to make an effort to look over the fence, but it's cultural too my parents & my grand parents always line dried all of their clothes on a clothes line. There was never an "oo err look at at the knickers on the line" it was just peoples clothes.

Oh and talking of underpants on clotheslines an aunt of mine who's husband died used to keep a few pairs of his undies on the clothesline because she thought that if any burglars came they'd see the mens underpants & think a man lived in the house. Those y-fronts were on the clothesline for 30 years.

 

[Drappa]

My grandparents did as well, and most people around here do. It's not so much that I think they'd give it a second thought or judge our underwear, but I'd still feel strange having them see what is only reserved for me, my husband and on occasion my doctors.
We are good friends with our neighbours and I know they wouldn't care, but I just can't bring myself to hang up underwear apart from vintage slips and petticoats.

 

[LizzieMaine]

I was taught to hang sheets and towels on the lines facing the neighbors, and underwear on the middle line. There was a series of incidents here a few years ago of women's underwear being stolen from clotheslines, but for some reason they left mine alone. Possibly they didn't recognize what it was.

As far as the harshness of line-dried undies against the skin goes, throw a quarter of a cup of vinegar in the rinse water, and that won't be a problem anymore.

 

[vitanola]

At home I use lines for towels, sheets and work clothes, despite the "Better Half's" bitter complaints about the "Low Rent" and "slum" connotations of clothes drying on the line. We have a nice grassy kitchen yard which has always been behind a board fence where
clothes may hang unmolested and out of sight. The BH also used to complain about open windows on fine summer days, for our although
our current home, which was built a century before air conditioning, is pleasant in all but the hottest weather, concern was expressed that
"the neighbors will think that we cannot afford air conditioning". This is now a moot point, as our neighbors, one a wealthy physician and the other the owner of an automobile dealership have "'gone green", and fitted their windows with screens, and now avoid the use of AC when possible.

For the past seven months or so we have been staying with my elderly parents, caring for my mother after a series of four brain surgeries and my father who is suffering from dementia. Mom and Dad still live in our childhood home, a 1961 subdivision ranch of about 1400 sq. ft. Although my grandmother used a line, Mom was a "modern", and after moving into her new suburban home she never once hung anything out. In the early spring I set up a line in the back yard, as my father was complaining of the "high electric bills" from all of the laundry. He was MORTIFIED! WHAT WILL THE NEIGHBORS THINK? When I pointed out that several of his neighbors hang washing he only said "well, they're "DP's" or in one case, "but they're Hill-billies"


I'm really amazed at the damage that tumble drying does to towels and linens. The 1/2" thick layer fo white felt which clogs the lint screen after I dry a load of towels must come from somewhere.

 

[DonnaP]

When we first moved into our house, I was happy that there were already hooks in place on the house and garage so I could hang a clothesline. My husband rather apologetically said he thought laundry hanging in the country was quaint, but in the city it seemed tacky. He admitted he had no explanation for why he felt that way, and he didn't say he wanted me to stop hanging laundry, but it did make him a little uncomfortable at first.

 

[Flicka]

I wish I could have a clothes line. I sometimes use a rack on the balcony, but to be honest, the season for drying things outside in Sweden isn't all that long... I do use the rack in the bathroom though - I only ever tumble towels and sheets. Only problem is you have to climb over it to use the toilet. It's always such a great surprise when you get up in the middle of the night and stumble over that darn rack. One day I'll break my neck and wouldn't that be a rather pathetic way to go?

It's pretty trendy to dry clothes outside here, because it's eco friendly. I can't imagine anyone objecting.

 

[Flat Foot Floey]

I never tumble dry but hang all my clothes on a drying rack. I guess I have more time than money (electricy bill) and I think it's better for the clothes too. Don't most things shrink in the dryer?
tt

 

[PrettySquareGal]

More here, too:

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/show...hose-fancy-solar-dryers&highlight=clothesline

 

[scottyrocks]

By laws against clotheslines? Why? Is it an American class or cultural thing? Almost every household in Australia has some kind of clothes line in their backyard. What's wrong with clean clothes drying in the breeze?
Anyway, here's my Hills Hoist clothesline. The local bird population like it too.

You actually have wild cockatoos just hanging around in the yard? How very fantastic is that!

 

[LizzieMaine]

It sure beats seagulls.

 

[lolly_loisides]

You actually have wild cockatoos just hanging around in the yard? How very fantastic is that!

Yes, they sit on the line & wait for me to throw bread to them. We also get lots of parrots, lorikeets & kookaburras. We are very lucky.

 

[ButteMT61]

Beautiful - unless they poop on your clothes. lol

 

[MissNathalieVintage]

I wish I could have a clothes line. I sometimes use a rack on the balcony, but to be honest, the season for drying things outside in Sweden isn't all that long... I do use the rack in the bathroom though - I only ever tumble towels and sheets. Only problem is you have to climb over it to use the toilet. It's always such a great surprise when you get up in the middle of the night and stumble over that darn rack. One day I'll break my neck and wouldn't that be a rather pathetic way to go?

It's pretty trendy to dry clothes outside here, because it's eco friendly. I can't imagine anyone objecting.

I have a portable mini washing machine (it comes in handy when I don't have the time to do laundry in the laundryroom)and put my drying rack in the bath tub to dry my clothing. I also have a mini clothes line in the bath over the tub too. I only dry my none vintage clothing in the dryer.

They sell the umbrella type of folding/portable clotheslines at the www.vermontcountrystore.com