Clothesline

[PotterWatch]

Thanks for all the tips! I really appreciate hearing those things beforehand. I think we are going to put it up this evening after it cools down a bit and I will hang my first load of laundry tomorrow. I am also going to try the detergent recipe I saw on another thread. I don't know if that will work since my youngest son has issues with most laundry detergent, but maybe it will work better! Can't wait!

 

[Rhett&SarahsMom]

we have a folding metal one from IKEA that I plan on using during the winter. Although I will be using the dryer for blankets and other heavy items.

 

[punkin]

Another thing I do for blankets, quilts etc, is to lay them over patio furniture or the deck railing. Fluff them in the dryer and you have saved an hour of drying time for heavy blankets. I average saving about $35 a month.

 

[gumpsgirl]

It sounds like you have most of the tips you need already, but I did want to add that if you use fabric softener when you wash, your clothes seem to stay softer when you hang them out to dry. I also fold my clothes as I take them off of the line. That seems to help cut down on just one more thing that I have to do. You have to take them off the line, so you might as well fold them while you're at it! Then we sort the clothes into the correct piles once I get them in the house.

Congratulations on stepping into the world of hanging your clothes to dry! It's a little time consuming, BUT so worth it! I hung my clothes faithfully on the line last month and it cut my power bill by $50! That was even with my bator, fan in the coop, and heat lamp all running!

 

[Rosalind]

Size: We need about 60 linear feet of clothesline per person in the household, and we are rather frugal about dirtying clothes (wear jeans twice before washing, one outfit per day, wash sheets and towels once a week only). We get maybe 3-4 days/week that are decent for hanging out clothes, and it often takes overnight or two days to dry 'em. With a baby, knowing how they go through not only diapers but outfits and burp rags and blankies and such...Add another 80 linear feet. Unless you do laundry a LOT more often than me and can count on really great weather most days.

 

[rufus]

I live next to a freeway, and I want to let you know not to leave clothes on the line after dark if you live near a place with high traffic. For some reason, they smell like diesel fuel if they are out there for anytime after sun down.

Also, in my neighborhood, if you leave clothes on the line over night, someone else is wearing them the next day.

Rufus

 

[dangerouschicken]

Also, she hangs her shirts upside down. So instead of hanging them from the shoulders, she hangs them from where your waist is at. Strangely this helps with less wrinkles and makes folding them easier.

I wanted to add to this tip that when hanging them by the waist, you don't end up with clothespin marks poking up on your shoulders.

Also, if you are short on space, you can hang tshirts on the line folded in half lengthwise. Cotton in most tshirts is very forgiving, and the wrinkle will work itself on in no time.

What I did was tie my lines to a carabiner clip on each end. The line is hung from a metal fence, so as I want to tighten the line, I just pull the carabiner down and clip it lower on the fencing.

Those Y sticks are great! A must if you have a long line!

I LOVE MY SOLAR DRYER

 

[Barnyard]

Wow..... It's good to know that I am not the only one that still does this. I grew up with my mom and grandma using a cloths line. I love it. It is so much easier and faster, and it saves on the electric bill. There is nothing that I can add to the ideas that you have got. They are all awesome......Goodluck!!

 

[jnjross]

i just started using the homemade soap and my clothes are soft-er than gain on the line
i too hang shirts upside down to prevent neck stretch

i line dry 2 loads then put both in dryer on no-heat for 10mins to soften the towls and knock off lint

 

[Lobzi]

I had a permanent clothes line before I got my 6-line retractable one from ACE hardware. I dont have to retract it because it is not in my way where it is located in my side yard, but if you are tight for space, it has that capability. I have never use a clothes dryer. When it rains in the winter, I pick my day for laundry carefully or I hang my clothes up inside the house in the room where my wood-burning fireplace is. They get dry. I just just an expandable pole that I can put up temporarily then take down.