I have a retractable clothes line that stretches out to a permanent post. We have it on a shed and it stretches across the patio to the pool deck,which is all away from the house. We retract it when we have parties or a fire in the pit. Have had retractables at my last two homes,too. We hang everything out,but things like socks we will fluff up in the dryer for just a couple minutes to soften.