I love my clothesline!

[dangerouschicken]

If you love clotheslines, check out Project Laundry List. Lots of cool stuff there. I want an umbrella-style line, like when I was a kid. You can get a lot dry in a small, neat space. Very effective!

To keep clothes from getting stiff on the line, you can use fabric softener when washing (just a little!) or use 1-2 cups white vinegar in the rinse. The 10 minute dryer method also works good.

 

[PAChickenChick]

When I was growing up my Mother put everything on the clothes line in the summer and had a line set up in our back basement in the winter. The only things she wouldn't hang on the outside line was undergarments and in our basement the only thing that didn't go up were denim jeans cause they took too long.
When I bought my house she was so happy that it had "T" poles set up for a line. I was going to cut them down but left them because of her. Thank God I did cause I use them all the time now. And I do think the breeze plays a role in the scratchy feeling or not. If my stuff is too stiff I just crumple it up a bit before I fold it.

 

[dangerouschicken]

I forgot to add these two rhymes I found:

The maid was in the garden, hanging out the clothes
When down came a blackbird and pecked off her nose.
She made such a commotion that little Jenny Wren
Came down into the garden and pegged it on again.

What's the time? - Half past nine
Hang your knickers on the line.
When they're dry, bring them in
And iron them with the rolling pin.

 

[AircraftMech]

Quote:
After reading this, guess what I'm going to...

 

[Standard Hen]

Yes, definately I think a stiff breeze or wind makes the clothes less scratchy. I live in the woods and the trees block much of whatever wind there is but I do notice on days where it is very windy and my clothes are flapping away they come in softer. I do use fabric softener but it does not really seem to make a difference on towels or jeans. I should try the vinegar, I never heard of that. The amount of money I save on my electric bill is well worth a little scratch.

 

[BearSwampChick]

A clothesline is on my list of home improvements this summer. As soon as DH finishes the coop this weekend that's the next thing on his list. I'm also adding 2 rain barrels. One for the barn and one for the house.

The best smell in the world--freshly line-dried sheets on the bed!!! Makes me want to wash them every day!

 

[Broke Down Ranch]

OK, so I have been lazy....but you folks got me thinking mabe I need DH to put my line back up......when I was a little girl that was all we had - we didn't even HAVE a dryer so I am very well aquianted with a clothesline and am thinking it's not a bad idea for MY kids to learn about..........(I can hear my 8 yr old whining now)

 

[flakey chick]

My mom has a clothes line even though she lives in one of those neighborhoods with lots of restrictions. It's a more "country" type neihborhood with minimum 5 acres per home. They are allowed to have horses, but no chickens.

One thing I really do like about their stupid housing association is the commons. All around the edge of the developement is a wide path of commons where all residents have access. People use it to walk, jog, ride their horses, etc. How cool would it be if all these new housing developments had rules like that?

Anyway the only clothes line I do is inside rack. About half my dirty clothes micro-fiber quick dry. The do well inside and do not end up scratchy like cotton. The dirt roads and pollen make outdoor drying unfeasable for us. We have one of those high efficiency washer that greatly reduce the water left in the clothes. I don't feel too bad about the energy spent on the dryer.

 

[SoccerMomof7]

It's actually funny, a few weeks ago I told my husband that he needed to put me up a clothesline. I know that the clothes won't be that soft, when I lived with my Grandparents they didn't have a dryer for awhile and we hung everything out to dry. There are 9 of us plus babysitting kids and that is alot of laundry. Plus my kids go to a semi private school (traditional) and must wear uniforms, which I make them take off right when they get home to help preserve them. Anyways we are the people that don't put our airconditioner in until the middle of July when I can't handle the heat anymore so why am I wasting all this energy drying clothes, so that was my new resolution that when I can I will hang our clothes to dry. I had a house that I rented that I put a new line up but I could never get it tight enough and after I would put my towels out it would sag and hit the ground, so it there any advice I can give my husband that is going to be building me my clothes line this weekend?

 

[BearSwampChick]

Use plastic line and make a moveable prop to put under the heavy stuff.