Go "Green" and just hang it up!

[Beanie]

I have an umbrella style...that is waaaaaay far from the house. I don't know what Einstein thought that was a good idea.

I totally understand about hanging things just right! If you put stuff up all wonky then it dries all wonky. And who wants wonky underwear...really.

 

[ctg492]

My thought is society got used to have it now,get it done, faster is better so clothes dryers fit that model.
I love hanging my clothes out, but yes it is just easier sometimes to just toss in the drier I really only have one friend who uses a clothes line. She is on her second year of no dryer ever and she is in Northern MI. When we moved here I made a note of how many in the neighborhood have a line of some sort. Counting me, out of 30 homes there are four homes. I wonder is that about the average in the States?

 

[chipmunk]

I have a couple of ropes hung between trees that I've used for the last couple of years. Just lately, though, a bunch of teeny ants have discovered them. It takes an extra 20 minutes to bring in the dry clothes because i have to shake all the ants of of them and the clothespins, and I whirl the clothes in the dryer for a few minutes to make sure they're all gone/dead.

Do y'all have this problem with the metal umbrella-type dryers? It might be worth it to invest in one, if the ants don't like climbing up metal.

 

[Britesea]

I think you are getting ants because you've got the ropes connecting two trees. If you had them on posts of some sort, away from trees or other plants, there would be no reason for the ants to use the line.

 

[Laureli]

I have an umbrella style...that is waaaaaay far from the house. I don't know what Einstein thought that was a good idea.

I totally understand about hanging things just right! If you put stuff up all wonky then it dries all wonky. And who wants wonky underwear...really.

 

[ChaneyLakegirl]

I totally understand about hanging things just right! If you put stuff up all wonky then it dries all wonky. And who wants wonky underwear...really.

I thought I was the only one who re-hung undies after the hubby was so kind to hang them up all bunchy. I should really get over that, because they are really just undies.

 

[Emerald]

We had some Hoity toity folks build McMansions about 4 miles up the road(and thankfully across the county line) and they had a fit that us 4 way stop village folks all had clothes lines in the side or back yards. and wanted us to take them down so we didn't look so "poor".. When they had their "friends" drive thru.
I have to say that most of us here in my tiny little rural town (less than 100 homes with huge yards)have clothes lines. Even tho one family just hooks their dog to it so he can run back and forth farther!

I invested in bamboo clothespins last year and take them into the house each time now.. I made the mistake for years of just leaving the wooden ones out there and had to replace them every other year. I have them in a nail apron I got for free(well not all of them just about 3/4th) they are like brand new and the wind never breaks them like the wooden ones.

I am fussy about where and how I hang my clothes up too.. I like to put up sheets on two rows of line with an empty one between to hang the delicates on so that the neighbors are not checking out my panties! We need to move it tho as there are trees that have grown since my parents put the lines up and half of it is too shaded now.

 

[MamiPollo]

I have one of those umbrella lines from the hardware store, and the attachments broke on two of the arms that hold the thing outstretched. I have to hold them together with duct tape. It does not look that good, but it still does the job.

The plastic parts that were designed to hold it together are cheap and fragile, although honestly if the line had been used correctly it would have probably been fine.

My daughter was taking the wash down and pulling it off the line instead of unclipping it and lifting it off the line. While a good clothes line can take this kind of treatment without doing more than stretching the line, the umbrella type cannot. Something to consider if you will have children helping you.

If you are just going to do it yourself, the hardware store type is probably quite functional for the price.

 

[edjanuary39]

I dont have a clothes line! So are your clother wrinkly? I am incredibly ocd about my laundry, colorcoded, folded perfectly, washed appropriately , the whole 9byards. So are they stiffer, does the use of fabric softener help with that? I iron everything that needs ironing before it goes in the closets-collared shirts mostly. Do you have more ironing using a clothesline?

 

[Denim Deb]

Yesterday, I went to put a load out on the line, and my daughter asked me, where are you taking the clothes? I told her I was hanging them outside. Her response? But it's cold out there!