Clotheslines??

[mrsalvo]

Hey All,
Does anyone here ever use clotheslines anymore? I erected
some new lines and started using them for just about everything
and I cut my electric bill 35%....and my clothes seem to last
longer.
Also, how popular are dryer fabric softner sheets? What is
your favorite brand?

Mr.Salvo

 

[peterh770]

Dryer fabric softener sheet do not work on clothes hung on a clothes line...

 

[gyrafoam]

I sometimes have hung out the laundry to dry. Then I toss it in the dryer for 10 min. or so of "Air Fluff" just to get the lint off of it.

 

[DADoES]

IIRC, at least one dryer sheet advised it could be tossed in the rinse. ClingFree, maybe?

Mrsalvo, I've never had a clothesline. I'm sure it would have some effect on my electric bill, but being a single-person household there's no way it would cut the bill by 35%. Congrats on your success with it, though! My mother and grandmother always have had lines, but rarely use them now. I recall in the 1960s and 1970s my mother would line-dry everything except wash-n-wear / perm-press. I don't use dryer sheets, but my mother and sister do.

 

[jaxsunst]

I have a "roll up" one that stretches across my garage that I use for things that shouldn't go in the dryer. I find myself using it a lot more since I discovered this site

 

[partscounterman]

I love line drying!

I always used to just throw everything in the dryer. When I met Dennis, he showed me the right way to hang clothes. Hanging the wash was his "help mom" job as a kid. I love the smell of clothes hung on the line. I would barely use the dryer from may through september back in minnesota.

When we moved over here, I thought I would not even need a dryer. The truth is that a dryer is a must here in the winter, as it can rain a lot. I sometimes use the dryer when I am too busy.

One big difference-In minnesota, my clothes line was out in the sun. Here, I hang my clothes in the shade of the lanai. The tropical sun is too potent for colored laundry.

65 to 75 percent of my laundry is dried on the line. Dennis always complains that the dryer shrinks things and he says towels are more absorbant when they are line dried. I don't notice a difference, but I don't give him any guff on that!

 

[gansky1]

I have a clothesline - umbrella type - in the back yard and use it frequently to dry bedding, etc. Anticipating a nice, February day a couple of weeks ago, I had sheets and blankets out on the line by 8:30 AM that were steaming from warm rinses at 38F. By afternoon, we were up to 50F and the bedding was dry and so fragrant - there's nothing like a crisp, late winter breeze to dry laundry!

 

[veg-o-matic]

Haven't used a clothesline in years, though I miss it. There's nothing like the smell of line-dried sheets.
And to this day, a warm breezy day makes me say "Hmmm. Good blanket-drying weather!"

veg

 

[retromom]

Line drying

We had a clothes line at the house when we first moved here. The darn thing was so low, we thought the kids were going to decapitate themselves on it. We took it down. The poles were sunk in about four feet of concrete. What a pain!!

I love line drying. I remember how wonderful the sheets would smell after drying outside. However, it is just not practical here. Not only is Texas weather unpredictable, but there is always some &%#$ falling out of the trees.

 

[rickr]

Drying sheets outside

If I have the time,I too love to dry bedding outside. If it is below freezing the items will still dry if it is sunny. The bedding will "freeze dry". The items smell so fresh. Blankets don't get the static in them,and all the items smell so good. I think thats how beds in Heaven are ALL the time!! LOL

Even if you don't have a clothes line you should try it just once. If you have a fence,rinse it off with the hose first...Then you can throw the sheets over the top of the fence to dry. It won't take long for the items to dry on a nice day.

Rick

 

[cehalstead]

line dried clothes

I never dry my jeans or shirts in the dryer. I have lines in the basement and outside. Sheet get hung out in warm weather, and there is nothing that smells better than sheets washed in Tide and Clorox, and then hung to dry. About the only things I dry all the time with the dryer are towels. My dryer is 15 yrs old...at the rate I use it, I am planning for it to last a long time. I grew up with line dried clothes, and that is one childhood memory I still maintain...mmmmmm.

 

[tolivac]

I have a clothsline-but don't use it because its under the pine trees -if there is pine sap on the clothesline ropes-imagine the clothes!!Can't use my fence-the neighbors dogs would have a feild day with my laundry-the dogs would have new doggy toys-guess for now I am stuck with a dryer.I think the Midwest-west is the best areas for a clothesline.The dry clean air is very effective in drying clothes.One neighbor here has a clothsline and his isn't under a bunch of pine trees.He uses his all the time-even in the humid summer.

 

[Cybrvanr]

My dryer ought to last quite a long time, since I usually tie my wash around good weather so I can hang laundry outside. I've still got the dryer for those rainy days when I need to wash some clothes, but if I plan right, those are not too often. I'm glad I live in a neighborhood too without draconian zoning restrictions, and there's not problem using a clothesline.

 

[foraloysius]

The balconies on my apartment block are being renovated at the moment. We had clotheslines on the outside of the balconies but we will not get new ones back. I guess I must see what I can do with drying racks. I agree, nothing better than line dryed bed linens!

 

[Designgeek]

Outdoor clothes lines would be wonderful but I can't use them where I am; a couple of major local roads a few blocks in each direction, too much soot in the air. Not to mention the risk of theft from the ever-present homeless scavengers who usually content themselves to rifle through the recycling bins but are attracted to "opportunities" of all kinds. Ahh, city life!

However I do have indoor clothes lines, one set in the hall where the heater is (quaint California floor-furnace), one set in the kitchen. These consist of inconspicuous hooks screwed into the window and door frames, with removable lengths of clothesline that can be attached in seconds. Together they have a total capacity of about 20# dry weight of laundry. Overnight hanging gets clothes nearly-dry i.e. +10 minutes in the dryer to get completely dry from that point. 24 hours' hanging gets clothes completely dry so they don't need to go through the dryer at all. Electricity savings, about 40 KWH / month.

 

[geoffdelp]

Love my clotheslines!! Even in the dead of winter if the temp is over freezing, out go the pillowcases and my t-shirts.

I have been known to take it one step further ... actually do my wash on my patio in one of my Maytag wringers and then just go the few steps to my clotheslines in between loads!!

 

[laundromat]

line drying

I have always prefered hanging my clothes outside.The aroma they get from the sun and air outside does not compair to any dryer gas or electric.At work,I am asked what type of cologne I have on.I tell them Gain HE.

 

[mrsalvo]

Hey Everyone,
What a response!! I didn't expect the volume. I'm glad
I'm not the only one to use clotheslines. I rarely use
my dryer much anymore, except this winter, Texas has had alot
of rain this year.
Yes PeterH770, dryer sheets do not work on a clothes line.
I was just wondering that if you do use your dryer what brand
do you prefer. I am allergic to those dryer sheets so I
seriously had to look into using clotheslines.
Partscounterman, I'll agree with Dennis....line dried towels
are MUCH more water absorbant. I hang everything out and if
it rains on my days off from work....I'll wait until it
doesn't.
Thanks everyone. I'm new here and really enjoy the site and
forums.
Salvo

 

[pulsator-power]

I use clotheslines all the time. Summer outdoors, winter indoors. I've been hangin clothes since I was a kid, and I'm not about to stop. It's the taking down, folding & puuting away part that I hate.....but I could hang clothes all day long
Jerry

 

[neptune2000]

Clotheslines.....

AHHHhhhh, the memories.....
Growing up in New Jersey - clotheslines were in every yard - the trans-continental variety with a pully at each end. We didn't have a tree in the back yard - so a " clothesline pole " ( I think - a used telephone pole ) was installed as far from the back porch as possible.
Clothes hung out in the winter that froze - had the best smell ever - - it can't be duplicated in any way. Bedlinens were especially wonderfull - and needed only folding.
Then there was a whole seperate catagory called
" starch wash " which was soaked in starch solution and hung out soppy wet - ( anyone else remember those half gallon jugs of blue " Linit " starch ? ) those came back into the house dry and virtually imobile - Dry as a cracker. They had to be re-dampened, and rolled up and rested for a few hours or so before they could be ironed. ( this included shirts, uniform dresses for my Grandmother, and a few other selected items.)
These were ironed without a steam iron - and were the crispest collars and creases EVER.! These days - if I mention Wet Pressing - nobody knows what I'm talking about... :-(

I'm dateing myself dreadfully ! - Don't get me started on Curtain stretchers ( ouch ! ) or Mangles ( rotary ironers ). With a bit of practice , one could knock off a shirt every two minutes, and of course ALL household linens from bed linen to dishtowels were pressed in similar fashion.
I'd give anything to have a mangle today - but the last one I had bit the dust 10 years ago - went up in a cloud of smoke...

Thanks for the Memories.....

Neptune2000

 

[kenmore1978]

Line Drying

The only thing I dry on the line are items that say "Line Dry" in the care instructions. No room and no time to fool with anything else. Plus, I don't have a long line set up. I use an old mop handle set up between the fence and a window sill, and hang clothes that need to be line dried on hangers on the handle.

 

[Ultramatic1]

YES I DO!

Yes I have a close line. I have one in my back yard and one in my basement.

 

[westie2]

Jean Strechers

Does anyone remember the jean strechers that went in the pant legs. Put perfect creases in them. My mother would stach them then put the strechers on and hang on clothesline. We got them from her and used while our kids were growing up have a full set of small to large. Worked great. We always hung clothes out when our kids were growing up used cloth diapers and was so good to put them out dried in very little time guess we hung out several thousand with 6 children. Our children have and are using the cloth diapers much less expensive. In this house can't put clothelines up with the neighborhood covenent. We miss the fresh smell on sheets and towels.

 

[gansky1]

I have a clothesline in the basement as well, my grandmother always had one stretched across her laundry room for drying many things that couldn't be dried in the dryer. It's a retractable clothesline, I took it down when we cleaned out their house and have moved everywhere I've lived, now it's hanging in my basement laundry room - always out, used constantly.

I've heard of jeans stretchers but have never seen one. How do they work?

 

[DADoES]

The woman who lived across from us 20 years ago used jeans stretchers for line-drying.

 

[Royalhdw]

I remember as a child my mom always hung things out to dry escept in the winter.
Today, life is just too fast paced for that sort of memory-maker, but I do have a wooden fold up clothes dryer for certain times like when the dryer doesn't finish an extra heavey bed comforter or a jacket or if the instructions say "hang dry".
We have a hardware store and used to sell lots of clothesline, props and poles, but lately haven't sold these in a long, long time.

 

[angus]

Hi, Greg - those jeans stretchers were also used for any cotton pants. Literally they were long rectangular metal frames that were adjustable for sizes. You would have wet starched the pants, then fit them over the frame, usually set so there would be a crease down the middle of the front. Since the frames fit tightly, you ended up with almost wrinkle free pants. Very useful for the regulation navy blue cotton pants I had to wear every day as part of the Catholic school uniform. I recall that everyone had those in our apartment building. In fact I still have those hanging in the garage.

 

[cehalstead]

pants stretchers

I have and still use my Mom's pants stretchers. She used them for my Dad's work pants. I use them for Docker type pants, and I never have to iron them. www.vermontcountrystore.com still sells them.....

 

[westie2]

Pant Strechers

Still have 6 or 7 pair of strechers haven't used then in a couple of years. We used them all the time when kids wer ein school sure saved ironing then everything went to the relaxed look. Mother said sure helped on her ironing even though whe had an Ironrite ironer. Had to iron al the shirts and my sisters big poodle type 50's skirts.

 

[tlee618]

My mom also always used pant strechers. I still have a few sets that I saved from hers and use them often. They work great on Dockers as well as Jeans. A perfect crease and no ironing needed. Seems like I saw them offered in some catalog not to long ago.