Hell HAS Frozen Over! (Clothes On The Line)

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frigilux

frigilux

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Mar 3, 2007
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The Minnesota Prairie
Yes, I did once say (at this very forum) that hell would have to freeze over before I'd ever hang clothes out on the line. But then a $255/month pay-cut happened and I'm exploring all avenues (within reason) to save some bank. I hadn't hung out a load of clothes since I was a kid. It took 3-1/4 lines to accommodate a 3/4-size load from the Frigidaire FL'er.

And now a question: How should I hang shirts? You'll notice a white tux shirt hanging upside down with the arms flapping in the breeze. Is this correct or is there a better way? Thanks in advance for any further tips from 'hangers' we have in the AW family.

5-13-2007-10-37-23--Frigilux.jpg
 
Hi Gary--- My next load is queen-sized sheets. Do you hang sheets over a single line or do you hang them over two lines (tent-style) so there's more air movement?
And you're right, it feels good to use less than one watt of electricity to dry the clothes.
 
Frigi - I hang sheets on a single line. What I do, I take two ends of the sheet and leave the other end draped in the basket. I then peg the very corners of the sheet, and bring up the other corners on the other end lying in the basket and peg them on the line next to where I pegged the other corners. I then take one side only, halfway, and peg in the centre of the line to create a "bag" for air to blow through - this seems to dry sheets evenly and quickly without leaving damp spots, and saving quite a bit of line space too!

Jon
 
It's always struck me funny how some folks even that really enjoy washers and laundry dislike line drying. Anyway, you did a brilliant job with this load, and Jon's description for the sheets sounds great!

I think you'll enjoy the results, and may well continue seasonally even after your pay hopefully moves back in the correct direction. I always hang long sleeve/dress shirts in the same manner you did here.
 
shirts-

Upside down. Tail ("U" shape) that goes in rear of trousers rear draped over the line.This effectively makes the shirt bottom *cough* straight. I mean even.

Put clothes pegs/pins on the seams (At the bottom of the shirt) where the one piece back panel meets the 1/2 sized front panels.

This from MY poverty days in the south Bronx while a student at Fordham University. (ME In a Jesuit school? ARE YOU MAD? *LOL*). A nice Italian boy I lived with taught me how to cook with the four (er... HIS four) holy food groups. Pasta, tomato sauce, cheese and garlic. and I learned how to hang clothes and iron.

You'd be surpised how many won't let two adjacent articles of clothing share a clothes pin, as shown above.

Once you start thrifting you'll never go back to paying retail. Slumming it is fun! Think Karen of "Will and Grace" under her code name Anastasia Beaverhausen.
 
And everytime you open your drawers where the line dried items are stored you'll get a whiff of nice clean laundry!
We haven't line dried any clothes in years. We used to all the time. We have two large oak trees in the back yard, hmmm maybe we'll pick up a clothes line.
 
Thanks for the tips, guys! Except for the gnats trying to eat me alive---are you SURE you don't miss Minnesota, Scott?---it was really no trouble at all. It's a perfect day for line-drying, too: 84 degrees, windy and sunny. Allen, I'll definitely look forward to my line dried-scented clothes.

Togs, I'd taken two shots of the clothes on the line, but the photo that was sans briefs was a little blurry, so I went for form over modesty----;)

Jon--I'll try your sheet-hanging method. It's either going to work very well, or I'll wind up with origami, LOL!
 
For some time I line dried all my clothes after moving to a house without natural gas, while waiting for the delivery of the LP gas conversion kit for my drier (which actually took some time to arrive, by the way).

I soon learned it was best to hang all dark garments, and specifically printed T shirts whatever their color, inside out and then even to hang the printed side of a T shirt (print side now looking inwards) facing the "shadow side" of the line. The sun's rays would literally wipe out the prints if hung facing the sunny side of the line, or discolor all drark garments. I also hung all slacks and jeans inside out, whatever their color, and then I would always hung the zipper side of the slack facing the dark side of the line.

For the same reason, I would hang all jockey shorts inside out, but then conveniently arranged in such a way so that the inner areas of the underwear faced the sunny side of the line as much as possible, LOL.

I hope this helps,

Emilio
 
The One thing I LOVE....

....is hanging out clothes at my West Virginia home. I have one of those umbrella things that sticks into the ground and I load it up. The oly thing that I don't like completely dried outside is towels. I hang them out and when they are ALMOST dry, I take them in and put them in the dryer to finish them. They turn out soft and fluffy! Mark
 
Your shirts are hung correctly (at least that's how I hang them ;-)

I love clothes, sheets and household linens hung outside. I'll bet I save five or more loads a week from the dryers by hanging outside.

You can tell my umbrella-type clothes dryer gets some use, the poor thing looks like it's going to collapse. I found someone who is going to make me "T" posts so I'll have a "real" clothesline soon!

5-13-2007-12-18-25--gansky1.jpg
 
Nice Job!

Colours and darks should be hung in the shade, with whites in the sun. If this is not possible, then turning inside out the former is fine.

Hang my sheets and other long items by folding long hem to short hem,pinning one end then stretching the lenght, finally pinning the other.Usually add few more pins towards the center to keep things neat. There should be about an inch or so overlap over the line. When taking down, one simply unpins one end, and folds over as one works towards the other. When finished the sheet is already folded into quarters, ready for to be ironed.

L.
 
~The oly thing that I don't like completely dried outside is towels. I hang them out and when they are ALMOST dry, I take them in and put them in the dryer to finish them. They turn out soft and fluffy!

Twenty minutes in the dryer FIRST with heat makes for fluffy AND a nice outdoorsy scent.

But I have also fluffed already dried stuff wiithout heat. Works like a charm!
 
Hoovermatic--Thanks for the compliment; I like to think they're about as white as they can get. I attribute it to soft water, a good detergent (SA8 with Bioquest® in this case) and liquid chlorine bleach.

Emilio-- I didn't think about what the sun could do to prints. I'll turn those garments inside out and face them toward the fence (east).

Mark-- I'm curious as to how the towels will turn out, too. I put a bit of Downy in the final rinse. Planning to let them dry fully on the line this time; if they're too stiff, I'll finish them in the dryer.

Launderess-- I'll try your method for hanging sheets next time. Where on Earth do you get all these great ideas?!

Gansky-- My mom used to have a clothes pin bag similar to the one in your pic. It was much handier than the method I used today, which is stuffing my shirt/shorts pockets full of them. I'll have to pick one up.

Togs--yet another person at AW with a wealth of ideas to share; Thanks!
 
Indoor Hanging in Apartment

Since outdoor clothes lines are not a good thing for a fourth floor apartment, I use these heavy duty tube plastic hangers for air drying shirts, pants, briefs, socks, and towels on my bathroom shower curtain rod. When it comes to drying clothes, I have become a thrifty miser in shelling out coins for tumble drying only when necessary., usually bed linens and blankets that are too large for the bathroom shower curtain rod. If artificial breezing is needed, I keep a small fan on the counter next to the bathroom sink. At least when my clothes are fully air dried and put away, they are fresh scented for next use.--Laundry Shark
 

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