Clothesline Suggestions

We just bought an Amish Home and we have some nice plastic coated cable clothes lines. I think it is the best type of line.

Hi, I have my eye on the large floor dryer at Lehman's.

http://www.lehmans.com/store/Home_Goods___Laundry___Drying___Lehman_s__Best_Floor_Dryers___floorDryers?Args=

I read somewhere that one trip through the electric dryer puts as much wear on clothes as wearing them for 3 months!  wow, and who knew all that lint was your clothes slowly disintegrating.  not to mention fire hazard from all that lint in places you can't reach.

-Caryl

treadling Ratmum

I remember that my mother had long wooden clothespoles which came from a hardware store.  When she moved, they went to support a neighbor's lines.  When we moved here, we found some shorter aluminum ones lying around-----less asthetic, but they did the trick for bedding, etc.   She preferred the cotton lines, which worked for her, as she always took them down when wash day was over.  

In some places, people use a large 'trolly'  fastened to a tree, pole or outbuilding, with a movable loop of line going around.  They put the clothes on  from a window, moving the line as needed to hang/remove laundry.  Because this has less hanging space than multiple yard lines, the clothes are hung differently, in order to maximize space. 

Another use of clothesline:   I used them in my classroom for teaching metrics.  Used long plastic coated lines, which I cut into 10 meter segments, with each meter marked.  The kids quickly learned that these are useful outdoors & that it takes at least 3 people to measure the perimeter of a large area [or boulder]  with one.   Once they were marked, the kids renewed the marks whenever needed & the lines were kept neatly folded  in our math cabinet, together with the smaller metric rulers, which we used for animal tracks [stride/straddle, etc.].   Well, for moose tracks, one needed a meter stick.   I liked the way the use of a clothesline  extended  metric measuring.    

I'll take a picture of mine once it is fixed up!  A few years ago, my family asked me what I wanted for Mother's day, I said a clothesline! My husband built me one.  The next year they asked what I wanted for Mother's day, I said a garden, so they made two raised beds!    

OK everybody sounds like they have awesome lines... mine maybe not so much! I bought a new line this year from home depot, and don't like it. It is nylon and it does have to be tightened a lot. I use a piece of wood about 7 feet tall with a "v" shaped cut at the top, and when my line is sagging, I just put it in the middle of line. I also use those wooden and plastic "things" that hold the line together. My neighbor gave the idea about the wood to my husband.... I thought it wasn't such a good idea but, I've seen other women in the neighborhood with the same. Works like a gem, and didn't cost a dime because it was scrape wood.

In Lovina Eicher's book, I noticed a picture of what looked like a round strip of metal with holes punched in it, and many shower-curtain holders coming thru.  It looked like it was hung on a clothes line frame  I was guessing it was perhaps for hanging socks?   Anyone else notice it?  I thought it was a cool idea and have asked the husband to make me one next time he's free.

LOL lougender, I'm only 59, but I've had a clothes pole for years! 

Might want to try PVC coated metal clothesline, mine works great, I have the 950 lbs one and super weight holding...

Go Here:

http://www.clotheslineshop.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=C&Product_Code=82600&Category_Code=OCI

Thanks Shar - I know what you mean about the sagging stuff, drives me crazy too! Kevin do you know what Lovina uses?  I've seen some pretty long Amish lines. 

i use the plastic ones with the wire on the inside because you don't have to keep pulling it and retightening it ,, and it lasts a lot longer,,i have had all different kinds and this one works the best for me,, sagging clotheslines drive me crazy,, i don't want my blue jeans and towels hanging to the ground.  shar