Line Drying

[MTS04]

I Need opinions/options and input please.

What's your set up for line drying and what would you change if you don't like it. What do you like about it? How can you make it more efficient?

Thanks bunches.

[zakity]

I have an old fashioned clothes line and both kinds of pins. The clippies go on clothes (the new kind) and the pokies go on towels (the old fashioned ones with not moveable parts). The pins are all wood.

[oheoh's momma]

I use drying racks in the house and have a line in one room for emergencies also hang a lot on plastic racks . What I like about my system is that it can dry a lot and be put up so one can see it. I think drying racks are the way to go for pure convenience.

[l8eebugg]

I have an old-fashion four row clothes line, use wooden pins. If I could change one thing it would be to make the line move in a circular motion. (think pulley) That way I could pull the line towards me and not have to move basket up and down the aisles. I also would magically makes wasps and bees stay away!! Allergic and very afraid of them. But I still hang clothes out when ever I can.

[sunshine]

Outside, I have the old fashioned T poles with 3 lines - I love the fact that i have lots of line space to dry sheets, blankets, rugs, etc. They are in the middle of the yard, so no worries about trees, etc. Downside - if I put lots of heavy things on them , they tend to drag down in the middle - I compensate for this by using an old broomstick with nails as a line prop.

Indoors, I have a retractable line in the spare bedroom. Not much space, but it's easily accessible, unobtrusive when not in use. . . I also have ropes strung in the ceiling of the basement- where I can hang clothes - lots of space, but it's hard to get up and down the basement stairs with laundry baskets, the basement is damp in the spring/fall. . . etc.

[Debbie-cat]

I have the old t posts with four lines. Love it as I can hang three loads of laundry on it.

[Ali Lee]

In the house-I have several plastic umbrella hangers I use to hang socks, rags, etc,, and several free standing wooden racks- 1 Amish made (just wonderful) & a couple short lines. Outside I have the umbrella type clothes line (cost 15$-last day of a garage sale) plus an Amish made hanger, made from a bicycle wheel with spring type clothes pins all around it. I hang socks, hankies, undies, napkins, etc from it. I have my hubby's Aunts clothespin bag, shaped like a dress, filled with the old type wooden pins-square @ top & some spring type pins. I like the old ones best. This year I've been using hangers to hang hubby's work shirts on. I also put my laundry basket in a wheelbarrow to push out to the line & plus-I don't have to bend over so far. Change anything? Well, I would buy a clothes basket dolly the Amish (around 80$) makes plus another bike tire rim hanger.

[krbshappy71]

Mine are all in the house because I have severe allergies to whatever blows in the wind on my clothes.

In laundry room: closet rod hung underneath the shelf that is over washer dryer, then extends much longer with more bracket supports.

In unfinished basement just outside laundry door:

Huge beam that goes across the house for support. There's a big pole in the center of our basement and this beam goes all the way across the width of the house. Works great!

Other options I use:

Free standing closet hanger, sometimes I will divide up the teen's clothes from my own and if she just had a few things I will put hers on this instead of across the beam.

Overturned laundry baskets: these are my sweater-drying-racks
Drying rack: I just have one that I got before I realized the overturned laundry baskets worked well!

My laundry room also houses my furnace which is great in the winter.

I am still using the dryer for: socks/undies load, towels/sheets load.

I need to put up a line, I bought clothespins but don't have a line up yet so I can start hanging my socks/undies loads and the towels/sheets.

[joyofsix]

Plain old clothes line strung between trees. Wooden clip pins. Two drying racks for winter or outside if I need more space. I wish I had more line space and a real line inside.

[savvy_sniper]

I have one wooden and one metal collapsible dryin racks and a rolling clothes rack for clothes on hangers. I can set them up inside/outside/move them around. All my throw rugs are laid out of top of the covered hot tub.

[Josephhgoins]

I don't have one at my apartment, but I have one at my rental that I used to live in.

Granny told me to make sure to put have the line in the shade and half in the sun. To dry the colors in the shade so they don't fade and the whites in the sun to help bleach them. I always did that and it worked well.

I also made sure to have more line than I would ever need. It was just me and cat, but you would be amazed how much line I needed when it was time to wash linens AND clothes.

Also, make sure to get the coated clothesline from your hardware store. Its coating will wear off eventually, but it is soo nice until then and make sure that it can be easily replaced.

Also, make sure to make the line higher than you think, you would be amazed how much a long line can sag when weighed down.

Mine was 2 4 X 4's buried about 2 foot down in the ground and cemented. I had 2 X 4s at the top to make "T"s that were about 4 foot long and had a little less than a foot between each line (ended up with 4 lines but only 2 posts).

It worked real well when I lived there.

Now that I am in the city I use the dryer.

[MTS04]

Thank you all for your input!

[udwe]

Sounds like mine. Is your's wooden or metal posts? Mine's wood because that's what I had available. But I really love it.

[happymomof4]

I have wooden t-poles outside. I have 5 lines on them. Love them. I use wooden clothepins I keep in a clothespin line that I made.

[zakity]

My brilliant DH didn't put my poles in cement. Now, they lean in. **rolling my eyes** He only put them in to pacify me and so he half did it.