Baths and Laundry Rooms: Outdoor clothesline?

Forum: Baths and Laundry Rooms Replies: 145, Views: 1,267 Print -

Author Content anastatia Vancouver, WA (Zone 8a) June 11, 2006 12:27 AM Post #2376750 Do any of you regularly use an outdoor clothesline? I do, weather permitting. ahhhh sheets and pillowcases from the line! I want to buy my son and daughter in law one and I looked at Sears, on line. and it is close to $140.00 Can you believe it? Is that the going price for an umberella style one? mgh Willamette Valley, OR (Zone 8a) June 11, 2006 12:32 AM Post #2376768 When I was a kid I loved the way the clothes smelled when dried on a line, but I didn't like the way they felt...too scratchy. I also had way too many bad experiences with finding spiders and bugs in my clothes...I don't think I could ever use a clothes line again unless I absolutely had too. Tir_Na_Nog June 11, 2006 3:27 AM Post #2376934 I loved to line dry large blankets!!! I used to drape them over my balcony to the many times I had an apartment. I would think anastatia that you could make something for less than 140...but I bet the umbrella kinds hold more than the straight line which is the kind we had at home. judycooksey Pocahontas, TN (Zone 7b) June 11, 2006 6:29 AM Post #2376999 This thread has the potential of being such a hoot... I line dry as much as possible during the summer because using the dryer heats up the house. Stiff and scratchy is exactly the results you get when you line dry so many articles of clothing... the other aspect being insects.. I put them in the dryer, spritz them lightly with water, use Wal-Mart brand fabric softner sheets, cut in half, and dry for 5-10 minutes depending upon the fabric, problem solved in reference to insects, plus stiff and scratchy but lots of energy saved by line drying. The clothes have the feel of dryer softness and smell of freshness from the great outdoors. My clothes line is strung between the house and a tree in the yard. Judy anastatia Vancouver, WA (Zone 8a) June 11, 2006 10:45 AM Post #2377637 I have never never had bugs in my outdoor dried clothes. I have never even heard of that. spiders. . .yuk! Badseed Lynchburg, OH (Zone 6a) June 11, 2006 10:48 AM Post #2377651 When we bought our house, it had a clothes line. I had the great idea to put all my hanging baskets on it that I have for sale. It didn't have ropes or even those vinyl coated metal lines. It had some sort of aluminum wire. Wanna know how quick that puppy caved in? LOL So I pulled all the wires tighter. Perfect. I put about 20 hanging pots back on and watched the poles lean causing the lines to "V" again. Okay, I quit! I put my four year olds garden in front of one of the posts so her cucumbers can climb the lines. Surely they will hold cucumbers! We decided to pull out the other post. You oughta see the chunk of cement on that puppy and it still leaned over. Oddly enough, we put the swimming pool pretty clothes to the clothesline area. We hang our towels on the porch rails. About as soon as we pulled out that post, I told hubby how stupid we are because it probably would have held towels if they were not soaking wet. Can you say DUH????? I'd like to have a clothesline on a pulley right out the laundry window. I have to do laundry for 8 people. How convenient would it be if the line came into the window, I hung the clothes then spun it like a rack at a dry cleaner and could just rotate the clothes right out the window?? LOL mgh Willamette Valley, OR (Zone 8a) June 11, 2006 11:09 AM Post #2377731 Hey, those are some great ideas, Judy! If I had the space at my present house I would try it again just for you, Anastatia! ;o) I can just see you out there, Chele...trying to hang the baskets on the line. It sounds like it will be very nice for your DD's cucumbers. :o) Badseed Lynchburg, OH (Zone 6a) June 11, 2006 11:45 AM Post #2377848 OH, it worked really well for a few minutes. Then I'd go to the greenhouse, get more pots and come back to stairstepped plants and swaying lines. LOL Badseed Lynchburg, OH (Zone 6a) June 11, 2006 11:51 AM Post #2377863 This thing is 2 feet long and about 10" across. Wouldn't you think it would hold something? LOL Click the image for an enlarged view. Badseed Lynchburg, OH (Zone 6a) June 11, 2006 11:52 AM Post #2377868 It took a Suburban to pull it out. Click the image for an enlarged view. Badseed Lynchburg, OH (Zone 6a) June 11, 2006 11:53 AM Post #2377871 What became of the other part? Cucumber trellis of course. Click the image for an enlarged view. Badseed Lynchburg, OH (Zone 6a) June 11, 2006 11:54 AM Post #2377877 I think my 4 year old has the touch! She is a bit heavy handed with the seeds though. LOL Click the image for an enlarged view. mgh Willamette Valley, OR (Zone 8a) June 11, 2006 12:16 PM Post #2377932 Yeah, you'd think it would hold them! Wow, that's a lot of cement! Very cute cucumber garden she has going there. Looks like you'll have a lot of cucs! ;o) anastatia Vancouver, WA (Zone 8a) June 11, 2006 8:59 PM Post #2379655 That concrete block w/ post (x2) is what we pulled out of the ground when we bought the house we are in now. I wanted the umbrella style for safety w/ kids and it is more compact. Joyous Himrod, NY (Zone 6a) June 11, 2006 9:19 PM Post #2379723 Chele, the Mennonites around here have the big pullys between their house and barn and just crank the clothes out. I always feel sorry when the weather is so bad and it rains and rains. What a lot of laundry they have. I have lines between the house and tree and shed. I love using them in good weather but am not shy using the dryer when I need them in a hurry. Our problem is more the birds and what they do best!! Don't ya know we even feed them all year! Line drying is a good motivator to get me out the door early in the morning and then I just putz my way around the yard after they are up on the line. Anastatia, thanks for the cute thread. Joy Magpye NW Qtr, AR (Zone 6a) June 11, 2006 10:15 PM Post #2380056 .. anastatia .. I think these, may be something along the 'lines' you're lookin' for -?- Check, these sites .. when ya get a chance. From .. Stacks and Stacks Homewares .. Compact multiple line .. and it folds up and rotates also! > [HYPERLINK@frugalliving.about.com] * still seems a bit inflated a price, plus the shipping is probably outrageous for steel lines The five line retractable model .. (from the same merchant, above) > [HYPERLINK@frugalliving.about.com] . . . * Be sure to see these * . . . From .. the Clothesline Shop .. Aluminum 2pc Pole, Umbrella Clothes Dryer .. $60.00 [HYPERLINK@www.clotheslineshop.com] Steel Parallel Umbrella Dryer .. $68.00 [HYPERLINK@www.clotheslineshop.com] Aluminum Parallel Umbrella Dryer .. $70.00 [HYPERLINK@www.clotheslineshop.com] Steel Parallel Umbrella Dryer .. $70.00 [HYPERLINK@www.clotheslineshop.com] Aluminum Parallel Umbrella Dryer .. $75.00 [HYPERLINK@www.clotheslineshop.com] You probably already know - but, just-in-case: be sure to pay attention to the SIZE of the steel posts for each unit, for it will certainly make a difference in the strength and durability. There are also some (solar) 'clothes dryers' here > [HYPERLINK@www.breezecatcher.com] .. but these contraptions, would be way beyond my (even re-negotiable) budget! Jes don't forget .. you can have the clotheslines T posts 'made' .. and can be rigged to accommodate multiple clotheslines. And use the adjusting bolts (turnbuckles) that will enable easily tightening the lines, as they begin to stretch somewhat and 'give' over time. Will also allow for shorter distance between the posts .. if limited area/room is a factor. Also .. the enclosed retractable line can be fastened to the side of house .. and then pulled out/extended to fasten to an appropriately placed 'post' (or, the side of another building, if in close proximity). Out-of-the-way when not in use. .. Badseed .. You guys could probably easily 'rig up' a trolley/pulley clothesline system that rotates horizontally. Even when ya had your T posts: you may could've used the ol clothesline 'push' poles, that in old days were used. Hung your clothes, then simply moved the pole closer .. to push the lines way up and out of the way to dry (took up the 'slack'). Looks like the 'Breezecatcher' store may have had you in mind, also > [HYPERLINK@breezecatcher.chainreactionweb.com] Some tidbits .. (in favor of outdoor dryer/clothesline, which would probably be more politically correct, these days .. to use the term; 'solar' dryers) .. lol .. Quoted: Not wanting to sound like a commercial for Mother Nature, but maybe so... air dried laundry not only lasts longer, the sun helps to remove stains from white clothes, and the ultraviolet rays kills bacteria and other dangerous growth, including most fungi. One more thing. There are some places in this nation that won't allow anyone to save money, time, health or the environment by hanging clothes to dry out-of-doors. If you happen to live in one of those communities, please consider petitioning for a change in the rules. Hope the sites/info may lend a lil bit of aid to ya ... - Magpye This message was edited Jun 11, 2006 11:52 PM WUVIE Hulbert, OK (Zone 7a) June 11, 2006 10:36 PM Post #2380148 Oh, how I would LOVE to have a clothesline like my grandmother had. She would merely stand on the porch and hang clothing, sending the clothesline sailing off into the back yard with just a swoosh. Tons of clothes all swaying in the breeze, safe from the mud, kids, pets, etc. If we ever get that back deck put on... Badseed Lynchburg, OH (Zone 6a) June 11, 2006 10:37 PM Post #2380157 Thank you for that info Joy! I've actually heard that there are some Mennonites not too far from here. I was looking for a special potting medium and the local nurseries actually told me to get it from the Mennonites. I wonder if they wouldn't mind me checking out those laundry lines. If I take all six girls with me, maybe they'll see I am genuine in needing laundry help. :) anastatia Vancouver, WA (Zone 8a) June 11, 2006 10:38 PM Post #2380158 I think clothes on the line says 'home' as opposed to 'house'. No, not Dr House! red_princess_71 Lilesville, NC (Zone 7b) June 12, 2006 8:23 AM Post #2381015 i love to love drying my things outside in the summer, i do it for the way they smell and just trying to save a few cents on the electric bill. And i found that if i do let my laundry pile up while i am surfing here at DG that if i wash them all and then hang them out to dry I get them all done really fast. I wash them all and just hang them out, all except the towels...ouch when i get outta of the shower and put that towel around me and it's all scratchy, so now i either use alittle extra downey or i through them in the dryer when i bring them. I to have had the terrible expierience with bugs in clothes i shake, rattle and roll them all when i fold them. But sheets and bed stuff dried outside in the breeze and then crawling into bed at night after a long day playing in the dirt feels so nice. Char AnnetteG Hillsborough, NJ (Zone 7b) June 12, 2006 9:24 AM Post #2381172 Like all of you I love the outdoors for drying clothes. The only thing I DO worry about is pollen and other allergans. I mean, sometimes I go out and it's all over my car! What about my laundry? Always something! Annette Badseed Lynchburg, OH (Zone 6a) June 12, 2006 10:34 AM Post #2381408 My great aunt used to tell me about freeze drying jeans and coveralls on the line in the winter. Now that is a serious love of your clothes line. :) Seriously, they were farmers with seven kids and not much money. I don't know if my great grandmother ever actually owned her own washer and dryer. anastatia Vancouver, WA (Zone 8a) June 12, 2006 11:24 PM Post #2384394 Magpye, I would love to have one of the Breezecatchers. My neice lived in Italy for 4 yrs after marrying an Italian and she received from an Italian relative the niftiest gift: a stainless steel folding clothes rack that would hold a lot of clothes. I bet it would be $300 or more here in USA. Since clothes dryers are somewhat a luxury in that particular part of Italy (farmers) maybe it was not so much moola there. earthling Rowlett, TX (Zone 8a) June 12, 2006 11:30 PM Post #2384417 One of the first things I did after buying this house was put up a clothes line. It was not a fancy one, just some line from a fence to the house. But it worked great for what I wanted..a place to hang bedding and towels, mainly. My DH finally put up a REAL one, with a post cemented into the ground..its better cause its higher and once again in the sun..the other one is shaded now that my trees are so tall. I love hanging out clothes..they just smell so much better from the sun.. Kris mgh Willamette Valley, OR (Zone 8a) June 13, 2006 1:17 AM Post #2384676 Ya know, ya'll are really making want a clothesline! ;o) Magpye NW Qtr, AR (Zone 6a) October 3, 2006 4:24 PM Post #2782623 .. anastatia .. Just thinkin' aboutcha .. and wondering if you've fetch'd yourself a clothesline yet. If not (and, if you're still looking) ... check these two, from Sears! Folding Parallel Outdoor Dryer > [HYPERLINK@www.searshomecenter.com] .. and .. Rotary Dryer > [HYPERLINK@www.searshomecenter.com] - Magpye elsie Lafayette, NJ (Zone 6a) October 3, 2006 6:46 PM Post #2783000 I may be mistaken, but I thought I saw the clothesline with the pullies at Walmart the other day. I think it was in the hardware department. Badseed Lynchburg, OH (Zone 6a) October 3, 2006 7:48 PM Post #2783111 Did you buy me one?? My poor dryer is screaming for help. LOL I better go to a washboard and bucket too before we overflow the septic tank. ;) Thank you Elsie for the tip! anastatia Vancouver, WA (Zone 8a) October 3, 2006 7:52 PM Post #2783126 we set up a makeshift one for her but nothing much. That first one from Sears is just like mine. Not too bad a price, considering I have seen lots for well over $100. My neice, who lived in Italy for a few years, received from an Italian in-law the greatest stainless steel folding clothes line. Like our wooden ones but bigger and better. I bet it cost a pretty penny. elsie Lafayette, NJ (Zone 6a) October 3, 2006 8:39 PM Post #2783261 Chele, I'm not even sure I saw it. LOL If I had known you needed one I would have picked it up. If I see it next time I will try to remember to see how much it is. Who would have thunk it [HYPERLINK@www.clotheslineshop.com] go towards the middle of the page and there are two pully type clotheslines. Chele, go down a little further so you can purchase the clothespin apron. LOL Badseed Lynchburg, OH (Zone 6a) October 3, 2006 8:50 PM Post #2783288 Hey, I think that pulley line might be long enough to reach my greenhouse. I could tell hubby it hung up at the other end, run down to fix it and never come back! LOL Oh, and that apron is to die for! LOL On pregnant years, I wonder if it would hook comfortably under my belly??? Shoot! At this point, I might need extension straps for one to permanently fit under my belly. hahahaha WigglyPaw Hastings, MI (Zone 6a) October 3, 2006 9:14 PM Post #2783368 Oh this forum is wonderful! I have a pulley clothes line. It is just outside the back door and hung up on the wall next to the door, and I can step outside on the wooden landing, not even have to do down any steps at all. I stand in one spot and the laundry comes to me. My friends who are Amish, were over here one day, I have Percherons, and they were shoeing them. They saw the clothes line and were amazed!! DH and I ordered the special coated clothesline from Lehmans and also, the larger pulleys. He also did order the turnbuckle line tigtener. It is amazing how fast the clothes dry. If you guys don't want stiff clothes, then try some vinegar in the rinse cycle a few times, no clothes softener. It will take a few times to get all the detergent and softener residues out. PS the softener is made from petroleum oil if anyone is interested. I didn't know that either. Here is my ll (laundry line) of the steps and the pulley on the wall Click the image for an enlarged view. WigglyPaw Hastings, MI (Zone 6a) October 3, 2006 9:16 PM Post #2783377 Here is my ll in its glory most pretty with colorful and breezy weather Click the image for an enlarged view. WigglyPaw Hastings, MI (Zone 6a) October 3, 2006 9:28 PM Post #2783414 My DH just came in with the dawgs, and told me our little bad Pug, Chloe, wanted to go over to the sushi bar and have some chommpy tuna roll. with that, chloe jumped up on him and licked her lips like mad. The other dogs didn't even know what they were talking about. LOLOL. See what i have to put up with????? This is a picture of the other end of the ll, attached to the barn on a pulley thing too. the clothes blow into my new little elm tree, but oh well. cant be perfect. Click the image for an enlarged view. WigglyPaw Hastings, MI (Zone 6a) October 3, 2006 9:35 PM Post #2783424 Oh my gosh, another one!!! LOLOL This is when we were doing some stuff in the backyard, and possibly rehanging the ll properly, so I had to temporarily hang the ll in the front yard. Thats our little black Pug, Miss Dottie she is always outside and with me to do chores if its not too hot. she can't take the heat. so i just wrapped the ll from lehmans around the telephone pole (they do come in handy sometimes) and wrapped it aroundthe front porch/deck and hung my clothes fromthat. It was not good. I had to shlep the laundry down the 3 stairs, and then arrange them so they didnt drag on the ground. There was only the one line, so I was busy hanging, taking in hanging. But, I perservered, and my DH got tired of almost beheading himself, so he priortized and rehung my backyard pulley system ll. : )))))))))) Click the image for an enlarged view. Badseed Lynchburg, OH (Zone 6a) October 4, 2006 8:52 AM Post #2784428 It's such a shame that you are embarassed of your clothes line. hahahahahah Seriously, that is wonderful! I am concerned my granny panties might make that puppy go airborn though. LOL I am surprised that the Amish were impressed with it. Someone up above said that Amish or Menonites in their area used these. I thought it was maybe one of their creations since I know some do not or did not use appliances. I was being a smarty pants and did not really know you could get them on pulleys! I have a decent sized window in the laundry room that is either 35 or 39 inches wide and a good foot taller than it is wide. The downside is that it is one of those stupid crank out windows! That means my line would have to run diagonal through the yard. LOL Not like the dog or my six kids would run through the clothes or get them dirty. Naw! HA! That window is high on the priority list for replacement but it has not happened yet. So basically, if you use fabric softener, you are caking your clothes with Vasoline? Ewwwww! I guess that would explain why the fabric softener sheets are greasy! ;) Nice to meet you WigglyPaw! june_nmexico Albuquerque, NM (Zone 7a) October 4, 2006 10:42 AM Post #2784854 Ah, memories! When I was a little girl, my grandmother had a pulley clothes line. The wringer washing machine was in the basement, but the clotheline was outside a second floor bedroom window (to clear the trees). You had to lug that wash up two flights of stairs to hang it, then pray it would not rain or snow. Who ever dreamed in those days that there would be automatic dryers? Or fabric softeners? Grandmother also had a thing called a mangle for pressing sheets and other flat items. My sister and I stayed away from that thing because it was scarey, but it was very nice to have freshly ironed sheets and pillow cases. I still iron pillow cases occasionally, but mostly linens just get smoothed, folded and put away straight from the dryer. Magpye NW Qtr, AR (Zone 6a) October 4, 2006 11:31 AM Post #2785022 For quite a number of years .. an older sister of mine, performed her weekly routine - religiously!! After washing, she 'liguid' starched all of her sheets, pillowcases, table linens and cloths, and doilies, etc. & hung to dry - then 'damp' ironed every one. I remember this being an all day chore: from sun up to well after sun-down. Kept a lil tray of water on the ironing board also; of which she'd reach with her fingers .. and splash to dampen the articles yet again, just prior to applying the iron. Of course, she'd fetched a few fresh sprigs of cedar from a tree just outside .. and would run the iron over the cedar before-hand. If memory serves me: I believe the cedar served to 'clean' the build up from the surface of the iron to enable 'smoother' ironing by eliminating the build up being deposited onto what ever was being ironed. Other metals on todays' irons, now serve the similar purpose. She'd arrange & 'form up' the fancy and decorative doilies to dry 'statue' stiff .. to ready them for placing back onto their respective displays on tables, bureaus, dressers, vanities, shelves, etc. Then perma-press entered the picture .. but she still starched & ironed hers!! However, when spray starch came out - she was thoroughly delighted to use it for the linens: but it did nothing for the fancy doilies and their stiff attention that was required!! .. LOL .. So, she continued with the liquid regimen for those! She was a dedicated master of such eccentricities, for a long time .. until her health began to fail some years later. - Magpye This message was edited Oct 4, 2006 10:32 AM Sarahskeeper Brockton, MA (Zone 6a) October 11, 2006 6:15 PM Post #2808216 I remember as a child, my mom complaining to dad that she needed a clothes dryer. We had a sturdy clothes line set up and mom had to use it or nothing. Winter was tough with frozen linen etc. It would dry even when frozen but it took all day, lol. Mom got chapped hands. She got her first dryer in 1959. When I bought this house I quickly set up a line. One that I could put up only when I needed it, between a tree and the house. Twenty years later I still use it. Some days I can dry 3 loads. I don't use it much in the winter, though. lol One neighbor has a pulley system she uses from the second floor porch. Squeaky thing but functional. Bugs? Yea we got bugs. Just shake the daylights out of each piece before bringing it in. I'm a painter, part of my sales shpeel is clean fresh tarps. I mentioned 'line dried' tarps once and the customer asked to smell them. lol. Andy P darius Appalachian Mtns, VA (Zone 5b) October 11, 2006 6:47 PM Post #2808274 This house came with 2 clothesline poles and some mangled wire wound up on them. I bought new wire and turnbuckles. Even found a clothespin bag (and pins) at Walmart. Love it! Winter may bring a scenario where I put a line up on the back covered deck. I brought in too many frozen diapers when I was younger! I can't believe they want $200 for 2 poles and line!!! elsie Lafayette, NJ (Zone 6a) October 14, 2006 3:26 PM Post #2817062 Chele, I was at our Walmart this morning and saw the clothesline. Imagine that I wasn't seeing things. It was at the end of an aisle in the kitchen department. It has 100 feet of line and it's $9.00. I don't know if that means it is 50 feet-back and forth. Sarahskeeper Brockton, MA (Zone 6a) October 14, 2006 8:38 PM Post #2817742 If you want a good line use "sash cord" from the hardware store. They can get pretty heavy with wet clothes in the wind. You don't want to pick up fresh wet clothes from a broken line. Don't leave the clothes pins out in the rain either, they will stain wet garments. Andy P VbSparky Dansville, NY (Zone 6a) October 16, 2006 9:15 AM Post #2821520 I had a clothes line for a while till mom showed up one day while i was out and decided to put away the towles that were on the line. Well a few days later i grabed a towel and got ready for a nice hot shower .. grabed the towel and proceded to towel dry and WAM!!!! OUCH!!!!!!! what was that ???? shoooook the towel and out came a bee , little fella got me right on the nipple .. Also when i was a teen , mom would freeze dry our clothes in the winter on the line. Badseed Lynchburg, OH (Zone 6a) October 16, 2006 9:36 AM Post #2821585 Elsie, Thanks a bunch for staying on top of that clothes line price! I will have to check them out. I may wait until it's warmer though. I remember my great aunt telling me about freeze dried overalls and work jeans. Somehow it does not sound appealing. ;) Oh Vb! That does not sound fun in the least! One of those ground hornets got my hubby in the same place. I can attest to the fact that he was quite unhappy with it. LOL I got stung at the same time but in the back of the shoulder. Thank goodness it was there because I am allergic and spent the next day pretty miserable. LOL You've worn freeze dried clothes?? Aren't they a little rough on the skin?? VbSparky Dansville, NY (Zone 6a) October 16, 2006 10:02 AM Post #2821672 them freeze dryed clothes fluff up after you beat them with a 2x4 a few time hehehehe Badseed Lynchburg, OH (Zone 6a) October 16, 2006 10:12 AM Post #2821699 Oh, seems my great aunt forgot to tell my about the beating part. LOL I did get to hear about the little cast iron iron that had to be heated on the stove then wiped on a damp cloth so she could iron her father's shirts after they were dipped in liquid starch. I'd get so tickled when she'd tell about getting a bit of soot on the clothes then have to start over. LOL I'm sure it was not fun for her then but she was an awesome story teller! I really miss her. luna_baby On the banks of the , VA (Zone 7a) October 18, 2006 11:28 AM Post #2828486 We made our clothes line out of vinyl coated wire and two wheelie things...I can stand in one place and pull the line to me. I never have to leave the back porch! *lol* I love towels dried on the line, they actually suck up the water off my skin. : ) Sheets I usually tumble dry with a softener sheet for just a few minutes after they've been on the line. I love hanging stuff up to dry cause then there is less of that ironing thing my husband is always asking me about...I know I own an iron but I'd be hard pressed to find it. ; D anastatia Vancouver, WA (Zone 8a) October 18, 2006 8:42 PM Post #2830006 Do you think young brides are getting clothes lines? darius Appalachian Mtns, VA (Zone 5b) October 18, 2006 9:16 PM Post #2830098 Ha!!! anastatia Vancouver, WA (Zone 8a) October 18, 2006 10:27 PM Post #2830323 that's what I love about Mz Darius; short and concise. darius Appalachian Mtns, VA (Zone 5b) October 18, 2006 10:34 PM Post #2830352 LOL! gloriabythelake Buffalo, NY (Zone 6a) October 19, 2006 1:32 PM Post #2832150 Hi all. This is a wonderful thread! I remember having to do the laundry when I was little (about 8 yrs. old). We had a double tub wringer washer in the basement and many outdoor lines. They were attached to the house on one end and to poles across the yard. We had to use clothes poles intermittently to hold up the lines or they would sag & the laundry would touch the ground. Everything froze solid in the winter. Someone here mentioned a mangle. Boy, that sure brings back memories. It was my sister's job to use the mangle. I think you can still buy that thing. I remember scrambling like crazy to get the laundry off the lines because a storm was coming. We'd be out there and it would be lightening and thundering. We also had to starch. The starch was dry in a box & it had to be disolved & mixed thoroughly to get the lumps out. Doilys...Arrrrgh! Lots of those. We had a sprinkling bottle to dampen the clothes. We'd dampen then roll up the item to be ironed. Wait...then unroll. Then iron. The whole process, from washing, hanging, folding, starching, sprinkling, ironing took 2 whole days. Early morning till way after dark. When it was really bad weather we hung laundry in the basement. It was a maze of lines & clothes. If you had to get something from the basement, you had to navigate through wet laundry. This was in the 1950's. There is something about all that...that I think made me stronger & certainly grateful to Whirpool, Matag, GE & all those other great appliance makers. Microwave? Food Processer? Who wouda thunk it? BG Gloria. This message was edited Oct 19, 2006 1:34 PM Magpye NW Qtr, AR (Zone 6a) October 19, 2006 2:25 PM Post #2832275 'Howdy' Gloria ... * A (late), big ol 'hearty' welcome to DG .. to ya! There was a specific term given those poles used to hoist & lower each clothes-line. Was it as simple as, clothesline 'prop' poles -?- (hee) We had to use the props to hoist the lines up real high - or the dogs (especially the energetic mischevious pups) would jump and latch hold of the hanging clothes! Momma'd have a hissy fit, when she saw it happenin' .. Living out on the fringes of town, and by our local/rural airport (some eons) ago - our place became the 'drop off point' for other folks' unwanted critters. Was difficult enuff to feed his own family, but Momma & Daddy could never turn anything away. Many a time, the old cornmeal 'mush' was cooked and fed to everything that breathed! I'd love to be able to find an authentic box of the old brands of powdered starch .. or just the 'box', or the authentic label! Heck, can't even recall the names of any at the moment! Now, that's a pure shame, in itself! Does anyone still use 'blueing'? 'Bout ready to find a reliable source, once more. Bleach is wonderful, but it doesn't keep the whites a 'true white'. After so many 'waRshings' (hee) .. it takes a toll on almost all white or light-colored clothing. Octagon Laundry (bar) Soap, is becoming harder to find also. Momma swore of its value: for cleaning, and the medicinal purposes (treating poison ivy, etc.). It's what was used for the mouth-washing also. I remember a couple of my older brothers using a word or two that Momma didn't approve of. The two never ever uttered any such words any more .. even 'under their breath'. (LOL) Oh my! ((I'm so sorry, anastatia .. I've not meant to run on so)). But, ohhh .. the flow of memories. - Magpye Sarahskeeper Brockton, MA (Zone 6a) October 19, 2006 6:13 PM Post #2832865 This is like 'Memory Lane', lol. I remember the lines in the basement. I thought about Blueing while reading this thread last week, I haven't seen that in a long time. While I was in high school (early 60s) I stocked shelves in dads corner grocery store, Blueing was a slow seller even then. Andy P billyporter Nichols, IA (Zone 5a) October 19, 2006 6:44 PM Post #2832947 My humble sunny clothesline and tiny back yard. Yes, the electric pole really leans that much. I have a box of ARGO gloss laundry starch and a can of Niagra spray. I'm interested in the blueing now. In Kalona, Amish country, they have pully clotheslines that reach to almost the top of their barns, They are always full! I hang out in pretty cold weather, but cold hands are no fun. Love the cold smell tho! Click the image for an enlarged view. anastatia Vancouver, WA (Zone 8a) October 19, 2006 9:43 PM Post #2833543 I remember the 'mangle'. I would help my mother, I was maybe grade school, and do pillow cases. I knew there were people who used it to iron lots of stuff but ours was sheets, pillowcases, hankerchefs. and other flat stuff. If I remember correctly, using it had an impact on the electric bill so it was not pulled out every day.I think clothes on the line says 'home'. Altho I have a friend whose mother was a raging lunatic about how things were hung on the line as tho it reflected on ones character so her memories are not sweet. I too remember the walk thru the basement which had lots of lines full of diapers, my brothers chords on those metal frame things, argyle socks galore, and more. There is a picture in a small picture book of Irish grace (prayers before meals)that has one of a long line full of white sheets in the wind on a hillside. I wish I could find it to frame. gloriabythelake Buffalo, NY (Zone 6a) October 27, 2006 4:19 PM Post #2856506 Yup, ARGO starch. You could buy it in heavy, medium or light. Ma always bought heavy. We could water it down after starching the doilys to whatever consistancy for everything else. There wasn't much we didn't starch. Magpye, I still use blueing. Used up the last bottle 2 wks. ago. I buy it in the supermarket. I haven't seen OCTAGON bar soap in years but I still use FELS NAPTHA. Niagara spray starch is still the best..It doesn't "spit" big globs out. Those poles to hold the line up were just called clothes poles. Once you got about half the line hung with laundry, you put the pole on the line. If you waited 'till the line was full it would be so heavy you couldn't lift it up. Does anybody remember "curtain stretchers"? My aunt used them. they were wooden frames with little nails along the frame spaced about 1" apart. The frames came in various sizes, depending on the size of the curtain to be stretched. The nails were point side out. You would take your (heavily starched, of course) lace curtains, wich were pretty dripping wet and stretch them all along the frame. (the frame was free standing) When the curtains were dry you dappened them, rolled them to distribute the moisture, unrolled, then ironed. It always seemed that Aunt Nellie always had a curtain or 2 on the stretchers. I never thought much about them until my mother bought lace curtains. My whole world changed right then & there. I hated those stretchers .You really had to pull hard to get the last bit of curtain on. If you didn't get the whole thing just right you had to start over. You can get old things (old/new) at The Vermont Country Store. (www.vermontcountrystore.com) eg. Lifebouy soap, Union Suits, old fashioned Christmas lights, perfume (brands from my wasted youth BG). I'm pretty sure I saw hard to find laundry things in their catalogue. Why is it that it seems to me that the women of the generation before me seemed to be always washing or cleaning something? Or cooking? ( I won't go there) Me?...I'm really grateful for SWIFFER. Gloria anastatia Vancouver, WA (Zone 8a) October 27, 2006 4:33 PM Post #2856552 I bet you can still get ARGO starch @ military stores. pepper23 KC Metro area, MO (Zone 5b) October 27, 2006 8:11 PM Post #2857194 SWIFFER Rules!!! I use that like crazy here at home and everyday I wish I had it at work. Yuska San Antonio, TX (Zone 8b) November 1, 2006 10:25 AM Post #2871735 Mother used Faultless starch. It came in a white box with the name in red lettering. It can still be found in a few places. [HYPERLINK@www.faultless.com] The wringer on the washer could be turned by crank to feed the clothes through two tubs of rinse water. (To this day I reset my washer for an extra rinse - one just isn't enough to clear away all the residue from the detergent. And I use 1/2 cup white vinegar for a softener.) Laundry was done on Saturdays so that the family's daughter - me - would be home to help.We worked all day - meals were sandwiches and maybe soup. Clothes were rarely stiff - the wind usually gave them a good shaking. Hanging out and bringing in chores were primarily mine, but even Dad and brothers had to help gather things in when a storm suddenly threatened. Now I live in a subdivision with an HOA and outdoor lines are considered "non-cornforming." My memory is a little foggy about the bluing, but I think it was labelled Mrs. Stewarts... Yuska billyporter Nichols, IA (Zone 5a) November 1, 2006 1:16 PM Post #2872266 No Swiffer here. I use a red car duster! : ) I order from the Vermont Country Catalogue. It has a lot of old fashioned stuff. Fun to look at. It's where I got my weather stick. They work! Magpye NW Qtr, AR (Zone 6a) November 1, 2006 2:17 PM Post #2872425 Yuska .. Sure nuff! That's the name! Mrs Stewarts bluing > [HYPERLINK@www.mrsstewart.com] Well, doggone it .. they just had to have some other goodies available on the site. Now, I know it haint gonna clean nuffin' - but I sure nuff luv that 'Mrs Stewarts' imprinted mouse pad!! Ahh, I'll jes fetch myself an early Christmas present: a stock of bluing AND that 'ticular new mouse pad! .. LOL .. From the original corked hand-blown glass bottles, to the introduction of the plastic bottles with screw caps in the early 1970's. Really interesting, was to find out that the Mrs. Stewart on the label, was really Mr. Stewarts mother-in-law. Some ingenius marketing tactics were implemented in the early 1900's! Oops, ya may want to read it about it, yourselves. Truly wonderful history about Mrs. Stewarts Bluing .. HERE > [HYPERLINK@www.mrsstewart.com] Some super lil diddies about other uses for bluing > [HYPERLINK@www.mrsstewart.com] Gloria .. Thank you so much for the name drop too. Reckon I may oughta go pay a visit, to The Vermont Country Store .. to check their products & prices before I commit anywhere, 'ey! - Magpye billyporter Nichols, IA (Zone 5a) November 1, 2006 2:22 PM Post #2872442 My former neighbor just brought me two boxes of 20 Mule Team Borax. She used it on Creeping Charlie and found it only killed the top growth. Not the roots. I'm using it in the laundry. mmistyrose Benton, KS (Zone 6a) November 3, 2006 2:26 PM Post #2878513 it was pretty neat to see this thread. I had a clothes line when I worked ranches in Wyoming. It was the best!!! The wind there is usually so strong and consistant the clothes - including the jeans - were done in no time and because the wind was blowing so well they weren't stiff like when the clothes just hang there. Usually after I got the 2nd load washed and hung the 1st load was ready to come off the line. The hard part was not having the clothes fly across the yard while taking them down! :-) And the sun and fresh air just made everything wonderful! PeggieK Claremore, OK (Zone 6a) November 4, 2006 11:21 PM Post #2883167 I remember climbing up a clothesline pole as a little girl, only to disturb a nest of Yellow Jackets that had taken up residence in the end of the T. Ouch ! I was stung all over my face and head. It used to be great fun as a kid, to climb them and sit on the cross T. I guess all the kids in my neighborhood were quite acrobatic... we used to hang upside down by our knees from them too. Funny, we wouldn't dream of letting our kids do that nowadays, they might get hurt. The little girls in my neighborhood wore shorts under their dresses so the boys couldn't look at our panties when we climbed. Things sure were different then. Lots of skinned knees and knots on the ole noggin. haha ...ah, the good old days. How did we manage to make it thru childhood ? mgh Willamette Valley, OR (Zone 8a) November 4, 2006 11:29 PM Post #2883200 I wonder the same thing, Peggie. Nowadays some places are trying to make it against the rules to run on the playgrounds at schools. A child might get hurt, you know. LOL PeggieK Claremore, OK (Zone 6a) November 4, 2006 11:32 PM Post #2883211 Years ago, DH pastored a small country church. We were provided a little parsonage house next to the church, and utilities. I was careful to conserve utility costs, so I would hang laundry on the line to save electricity. DH didn't like for me to hang his under shorts out though. Since there were always activities going on over at the church. He just didn't think it proper for the ladies at the Bible Studies to be able to see the preachers' skivies flapping in the breezes during the weekdays. hehe. I love this thread. Reminds us all of simpler times. Sarahskeeper Brockton, MA (Zone 6a) November 5, 2006 9:14 AM Post #2883848 I don't hang my skivvies out either, Peggie. LOL Andy P billyporter Nichols, IA (Zone 5a) November 5, 2006 1:16 PM Post #2884499 Me neither, tho I've come home to mine hanging by a side when DH has done the laundry for me. I think he likes to hear me shriek! PeggieK Claremore, OK (Zone 6a) November 5, 2006 11:00 PM Post #2886153 Funny. billyporter Nichols, IA (Zone 5a) March 4, 2007 2:18 PM Post #3247499 I hung clothes today. It's not the first time this year, just the first pictures of it. Click the image for an enlarged view. Sarahskeeper Brockton, MA (Zone 6a) March 4, 2007 2:47 PM Post #3247574 I thought about it this morning. The ground is too soggy. We are in mud season. I took the line down a couple of months ago. It's an easy set up between a tree and the house. Andy P Magpye NW Qtr, AR (Zone 6a) March 4, 2007 3:03 PM Post #3247626 Ahh, Sal .. you've been soakin' up some serotonin, 'ey?!? A lovely clothesline of sun-dried linens! ('howdy' Andy & Sally) Tis bright sunshine here today - but still got a brisk chill to the air. But, nature is continuing to sport and sprout, in spite of it. Daffys are up with blooms about to open; Tulip leaves are lengthenin'; Peonies are breaking the ground; Viburnum bushes are budding; Hickory buds are about to burst .. and the lil violas are all abloom!! Along with the Eastern Blue birds are busily checking out the re-vamped nest boxes and the wrens are making their routes checkin' on the local coffee houses, to boot! Ahh, somethin's up .. for sure! (lol) ((huggs)) - Magpye This message was edited Mar 4, 2007 2:05 PM billyporter Nichols, IA (Zone 5a) March 4, 2007 3:15 PM Post #3247657 Howdy Do! Sigh, we have this month and April to get thru. Actually my idea for this year, is to make an area for a bench with shelter from the wind, and do just that! Soak up some sun!! Andy, I had my boots on to hang them even tho tennies would do. Much quicker to do the boots. After all, it's the back yard, so who's looking :)) pepper23 KC Metro area, MO (Zone 5b) March 4, 2007 3:50 PM Post #3247728 LOL. I wish we could have a clothes line. But we have too many trees and live on a gravel road. So no line. Sarahskeeper Brockton, MA (Zone 6a) March 4, 2007 4:21 PM Post #3247839 Hi, Magpye! ! Happy Spring. Billy, maybe next week I'll put the line back up. Yes, Spring is darn close. First Crocus. Andy P Click the image for an enlarged view. billyporter Nichols, IA (Zone 5a) March 4, 2007 4:28 PM Post #3247867 Nothing better than smelling cold clothes! Definately worth it! We had the perfect drying breeze today. Only a few towels flipped over. Bettypauze Victoria Harbour, ON (Zone 5b) May 1, 2007 12:44 PM Post #3451893 Had major damage done to back deck in late March re ice-shift...took down clothes line..construction crew in to do repairs and first think I want back is my clothes-line..oh to get into bed with fresh air dried bedding...so cozy..so comfy.. I'm going to throw them on the grass in hopes they dry... anastatia Vancouver, WA (Zone 8a) May 1, 2007 2:12 PM Post #3452193 Betty, I am so glad you chimed in; I was thinking of this thread just this AM. I was reading an article re: clotheslines forbidden in certain gated/ungated communities. Can you imagine? I have such wonderful memories of my babies playing at my feet while hanging clothes on the line in the summer long ago. simple joys! Sarahskeeper Brockton, MA (Zone 6a) May 1, 2007 6:47 PM Post #3453296 I slept on line dried sheets last night. I didn't wake up until 8AM lol Andy P Buddleja North-West England (United Kingdom) (Zone 8a) May 7, 2007 1:05 PM Post #3473016 WHat a great thread. Over hear in England most people have clothes lines - either a line stretched across the garden or a whirlygig - ours is a line. We've never had problems with insects but I always give them a good shake when I take them off the line. Most of our friends don't have dryers - I was amazed to read above that someone's mum got one in the 1950s - my mum didn't even have a washing machine until the 1970s and she still doesn't have a dryer. We have a dryer in our household now but we only use it if it's raining outside - never if it's dry, summer or winter. We also have a airer above the stairs - wooden slats on a pulley. It's great for drying as all the hot air in the house rises and dries the clothes. I keep the windows open up there so not to get damp and mould in the house - it works brilliantly. The biggest annoyance is having the washing out all day in the sun, going to collect the kids from school and for it to start raining before we get home - but then we just take it all in and put it on the airer. darius Appalachian Mtns, VA (Zone 5b) May 7, 2007 3:35 PM Post #3473491 Buddleja. I guess that's kinda like our folding clothes rack set near a woodstove in winter. Buddleja North-West England (United Kingdom) (Zone 8a) May 8, 2007 3:00 AM Post #3474965 Darius, I think you're right. Only trouble for us is our woodburner is in the living room which isn't big enough for a clothes rack as well - but we do keep the living room door open and the hot air goes up the stairs to the airer. Just in case you're interested this type of airer is sometimes called a 'Sheila Maid' - no idea why! red_princess_71 Lilesville, NC (Zone 7b) May 8, 2007 3:56 AM Post #3475076 Well, i have to say that i love hanging my clothes outside to dry...my hubby just made me another one...the last one he did for me 10 yrs ago just gave out and fell apart so this past weekend he went to lowes and got all the stuff and built it for me for Mothers Day next sunday, since he has to work the weekend, i got it early..I just love it. Took him about 3 hrs total to post hole dig the 3 ft. holes, as you can see I have 4 lines and he put a cross section in the middle for me to let my rugs air out. Love it Love it. Char Click the image for an enlarged view. Bettypauze Victoria Harbour, ON (Zone 5b) May 8, 2007 11:34 AM Post #3476388 Still amid renovations , as contractor to put up new pole but he insisted that I best wait until deck has been completed...thought I might even lie clothes on the ground this past weekend as the breeze was wonderful..can't wait.. Buddleja North-West England (United Kingdom) (Zone 8a) May 9, 2007 1:59 AM Post #3478307 About 10 years ago I did voluntary work in West Africa in very rural villages - no running water, no sewerage systems, no electricity but plenty of sunshine. We would wash our clothes in the river like the local women and drap them over the bushes or lay them on the ground to dry like the local women. Even clothes lines cost money so most people there didn't have them. But the washing still smelt great! :-) Give it a try Bettypauze. billyporter Nichols, IA (Zone 5a) May 15, 2007 10:35 AM Post #3499723 Char, that's a wonderful rug dryer!! Bettypauze, a friend of mine laid her diapers right on the grass. Claimed they stayed white that way. Go for it!! CARAT Las Vegas,NV Filber, SC (Zone 7b) May 15, 2007 10:38 PM Post #3502173 My mom didn't get a dryer until sometime in the late 70's. She would rather dry the clothes on the line then waste the power. I still remember having to chase down clothes that had blown away in the winds. The biggest issue here with line drying clothes is the dust and dirt if you live on the outskirts of town. I do remember mom making sure that she would switch from hanging the shirts right side up to upside down and front facing the house to the back facing so the clothes would fade evenly. My best friends father insisted on his jeans being dried on pant stretchers. Perfect creases each time. I plan on getting a pulley clothes line when we move to SC. We unfortunately currently live in one of those areas that don't allow clothes line. Guess they don't want the neighbors airing there laundry in the neighborhood. Love this thread. This message was edited May 15, 2007 9:41 PM GreenAtHeart Franklin Grove, IL (Zone 5a) May 16, 2007 12:00 AM Post #3502381 We line dry our clothes in summer. Here is the rainy day option: Click the image for an enlarged view. darius Appalachian Mtns, VA (Zone 5b) May 16, 2007 1:28 AM Post #3502474 Casey, I'm sure I must have posted above, but too tired to look it up. I love my clothesline, which is one of the first things I did when I moved here last year. The poles were there, I just needed line and turnbuckles to tighten them up. Over winter, I dried clothes inside draped over packing boxes but I hope to find a decent clothes rack to put near my recently installed woodstove. For one, the humidity is good for the house, and secondly, it dries clother rather quickly. Might be tacky looking, but hey, who cares? billyporter Nichols, IA (Zone 5a) May 16, 2007 3:25 PM Post #3504242 I have a screened in porch and my neighbor gave me her metal clothes rack they used at their garage sale. I still use the line DH strung along the rafter too. No picture, but I'll have to take one next rainy day. Caret, your Mom was pretty cool to keep the fading even. I'll never understand why clotheslines are considered eyesores. What a shame. Darius, we would never think it looked tacky :)) darius Appalachian Mtns, VA (Zone 5b) May 16, 2007 3:39 PM Post #3504302 LOL, several of the houses out here in the sticks still have clotheslines. I was thinking more of my tattered gardening clothes looking tacky draped over moving boxes inside during winter. billyporter Nichols, IA (Zone 5a) May 16, 2007 4:09 PM Post #3504430 :)) Sarahskeeper Brockton, MA (Zone 6a) May 18, 2007 8:35 PM Post #3512400 I'm glad the weather has warmed, mud season has passed and the sun is out. Now I can get 3 loads dried on some days. Bettypauze Victoria Harbour, ON (Zone 5b) May 23, 2007 11:45 AM Post #3527280 Hoping that renovations will shortly be completed and that I can have my line back..in the meantime though, I'll follow some of your suggestions...miss that beautiful "Mother Nature" smell...lol Bettypauze Victoria Harbour, ON (Zone 5b) July 4, 2007 11:19 AM Post #3694269 Oh happy days...clothesline up! pepper23 KC Metro area, MO (Zone 5b) July 5, 2007 9:30 PM Post #3701060 Yeah!! Starzz Newcastle, ON (Zone 5a) July 8, 2007 12:39 PM Post #3711081 Wonderful, Betty Now you will be able to hang your sheets outside and smell that fresh air when you crawl into bed.I wanted to do that today..but we are having off and on showers...the garden badly needs it. Cheers, Carol billyporter Nichols, IA (Zone 5a) July 8, 2007 4:30 PM Post #3711764 I washed sheets and put them right back on. Usually I get out another set, but couldn't waste the freshness :)) Sarahskeeper Brockton, MA (Zone 6a) July 8, 2007 7:35 PM Post #3712350 I washed the sheets today, got them dried and in just before the showers came in. Andy P billyporter Nichols, IA (Zone 5a) July 8, 2007 7:38 PM Post #3712370 Good job! swtliljibr Woodland Park, CO August 3, 2007 8:11 PM Post #3815044 I love your thread, I too was raised with a clothesline outside my house. My parents got their first dryer almost 10 years after I moved out. I just recently put one up at my house, and I love it. I was wondering if any of you have a preference of what line to use? When I was growing up all they had was the cotton, now I see that they have plastic, coated wire, and nylon. I am currently using cotton, and have a line tighter to use when it streches out, but was wondering if the other line would work better, I have a pulley system that goes from my house to my shed. Happy hanging, anastatia Vancouver, WA (Zone 8a) August 4, 2007 12:41 PM Post #3816964 I have an umberella style w/ plastic coated wire. It is easy to clean. I wish I had a "line tightener"...wait, I do: DH! Starzz Newcastle, ON (Zone 5a) August 4, 2007 2:18 PM Post #3817207 I have the plastic coated wire on a pulley..it is easy to run a cloth along to clean it. darius Appalachian Mtns, VA (Zone 5b) August 4, 2007 3:01 PM Post #3817324 i have 4 strands of plastic coated wire, strung between 2 'T' poles with a turnbuckle on each wire. like starzz says, easy to clean... and with the turnbuckles, easy to tighten. billyporter Nichols, IA (Zone 5a) August 8, 2007 4:46 PM Post #3833743 Ditto with Darius. Sarahskeeper Brockton, MA (Zone 6a) August 10, 2007 7:59 PM Post #3842378 I have cotton 'sash cord' heavy duty, strung between a tree and a clip on the house. It's easy to take down for extended bad weather. The rain cleans it. bermudakiller Union Grove, AL November 2, 2007 9:20 AM Post #4149870 Hey Guys this is a fun and functional thread, thanks for getting it going. I use line drying except for extended periods of rain, say a week or better. I have found that using line drying, my clothes last longer and stains rarely set. I work outside as a jobbing gardener, my clothes get filthy on a good day. I would have to dispose of work clothers long before they wore out as too stained to wear to work, good for working on the truck and shoveling manure but that's about it, If they are stained, I just run them through the washer again and they usually come clean. Now they usually start to fall apart before I get rid of them, knees in particular go first. I do turn shirts and shorts inside out, to slow fading and for the pockets to dry faster,it is more trouble than it is worth on jeans and overalls. I do have to be careful of insects and bird dropping, but on the whole prefer the look and feel of line dried clothes over those done in the dryer, except for the occasional piece of silk, that is much more satisfactory in a dryer, doesn't wrinkle at all, straight from the dryer to the hanger, better than perma press. And no I don't hang out my skivies, they dry just fine in the bathroom. Sarahskeeper Brockton, MA (Zone 6a) November 2, 2007 10:43 PM Post #4152417 I read an article in the paper this week expounding the benefits of line drying. Did you know that the sun's ultraviolet rays help bleach out stains? Clothes last longer because they don't get banged around in the tumble dryer. Plus it saves energy, about $50 per year per household. Andy P anastatia Vancouver, WA (Zone 8a) November 3, 2007 11:15 AM Post #4153569 A chicken in every pot and a clothesline in every back yard! bermudakiller Union Grove, AL November 4, 2007 1:53 PM Post #4157030 But please no chickens on the clothesline, lol. Finally got rid of the last of the chickens in Aug. and was I ever glad to see them go, had enough of the stupid, stupid things and tired of losing plants. Forgot to mention earlier, for those with allergies, if you get your clothes up after 4:00 PM and bring them in before 10:00 AM there is very little pollen on them. Usually overnight is dry for me by 7 or so. But in those heavy periods, here it is sugar maple and pine, ya might want to use the dryer. billyporter Nichols, IA (Zone 5a) November 7, 2007 4:24 PM Post #4168446 Did someone say chicken :)) Click the image for an enlarged view. Dyson Moneta, VA (Zone 7a) November 7, 2007 4:26 PM Post #4168491 Dinner! billyporter Nichols, IA (Zone 5a) November 7, 2007 4:35 PM Post #4168524 It was, for a couple of days! pepper23 KC Metro area, MO (Zone 5b) November 7, 2007 9:29 PM Post #4169458 LOL. I need to scan my pics of my chickens. Now where did those pics go... anastatia Vancouver, WA (Zone 8a) November 9, 2007 6:24 PM Post #4176577 Please do! pepper23 KC Metro area, MO (Zone 5b) November 12, 2007 9:35 PM Post #4187148 Reminder to self...find pics and scan them!! lol Dyson Moneta, VA (Zone 7a) November 12, 2007 9:41 PM Post #4187172 If you can not find the pics, can you scan the chickens? pepper23 KC Metro area, MO (Zone 5b) November 12, 2007 9:44 PM Post #4187186 LOL. I don't have the chickens anymore. Last one died 3 yrs ago if I remember correctly. I was so happy to have them gone and to have the yard back. Plus we no longer had to worry about hawks and my neighbor's dogs. I should find the pics tomorrow. I remember now where they are. billyporter Nichols, IA (Zone 5a) November 15, 2007 3:05 PM Post #4196477 It's cold and windy, but I've got a load of towels on the line right now. I hung some out the other day. The wind was in the north. Burn barrel is north of the clothesline. All towels smell of hickory smoke :(( bermudakiller Union Grove, AL November 15, 2007 6:29 PM Post #4197230 I do hate putting wet clothes on the line when it is cold and windy, when it is real bad I'll put on some of those cheap vinyl gloves and that helps and for 2 cents, well worth it, lol. about time to put another load on, bbrr but not real bad, wind chill is only about 34 but i am a wuzz about cold. Sorry about the smoke Billy, at least it is hickory and something worse. billyporter Nichols, IA (Zone 5a) November 15, 2007 6:39 PM Post #4197259 Yes! It's the first time I've ever ''smoked myself.'' If the clothes had been real wet I would have had to rewash them. pepper23 KC Metro area, MO (Zone 5b) November 15, 2007 10:10 PM Post #4198094 Cluck Cluck Click the image for an enlarged view. billyporter Nichols, IA (Zone 5a) November 15, 2007 10:13 PM Post #4198112 Well he's a pretty one! pepper23 KC Metro area, MO (Zone 5b) November 15, 2007 10:20 PM Post #4198149 LOL. One of 3 that I had at one time. My chickens were gorgeous when they were young like that. I actually had people slowing down and stopping to admire the chickens. It was pretty cool. But it only lasted a year. lol. Between all the roosters the hens lost alot of feathers and never really got them back in certain places. billyporter Nichols, IA (Zone 5a) November 15, 2007 10:28 PM Post #4198187 I hear ya. That can be pretty unattactive :)) bermudakiller Union Grove, AL December 3, 2007 8:03 AM Post #4256484 I have a question, I got home late yesterday and discovered that the wind had shifted to the southeast while i was gone, storm front on it's way, and stank, either a new chicken house, I sure hope not, or some fields had been manured from a chicken house upwind, better as only a month or 2 of reek,. I was sure I'd have to rewash both loads that were on the line as the smell was pretty strong, but as I gathered them in I was suprised to find they smelled fresher than the air and when they were inside, no trace of chicken at all. They were merely damp, but a little too damp to bring in when i left for work. My best guess is that they dried before the wind shifted,but that is only a guess. Does dry cotton, these were all cotton linens absorb fewer odors than wet or damp? One load was a heavy bleach, double rinsed, the other, no bleach, and they both smelled the same. Any ideas? anastatia Vancouver, WA (Zone 8a) December 5, 2007 3:18 PM Post #4264717 I would not think outside moving air, even if down-river, would leave a scent on the laundry. Unless the clothes line is inside the chicken coop. Sarahskeeper Brockton, MA (Zone 6a) December 22, 2007 5:25 PM Post #4320218 I don't think I will be using my clothes line for a while. Andy P Click the image for an enlarged view. pepper23 KC Metro area, MO (Zone 5b) December 23, 2007 9:31 PM Post #4323170 Looks pretty much the same here. :~) Tigertail Riverside, TX March 17, 2008 3:50 AM Post #4673556 I found a parallel line "Umbrella" type clothesline that folds up at TheClotheslineShop.com - for $99 - free shipping, and it has 246 feet of line space- I can hang 4 loads of clothes at a time! Also, I live in a rural subdivision that has a restriction AGAINST clotheslines - HaHa! I found a way around it - I bought some of that 6ft. tall reed looking stuff (it comes in a roll) for privacy, at the garden store (Home Depot), and fastened it to my chain link fence around the fenced part of my back yard. I got some of that green plastic mesh/screen that they sell by the yard in the lawn & garden section. I made a covering for the top - like a regular Sun Umbrella - it lets the sun in, keeps out the Bird Poop, and prevents stains from falling stuff from trees, and probably the bugs too -( I haven't any bugs in/on my clothes since I did this), and it has 4 side panels that hang down about 4 feet and attach to the top Umbrella edge, w/velcro tape. I only use the side panels when I actually have clothes on the line. The rest of the time just the Umbrella type top is on - giving the impression of a regular Sun Umbrella. I also got a couple of those things that fold one way for a bench and fold the other way for half a picnic table. I put them in the table position and push them together - one on each side of the clothesline post - giving the impression from a distance of a regular picnic table with a center pole umbrella, when the clothesline is not in use. I also use them as a table to sort and fold my clothes on when I take my clothes down, then everything is ready to put away when I get inside! Three years I have used this system, and no one has ever guessed that I have a clothesline! I have found this type of line from $40 all the way up to several hundred dollars! As for the chrome folding racks - they were only $38 online, I don't remember where. I hang whenever I can, first it gets me out of the house and I get to enjoy my yard and the view of the lake - I am right ON the lake (Southern Texas) and I get to watch the ducks and geese playing in the water along with the fish jumping out of the water - all while I hang my clothes. Sometimes I have breakfast with my 6 year old, picnic style outside, then hang clothes, and then we do our schoolwork while the clothes dry - we homeschool. Then we take down the clothes have lunch and it is time to whatever we want. I have found that I save around $45 a month on my electric bill, by line drying my clothes - that is $540 a year! I use that money for Christmas! What a winner, Huh? billyporter Nichols, IA (Zone 5a) March 17, 2008 4:27 PM Post #4675476 Wow! I love how you got around the restriction too! Good for you! red_princess_71 Lilesville, NC (Zone 7b) March 17, 2008 4:44 PM Post #4675543 Tigertail, I would love to see a pic of this contraption if you possible can take one...it sounds quite interesting. Char Sarahskeeper Brockton, MA (Zone 6a) March 18, 2008 11:44 PM Post #4681126 Sounds good Tigertail. I've started line drying drying my linen anain. Nic0le Glenham, NY March 27, 2008 4:16 PM Post #4718058 Tigertail, Thank you for your very interesting post. I love your ideas, What creativity! I agree with red_princess_71, I would love to see your creation. Thanks, billyporter Nichols, IA (Zone 5a) March 27, 2008 4:46 PM Post #4718154 I'd like to see a picture of yours too. My daughter has a U-shaped movable clothesline. It has two lines and is about 15' long I think. It's heavy.