Using an electric clothes dryer apparently consumes 10-15% of household energy. So why not switch (when possible) to the most retro of drying machines: A clothes line. I actually picked up an old clothesline last year at a tag sale. If you want more instant (and non-rusty) gratification, I’ve also found a terrific website to find all makes and models of clotheslines and clothes drying accessories, for use both indoors and outdoors: Project Laundry List. The group that runs the site is a non-profit, and it’s hosting “National Hanging Out Day” on Sunday. So have a great and green time — hanging out!
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{ 20 comments… read them below or add one }
The True Value hardware stores around St. Louis seem to stock stuff like this almost without fail. I guess there average shopper is probably a little older and still asks for things like this.
Chris.
What about OUR Hills Hoist?WE came up with the designe
Will be hanging out the laundry this saturday – thankfully my house still had its clotheline out back – didn’t every house have a clothesline at one time? What happened? Forget the “green” aspect – its just better!
Our local hometown hardware store, Fresno Ag, sells these too! I noticed them off in a far corner when I was there the other day. I really need to go visit when I have time to go look around the entire store, as they have lots of goodies you can’t find anywhere else.
I’ve been washing my families clothes using a wringer washer and hanging to dry for a little over a year now. It’s definitely the way to go when it’s dry outside, but I’ve gotten so tired of running into wet laundry every time i need to cross our basement on rainy days that I’m actually in the process of breaking down and getting a washer/dryer combo just for rainy day use.
of course it’s a 1953 bendix duomatic.
When the weather’s nice, though, I’m still out in the back yard hanging my laundry and making the neighborhood smell of lavender and fels naptha.
also, lowe’s sells a nice retractable line that may or may not be period appropriate, but they sure are nice to have when you want a bbq without all the extra “duck”
Man, it’s so hard to find a line that doesn’t sag after a few uses. What ever happened to plastic coated wire!
Thanks for the resource, Pam! This is one of those things I’ve been meaning to try, given that we’ve got pretty great weather here in SoCal
It’s still really common in the UK to line dry, I’m really surprised to find out that it’s not in the US. In fact not everyone has a dryer – my mum doesn’t. I don’t line dry at the moment cos I don’t have a line, but am getting one soon. Let’s just say that winter in the UK is not the time for line drying…!!
FYI…when I went to Fresno Ag Hardware the other day I took the time to look around. They have all sorts of retro goodies. I was able to find a metal Sunbeam paper towel holder for around $4! (Which was exactly what I was looking for.) They also had a large canning supply section, including decorative giant size Ball canning jars. (Giant as in two feet tall.) These things might be available online somewhere, but I love the convenience of being able to touch and look at stuff before I buy it.
We just purchased an old house and retro’d it to the 40’s era. Fortunately for me, one of the greatest assets that came with the house was our umbrella-style clothesline. It can hold 2-1/2 loads of laundry and it works great, spinning freely with the slightest breeze. I love this thing!
Vermont Country Store has a nice one and accessories.
my new(ly bought) house still had it’s clothesline t-bars up. they were in very nice shape, too. almost all the older houses in my area have theirs still, but a lot of them are falling down and need to be re-sunk. i only had to run a new line – other than its being the rainy season now, it has been amazing!
as for sagging, you can get clothesline tighteners online (or perhaps at a local hardware store, as some folks have mentioned) for a pretty reasonable price.
Does anyone know of a retractable style clothesline that you can use on a porch? Not the pulley type…but where the cord pulls out from a housing.
Femme1 – I could not put the above ‘vintage type’ of clothesline in because my yard was too small. I was looking for a good retractable line, but I wanted it to be really long and could not find anything to suit my needs. I know this will sound a bit odd, but my husband suggested he install a small metal tow winch to one end of our patio and an eye hook to the other end. We wound a lot of clothes line rope around the winch and tied a little hook clasp to the end of the rope to hook on the eye hook. It has really worked out fantastically. You can retract in when not in use and you can change the rope if the rope gets messed up. You can also have as much or as little tension that you want to. It is not retro/vintage looking, but definitely gets the job done. Good Luck!
Here is a link the to T600 Tow Winch we used.
http://shop.easternmarine.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=catalog.prodInfo&productID=4772
I am always amused and encouraged hearing about how “retro” it is to have a clothes line. Here in Australia about the only people who don’t have them are those who live in apartments. The one illustrated is the same design as the Australian Hills Hoist, as mentioned by Pug Freak. They are the best, and the arms fold down when it needs to go out of the way. I’ve even seen them used as party umbrellas by putting a canvas tarp over them for entertaining. I have a model just like this in my yard and never think to attribute any retro value you to it, as it is just the same as the ones seen in almost every backyard here.
Score one for instant retro living then!
SK mama, you wouldn’t believe it, but here in the U.S., there are many subdivisions (housing developments) that have rules so you CAN’T have a clothesline in your yard, even if you want one. Apparently to some people, it is a messy and unsightly to have your clothes flapping in the wind!
I saw a box of them at lowes a week or two ago. I think this is the time of year to look (while people are happy that’s it’s warm not annoyed that it’s hot). I ordered mine from ace hardware a few years ago. It is so so so much better than a regular clothesline. It probably takes me a third of the time to hang out a load of laundry then it did when I was using a regular clothesline.
I’m with Pugfreek! The good ‘ol Australian Hills Hoist, we have one in our yard & with 4 children & hubby, the amount of washing that gets done, the washing line is constantly adorned & is well loved! See here for the history http://www.hills.com.au/arbitrage/pages/48 & story of the Hills Hoist>
Oh, thats rubbish! We got rid of ours.
That is very cool, vacation barbie! here and there you do find stores with new old stock!