Around the turn of the twentieth century, clotheslines were used extensively in major cities, strung between buildings and filling rooftops. Install a clothesline to dry your clothes naturally—and for free! A clothesline is a very simple way to reduce your energy use and lower your budget. We've seen an average savings of $50 per month on our electric bill. ![]() The clothesline that hangs on a rotary clothes dryer is meant to be taut enough to hold up heavy, wet clothing and allow it to dry. Over time, the weight of the. Tel: 1-800-866-6082, Fax 1- 705-725-9151, www.solardryingsystems.com WRIGHT ALUMINUM LIMITED SPECIALISTS IN ALUMINUM/ ZINC CASTING AND METAL FABRICATION. Setting Up a Clothesline . We all need to have clean clothes and there's no doubt that modern washing machines and clothes dryers are a convenient way to have them, but at what cost? Now, no one wants to go back to boiling clothes in a cauldron or beating them on rocks down by the river, but the idea of an old- fashioned clothesline is well worth considering. A clothesline will save you money, is kind to the environment, and as an added bonus, will actually make your dry clothes smell as fresh as the outdoors. Installing a clothesline isn’t difficult; in fact, it's a good weekend project. Follow these steps to get clothes smelling like fresh spring air—the natural way. Step 1 - Determine What Kind of Clothesline You Want. Your choice of clothesline will probably depend on how much space you have in your yard, as well as your opinion of the . The old cross bar . You might also want to consider installing an umbrella clothesline that folds up when it's not in use. How To Install A Clothesline Elevator Video![]() A major benefit of an umbrella clothesline is you can remove it from your yard whenever, so you don’t have to look at it every day. Step 2 - Decide Where to Put It. It's best to place your clothesline away from trees and overhanging wires if possible. Also try to keep it away from walking or gardening areas and where kids or pets run around so clothes will not be knocked off the clothesline and into the dirt. Step 3 - Dig a Hole (or Two)No matter what type of clothesline you install, you're going to have to dig a hole. But before you pick up your shovel, have your local utilities (phone, cable, power, water, and gas company) come out and mark the location of their facilities for safety reasons. A “T post. If you live in an area where the ground freezes in winter, dig down below the frost line—three feet should be enough even in the coldest climates. It’s also a good idea to try to make the bottom of the hole slightly wider than the top. This helps to prevent any movement of the base when frost leaves the ground. Step 4 - Prep the Holes. Since clotheslines need to support a lot of weight, you’ll need to set your posts in cement. The easiest way is to use fence post cement that you just pour into the hole with water. Note that if your soil is dry it will literally suck water out of the concrete, so spraying the hole with water before putting in any concrete. Fill the hole about a third of the way with cement and add water. Step 5 - Set the Posts. Stand your post in the center of the hole and then fill the rest of the hole with cement. While it's best to use pressure treated wood for the poles and cross pieces, cedar or redwood also resist the elements and give a more natural appearance. Use a level to ensure your post is straight before you stake it in place and let the cement dry for a day. Note: If you want your umbrella dryer to be removable, you will need a piece of plastic pipe slightly wider than the base pole. Cover one end of the tube and then stand it in the cement- filled hole, making sure the plastic tube sticks well up out of the ground so you can straighten it. Once the cement has set up, you can cut the tube off at ground level. Step 6 - Install the Line. The next day after the cement has set, install your clothesline pulleys and the line itself. Try to position the lines so they’re no more than two or three inches above the head of the person who will use it most. At that height, they won't have to continually stretch above their head to place and retrieve clothes. After running your lines, don't forget to install a tightener (a metal bracket that fits between the lines and keeps them taut) so clothes won't drag on the ground. Installing a Clothesline - The Not So Modern Housewife. With summer approaching, many of you are probably looking forward to the long, sunshine filled days ahead. That sunshine can do more than just warm our skin and give us our daily doses of vitamin D. It can also dry and sanitize our laundry. A clothesline is a very simple way to reduce your energy use and lower your budget. We’ve seen an average savings of $5. Granted, we’re not hanging every load of laundry out to dry because of either weather or time constraints, but it has certainly offered us a significant savings. Since we live in the woods, our property is limited to only a couple of spots of full sunlight. One of them is in the front yard, and while our house sits back from the road by a couple hundred feet, I don’t want everyone who pulls in our driveway to get a peek at my drawers. That leave me with the area immediately behind the house. This actually works well for me because my washer and dryer are just inside the back door. I chose to set up a clothesline on two pulleys for two reasons. First of all, I’m short and any laundry hung at my eye level would almost certainly result in it draping the ground. With the pulley system, I can have one end at my level and the other end much higher so my laundry is well above ground level. Second of all, I have a very active toddler who doesn’t allow me a lot of time to hang laundry. My setup allows me to stand on the steps at the back door, keep the laundry basket on a stool (so I don’t have to keep bending over) and my clothespins next to my laundry basket and hang my laundry from one stationary position. It makes the whole process go a lot faster, plus I’m not carrying a heavy laundry basket full of wet laundry all over the back yard. The only negative aspect to this method is that I can usually only hang one large load of laundry at a time. Here is what I would recommend for a ~1. I’ve actually found the plastic ones to be more reliable than the metal)2 hooks. First of all, determine where you will hang your pulleys. I recommend placing a clothesline separator between clothing items every 1. This will vary depending on how wet the laundry is. Towels and jeans will need separators closer together than diapers and t- shirts. Also, I always try to fold some of the fabric over the clothesline before pinning it. This will give the fabric a better grip on the clothesline and prevent it from falling to the ground when the wind blows.
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