Clothesline question

[Mrs-Mama]

Does anyone have an umbrella-style clothesline like the one on this page? It looks very appealing to me since we don't have a whole lot of room and we could store it when we're not using it.

However, I'm used to the big long clotheslines stretched between to T-poles. I usually don't do more than one load of laundry per day, so space shouldn't be an issue, but what about drying sheets? I assume you have to double them over, but since they're so thin, they still dry quickly, right?

Also, how far apart are the lines spaced?

TIA! I wanted to get a clothesline last summer, just never got around to it, but thanks to a rate increase from the power company planned for this summer, I now have a real reason to do it (other than saving energy and being green, of course).

[Yo Becca]

Do you think there is enough space between the lines? that would be my only concern. We have the T-bars.

[annethcz]

I used to have an umbrella style clothesline, and I liked it. I will warn you that they break when kids climb on them

I found that I could hang 2-3 loads of laundry on the line if I hung clothes on every line. When I did this, it took longer to dry than if I spaced the clothes out and hung them on every other line. I don't have this clothesline anymore, but IIRC, the lines were about 3 inches apart.

As for drying bedsheets, I'd pin one end of the sheet to the outermost line and pin the other end of the sheet to the 3rd or 4th line from the outside. This way the sheet doesn't fold over on itself, but doesn't drag on the ground.

FWIW, I never folded up my clothesline to store it, it seemed like such a PITB. I was afraid that the lines would get tangled up with the metal rods.

[Justmee]

My grandmother had one of those, the clothes dried fine on it. If you hang every other line they will dry faster, but in the summer it's not so much of an issue anyway. I line dry and I try to start teh machine at night before I go to bed, and hang it out first thing so it can dry before the heat of the sun (when it will dry like boards). Or I do the oppisite and start the machine later in the day and hang out at night. Or both if I have a lot of laundry to do.

[Mrs-Mama]

Originally Posted by Yo Becca

Do you think there is enough space between the lines? that would be my only concern. We have the T-bars.

Yes, that was my concern as well. But, I usually only do one or two loads at a time, so I figured I could spread everything out to dry faster.

Originally Posted by annethcz

FWIW, I never folded up my clothesline to store it, it seemed like such a PITB. I was afraid that the lines would get tangled up with the metal rods.

Oh really? I wasn't thinking about doing it on an everyday basis, but honestly I don't see myself using it much in the winter, so I thought maybe then we could store it. Guess we'll have to play that one by ear. Thanks for the info, though!

[Mrs-Mama]

We've decided to go with the old-fashion kind. We bought one post and we'll connect the other end to the house. I can't wait to get it up and ready to use! I washed diapers last night and hung them on a retractable line in the garage and on a drying rack in the house. The pockets and covers were dry this morning, and I tossed the barely-damp prefolds in the dryer for 15 minutes to fluff them and finish drying...much better than the 60ish minutes it used to take to dry them

Can't wait to see the savings on our electric bill this summer!

[hedgewitch]

Top tip - freeze your diapers in winter. It makes them all soft when you've dried them in the dryer. I left mine out overnight and the following day. They were shiny and white!

I love outside drying, things get much nicer and fresher.

[mauiwith3]

other ways to dry clothes

Well I love to hear about others drying clothing on lines. You may get jealous but I live in hawaii and dry all my clothing bedding and diapers in the sun all year long. But with 4 kiddos I do run out of line space so I use the trampoline for comfortors (just lay them out on top) and my fence for rugs and bedding.
I have chain link fence and on my deck wood railing and things dry really fast.
I also just hang my nice clothing that go in the closet while wet on hangers and hang it in my hallway I think it is a shower curtain rod that can expand but for small showers and if I open the windows in the house things dry even better. Also you get to smell the clean laundry in your home.
P.S I just love to hang a few loads of laundry and look back right before I go inside and say "nice Job" Free drying.

[Peppermint Poppies]

I have an umbrella-style clotheslines like this and I have no problems drying sheets doubled over, sometimes even quadrupled over. I do live in hot climate though.

Depending on how many loads I've done, I usually hang things on every second line and they dry in a matter of hours.

[Rebecca]

I had an umbrella dryer at our old house and LOVED it. I could get an entire load on each side if I tried hard, and it didn't take any longer than when I had a spiderweb of clotheline between trees. It was in the sun and I'd rotate it now and then if it wasn't very breezy. I threw big stuff over the top. Oh, get some Great Stuff expandable foam to put in the hollow pipes unless you enjoy hornets nesting in there.

[Mrs-Mama]

We ended up going with a post with lines stretched between it and the house. There's a little bit of sag b/c the post isnt' concreted in the ground yet. Here are some pictures if anyone cares

Clothesline 1
Clothesline 2

[punkrawkmama27]

When we moved into our house, the people before us had the t-bars and there were hooks on it for the line to wrap around at least 5 times. I can fit 3 good sized loads out on it! Maybe try that. It doesnt take up much room at all, maybe 2 feet.

[marlyninla]

We have this:

http://www.urbanclotheslines.com/product/ADDALINE33

and I LOVE it!

[enkmom]

PSA for anyone considering an umbrella clothesline - do not take it down for the winter! As you feared, the lines get hopelessly tangled in the metal, and it was less aggravation to buy a new one than untangle the gigantic mess.

I only paid about $40 for mine at Home Depot, and it is going into it's 5th year, so umbrella clotheslines get a thumbs up from me. I like the traditional style, too, but I didn't have an out of the way place in my yard to stretch the lines and have the kids play at the same time.

[tree_hugger]

I'm lucky that I live in an area that is warm enough to line dry most of the year.

Almost every house I know has one of these in the backyard:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...8/DSCF6134.jpg

I also have this out the front under my deck, for the overflow:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...8/DSCF6136.jpg