Where to put a clothesline?

[carriede]

DH and I are ready to put a clothesline in our backyard. We live in Middle GA, so the sun and heat can be INTENSE in the summer.

 

We live on a corner lot, and we have a small, 3.5 foot fence. There's no good way to completely hide our clothing. I would like to put the line in the shade so our clothes won't get scorched/bleached. DH would like to put it where it is less visible, which happens to be where there is very minimal shade.

 

I don't really care if cars can see our clothes from the road. No one has to stop in front of our house, so it'd just be a quick drive by anyway.

 

Do you think the shade issue is valid? Where have ya'll put your clotheslines?

[TeenagerMom]

I put mine in the sun. In the shade, if there is no breeze, it takes FOREVER for the clothes to dry. In the sun and heat of the summer, my clothes are generally dry in 30 minutes. I just immediately pull them off the line so there aren't any fading issues.

[bolt.]

I think the shade issue is more important that the privacy issue.

 

But, it matters how intensely your DH feels. Does a hanging line make him feel exposed (his underwear, etc)? Sloppy (the house looks untidy and cluttered on the extirior)? Poor / trashy? (Some of those feelings can be intense.)

[fairfarmhand]

I put mine in the sun. In the shade, if there is no breeze, it takes FOREVER for the clothes to dry. In the sun and heat of the summer, my clothes are generally dry in 30 minutes. I just immediately pull them off the line so there aren't any fading issues.

 

yup. me too!

 

I think the shade issue is more important that the privacy issue.

 

But, it matters how intensely your DH feels. Does a hanging line make him feel exposed (his underwear, etc)? Sloppy (the house looks untidy and cluttered on the extirior)? Poor / trashy? (Some of those feelings can be intense.)

 

my dh feels the same way about clotheslines. So it is my deal. He won't hang the clothesline, nor will he take it down. He hates the way it looks, but can stand it because it helps significantly with our power bill.

[carriede]

DH is totally on board with having the clothesline, we're just trying to decide where to put it. :)

[saraha]

I think the shade issue is more important that the privacy issue.

 

But, it matters how intensely your DH feels. Does a hanging line make him feel exposed (his underwear, etc)? Sloppy (the house looks untidy and cluttered on the extirior)? Poor / trashy? (Some of those feelings can be intense.)

 

My husband feels like this, so he put my clothes line a hike from the house so it isn't as visible. It drives me crazy, but now I look at it as free exercise, and when he is around in the evening he hears "Hey honey...will you walk out and take the clothes down?"

[SpecialClassical]

Well, one thing about putting it in the shade is that the clothes will be more likely to be soiled by birds.

[J-rap]

I would put it where it's most out of the way. We have a clothes line, but since our yard is small, I didn't want it as an obstacle right in the middle, but more off to the side so the kids had room to play without the laundry getting in the way. That's probably what I would base it on: where is it most out of the way from activity? I would also prefer it in the sunshine because it dries so much faster! And, I figure the sun's heat can kill germs in it. But, I usually just line dry sheets, towels, etc., so I don't worry about bleaching from the sun.

[KungFuPanda]

I have to agree with your husband. Sun AND privacy seems like the clear win to me. I had a clothesline when I lived in GA, I could dry clothes faster outside than I could in a dryer since the line held multiple loads.

 

If you bring them in when they're dry and don't let them bake all day, they won't get bleached.

[elfgivas]

what is your climate like? in australia, we had a clothesline under the eaves of the house. the air was so dry, clothes would dry anywhere, and it was tidy and out of sight.

here in the high desert, it is more important to have the clothes blocked from where the wind can blow dust on them, so it is behind our house (which blocks the prevailing winds).

it is in full sun, so i hang clothes inside out to avoid fading.

in spain, germany and england, where we were was quite humid. it took clothes forever to dry, so anything that involved evaporation counted.

in canada, i used to hang clothes out in all weather. they would thaw and be dry when i brought them in in the winter.

 

all that said, because i live with teenage girls who are somewhat bashful, we dry all undies inside.

i also try and have everything down and put away before we leave for dance/music each evening. this is because i don't want to have to do it when i get home, but it has the added benefit that folks coming home from work in the evening don't see our laundry.

 

hth,

ann

[carriede]

Lots to think about, thank you!

 

I definitely hadn't thought about the birds. :/

 

I guess my biggest fear about the sun is leaving it out too long because I *can't* get to it in a timely manner. I guess that's what a kitchen timer is for? ;)

[In The Great White North]

I put ours on the covered porch. It is mostly in the shade, however, I don't have to worry about not being home to take it down when it starts to rain.

[Amy in TX]

I put ours on the covered porch. It is mostly in the shade, however, I don't have to worry about not being home to take it down when it starts to rain.

 

 

Me too. It's both rainy and windy here in the summer, and I have to leave the house frequently, so sometimes laundry stays on the line while I'm not home. I string lines from hooks in the posts of our covered pergola on the patio. All the clothes are under shelter, so the frequent rains don't matter. It's so hot and windy that even in the shade, most things dry in 20-30 min.

[Rosie_0801]

Turn your clothes inside out. It doesn't matter if the inside fades. :)

[plansrme]

I feel like I spent half of my childhood hauling clothes to and from the clothesline. This conversation brings back so many memories for me. The smell of the dry clothes, the rhythm of pinning them, sliding the pins down, unpinning and dropping in the basket. The weathered clothespins that bear no resemblance to the pristine wood of the few I have around to clip potato chip bags.

 

I haven't done any of those things in over 20 years.

 

Sorry, carry on...

[West Coast Mom]

Our clothesline is in the garage. It is out of the way and I don't have to worry about the elements or bugs.

[Pod's mum]

We have lines under a huge verandha at the house. One of the bonuses is that as it gets air flow but not WIND I don't have to use pegs, we can just hang them across the line. Especially good for getting kids to hang the load.

Sun is much quicker if you want to do multiple loads.

Lately we also use the sheep fencing with good pegs on the windy hill we frequent.

Very rustic looking.

Wind dries less wrinkled than still by the way.

[carriede]

Turn your clothes inside out. It doesn't matter if the inside fades. :)

 

Nice tip, thanks!

[carriede]

I think we're gonna go with more sun/less visibility. Thanks for all your replies!

[xixstar]

I think this thread gave me the motivation to start using our covered balcony more. It even has a clothes line on it (usually use it for drying herbs)-- I'd been whining about not finding the best location outside to put up a long line clothes line (versus that umbrella like one we have that I hate).

[TeenagerMom]

I think this thread gave me the motivation to start using our covered balcony more. It even has a clothes line on it (usually use it for drying herbs)-- I'd been whining about not finding the best location outside to put up a long line clothes line (versus that umbrella like one we have that I hate).

 

 

I love, love, love my umbrella line. I can collapse it and remove it from the buried pole when it's not in use and it holds SO many clothes (like 6-8 loads worth).

[Luckymama]

After using a long line for years, I greatly prefer my umbrella! Dh rigged up a PVC pole strapped to the corner of our deck railing. When I want to hang wash, I slide the post of the umbrella line into the PVC and pop the umbrella open. I put the umbrella away in the garage when not in use :)

 

We're technically not supposed to have a clothesline in our neighborhood. Our next door neighbors can't see our deck and we don't have any rear neighbors :D

[Melissa in Australia]

I would go for sun. My cloths line use to be in the sun but 2 trees have grown. it no longer gets sun and most of the wind is cut out by one of the trees.

we re going to shift the whole thing to the other side of the house so it can be in the sun again.

I hang lots of things inside out so they don't fade.

[Mango]

Which site has fewer steps from the door, that's my criteria.

 

Right now mine has me negotiating stairs twice and then a hike around the side of the house to the back. What a pain.

 

It's partly in the shade, depending on what time of day I hang stuff.

[Rosie_0801]

In high summer where I used to live, I hung whites, underwear and bedding during the day and the clothes that would fade at night.

[Catwoman]

If your neighborhood has an HOA, check to be sure you're allowed to hang a clothesline. Some neighborhoods prohibit them.

[carriede]

If your neighborhood has an HOA, check to be sure you're allowed to hang a clothesline. Some neighborhoods prohibit them.

 

 

We don't have a HOA, so I called the county to double check the laws and the guy said "welll why not?" I wasn't very confident with that answer. :/ I should call again...