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Cleaning Up:  Using a clothesline  |
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BlueApple
True Blue Farmgirl
430 Posts
Julia
Oregon
USA
430 Posts |
 Posted - Aug 30 2005 : 11:10:58 AM
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Reading through these posts I'm reminded of the days my mom hung our laundry - loved playing through the hanging sheets! Definitely going to Home Depot now! 
Julia
BlueApple Farm |
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LJRphoto
True Blue Farmgirl
760 Posts
Laura
Hickory Corners
MI
USA
760 Posts |
Posted - Aug 30 2005 : 11:25:26 AM
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My clothesline is up! Tomorrow I will hang out my sheets, I can't wait to sleep on them.
"Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it's time to pause and reflect." -Mark Twain
http://ljrenterprises.blogspot.com/ |
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Julia
True Blue Farmgirl
1949 Posts
Julia
Shelton
WA
USA
1949 Posts |
Posted - Aug 30 2005 : 5:14:25 PM
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I don't look forward to the end of the line drying either. Being in the NW with our rain hanging out the clothes doesn't work, unless I hang them in the rain and dry them inside, hmmm?
"The gloom of the world is but a shadow; behind it, yet within our reach is joy. Take joy!" Fr.Giovanni |
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FloralSaucer
True Blue Farmgirl
156 Posts
Australia
156 Posts |
Posted - Aug 30 2005 : 5:36:57 PM
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| I have been in a new/old house for 18 months, and this year, (it is spring tomorrow here) I noticed how many fogs we really do have, they clear well after lunch. A few hours away at our old house you could hang clothes out in winter if it wasn't raining, and if it was early they would dry well. |
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greyghost
True Blue Farmgirl
650 Posts
Lynn
Summerville
Georgia
USA
650 Posts |
Posted - Aug 31 2005 : 07:02:18 AM
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| I'm trying to design my yard so the clothesline is bordered on one side with tons of lavender plants. Still need the clothesline made, and the plants, but I'll get there. |
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Park Avenue
True Blue Farmgirl
57 Posts
Michele
Paradise Valley
Alberta
Canada
57 Posts |
Posted - Sep 13 2005 : 06:42:20 AM
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It saddens me that summer is almost over...at least here in Alberta. Had frost last night.
I miss my clothes line so badly in the winter. But where it is, i would have to trudge across the yard in a foot of snow, just to get to it ( here to hoping we get snow!).
Michele |
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lonestargal
True Blue Farmgirl
607 Posts
Kristi
Texas
607 Posts |
Posted - Sep 13 2005 : 08:25:31 AM
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| How many here can hang clothes in winter? I'm in Texas and although it's still warm here I've noticed it is taking quite a bit longer for the clothes to dry. I can't imagine trying it in winter. It would take a full day or longer to dry one load of laundry. Just wondering how ya'll deal with that. |
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Park Avenue
True Blue Farmgirl
57 Posts
Michele
Paradise Valley
Alberta
Canada
57 Posts |
Posted - Sep 14 2005 : 07:02:41 AM
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Well thats what I was wondering.... I have never done it, but for those of you who live in places where it gets well below freezing, does anything actually dry? or does it just freeze?
Clare...what a great idea. LOL Now why wouldn't I think of just shovelling ( LOL or getting my teenage son to shovel) a path to my clothes line, so that it wouldn't seem so far?
At least on sunny days, it may make all the difference in the world.
Michele |
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LJRphoto
True Blue Farmgirl
760 Posts
Laura
Hickory Corners
MI
USA
760 Posts |
Posted - Sep 14 2005 : 11:05:39 AM
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Wasn't it the Little House on the Prairie books where they talk about hanging out clothes in the winter and then bringing them back in by the fire to finish the drying (and thawing)?
"Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it's time to pause and reflect." -Mark Twain
http://ljrenterprises.blogspot.com/ |
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Aunt Jenny
True Blue Farmgirl
11381 Posts
Jenny
middle of
Utah
USA
11381 Posts |
Posted - Sep 14 2005 : 10:14:39 PM
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I dont hang mine out in the winter as much as the other seasons...except my sheets..which I can't stand to put in the dryer! I do have to sometimes finish them up inside though in winter. I don't have drying racks like I used to for inside...should do that though...it makes sense!!
Jenny in Utah
The best things in life arn't things |
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dawndi-bird
Farmgirl at Heart
9 Posts
Dawndi
9 Posts |
Posted - Sep 15 2005 : 06:47:28 AM
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Aah, the clothesline. I may be a little late on this thread, but my grandmother has the BEST clothesline in the world. She lives in TX and her line is under her pecan trees along her fence. It is held up by T-cross poles at each end and heavily cemented in the ground, and on one end is my old swinging tire that I would sit in and watch her hang the clothes, at least until I got tall enough to help. Sometimes I would sit and crack pecans while she hung. My grandmother used to tell me stories about when she hung clothes out in the winter. She said the clothes would dry, but stiffly and she would bring them in to thaw, but they would be dry. It just holds so many memories for me.
I used to hang clothes out when we lived in AZ and I do love the smell.
There are the cutest clothesline bag patterns in Maryjane's book for those of you that were looking for some.
I will have to see about installing a line here in ID, though hanging in the winter is not an option for me. My fingers would fall off!!!!
Dawndi-bird |
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Park Avenue
True Blue Farmgirl
57 Posts
Michele
Paradise Valley
Alberta
Canada
57 Posts |
Posted - Sep 17 2005 : 11:30:18 AM
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I agree Dawndi-bird.
By January, here is alberta, -20c with some sun is considered a nice day. I really don't see myself hanging clothes out on the line though. My fingers would be pretty darn cold. Its just so much easier to throw the stuff in the dryer..even though I have great intentions on those sunny days to hang things out, the cold just makes me want to stay in.
Michele |
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Photobugs
True Blue Farmgirl
363 Posts
Pamela
Post Falls
Idaho
USA
363 Posts |
Posted - Sep 18 2005 : 9:51:01 PM
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LJRphoto,
You mentioned in a post a couple of pages ago that you were looking for drying racks.
Do you have MaryJane's Book? If so you can find two different styles of wood drying racks in it. The first one is on pages 280-281 with instructions on how to make it. The second one featured is made by a lady in Idaho. It is on page 377. This one looks like it would hold more clothes than the previous one. You would have to have a wall to hang either of them from though.
Line drying is such good therapy. It gives me a feeling that I am doing something special for our household. I know also that we will see an increase in heating costs this winter, so whatever I can do to help defer the utility costs, I will do. If I can hang clothes to dry and it helps to save money...then I do it. But I work from home and this helps, cause I am around to keep the clothes moving on and off the racks as need be...this is when we can no longer dry outside. For drying inside of the house I have four of the racks that open up. You can hang quite a bit on the large ones. I got all of them at yard sales, so this saved money too. Jeans are a litte harder, but the backs of chairs work great for this. Pull out the pockets so they can dry too. In the days when I used wood stove heat it was really easy to dry clothes this way. They could dry faster than they would if put in the electric dryer. I would set the drying racks all around the stove and go on with my other chores and come back turn the racks for the other side to dry and before you knew it they were dry. Nowadays I will have to set the racks near the heat vents, but I am sure this will work too.
My mom had one of the apron clothespin bags and it held up for years. When I was little our washing machine was on a back patio/porch. We did not have a dryer for most of my early years, so all clothes got linedried. The posts to hold the line were made from wood, my dad had made them. When there were alot of clothes, like on wash day, sometimes the lines would get heavy. So there was a wood pole or long stick that went in the ground to hold up the line. This would keep the clothes from touching the ground and getting dirty.
When I moved into the house I live in now there were two nice metal polls for clothes lines already up. Well, the place from where my washer was to the clothes line was too far (or so I thought). So I rarily used them. When we put in the garden the polls had to be moved. We put them out behind our back fence and I guess the garbage truck men liked them...cause they dissappeared. A real shame for me, I hope they are getting good use of them. Anyway, my Dh got one of the other styles where all of the lines are on one pole on a job for free. So now I use it. Funny, how I am 10 years older and now I do not mind the walk across the yard so much. But since I work from my home now that makes a difference too. I have more time for such things.
Love this topic.
Pamela
"I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream!" |
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therusticcottage
True Blue Farmgirl
4439 Posts
Kay
Vancouver
WA
USA
4439 Posts |
Posted - Jan 07 2006 : 5:35:26 PM
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I am just longing to hang my clothes on the line!!!! It has been so wet here and I know that it's going to be a while before I can put the line back up. Guess I've got Spring Fever in January. Although we do get some nice days in February so maybe I will get to do it then. I got an email from Miss Sherry in Kansas (The Farmer's Daughter) and she was bragging about their 60 degree weather and how she's been hanging out laundry for 2 days. I've got clothesline envy!
Gratitude turns what we have into enough.
http://rusticcottage.blogspot.com/ |
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Aunt Jenny
True Blue Farmgirl
11381 Posts
Jenny
middle of
Utah
USA
11381 Posts |
Posted - Jan 07 2006 : 5:58:33 PM
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It was sunny enough today that I really should have hung out some clothes..but my husband took down the lines when he used a backhoe in the backyard to dig a trench for my much loved frost free hydrant out by the chicken yard (no more carrying buckets and buckets of water to the animals all winter) I have to have him put them back up right away. Days like this I hate to let the hanging go by. I miss it!! We are sure having weird weather for January!
Jenny in Utah
It's astonishing how short a time it takes for very wonderful things to happen...Frances Burnette
http://www.auntjennysworld.blogspot.com/ |
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CabinCreek-Kentucky
True Blue Farmgirl
8529 Posts
Frannie
Green County
Kentucky
USA
8529 Posts |
Posted - Jan 07 2006 : 7:16:19 PM
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there was an olde clothes line in the back yard when we moved here .. and i decided to leave it there. and although, i don't hang our 'regular' wash out there (yep .. i do love my city-fied electric dryer) .. i do hang vintage clothes after washing them .. and i 'decorate' it for each season and holiday ... right now that winter is here .. i have olde red 'long-johns' hanging from it! in spring .. i put pure white victorian petticoats and in summer ... feedsack aprons .. and in autumn ... i love to hang out autumn-shade 'homespun' fabric that i have tea dyed for my dollies .. i love the combination of 'sun-bleached' and tea-stain. i did find in an antiques shoppe the most wonderful olde mustard/black and red painted kind .. has a magnificent wooden base and arms .. this year, i will find a spot for it and put it in the earth permanently with cement.
i'll take some photos of the long-johns tomorrow and post a pic.
True Friends, Frannie |
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cajungal
True Blue Farmgirl
2349 Posts
Catherine Farmgirl Sister #76
Houston Area
Texas
2349 Posts |
Posted - Jan 08 2006 : 08:48:31 AM
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I'm so glad this thread was revived...I would have never found it.
Dawndi's post about her grandmother is a snippet of my life, too. Nanny's clothes lines were under her pecan trees and the lines seemed to stretch for eternity. I'm sure if I could revisit the old home, the lines would probably be quite short compared to my memory. Nanny would let me hang clothes on the lower lines that I could reach. While she hung the other items I would run through the clothes and often get scolded if I knocked something off the line. She and I would shell pecans or snap beans in the backyard while the breeze softly blew. Oh, it brings tears to my eyes. I miss her so much. She just passed away in 2004.
I love hanging clothes. I agree that it's good therapy. I enjoy it as much as doing hand stitch work. In the past, I told my husband that I was hanging in order to save on the electric bill. That worked for a while. Last year he told me he wanted to bless me and took the lines down...thinking he was blessing me. I appreciated his concern for my time and energy, but really wanted to keep the lines up.
My daughters and I have lots of deep conversations while hanging clothes. Much like me and Nanny. I think the most important events of life are not the big ones like college graduation or landing a big job, but the most important and precious events of life are the everday living and loving that we do with our loved ones. I don't want to stick my clothes in the dryer if it means I miss out on the bonding time with my daughters outside.
I'm with Kristi in Texas, although it's warm most of the time in the winter months, I just don't hang in winter. I've never thought of why I don't. It just seemed routine. I think today will be a new winter day for clothes hanging!!
Blessings
Catherine
One of the best compliments from one of my daughters: "Moma, you smell good...like dirt." |
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CabinCreek-Kentucky
True Blue Farmgirl
8529 Posts
Frannie
Green County
Kentucky
USA
8529 Posts |
Posted - Jan 08 2006 : 10:27:00 AM
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Catherine .. what a sweet story .. i too had a Nannie .. who hung her clothes on the line .. i can remember NOT liking to hang them out there myself .. but now .. looking back .. i do enjoy the memory of her being there with a clothespin in her hand .. a clothespin in her mouth .. and a 'clothespin basket' wrapped around her waist.
True Friends, Frannie |
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westfork woman
True Blue Farmgirl
554 Posts
Kennie Lyn
Emmett
Idaho
USA
554 Posts |
Posted - Jan 10 2006 : 11:56:43 AM
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My clotheline gets used all year, since I don't have a dryer. It annoys me to pay for something, (using an electric clothes dryer), that will happen all by itself. When it is really wet, like this year, I have racks for inside the house, by the stove, and a hanger thing that has little clothes pins, that is hooked into the ceiling above the woodstove. It is embarrassing to have people come into the living room when my underwear is drying over the stove. We have hooks on the underside of the mantle on which I hang jeans to dry. My MIL said clothes hung up in winter outside would freeze dry, and that is a pretty good description. The jeans or shirts or sheets or whatever are frozen solid, and when they thaw they are damp, but don't take long to dry.
Greetings from the morning side of the hill. |
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Julia
True Blue Farmgirl
1949 Posts
Julia
Shelton
WA
USA
1949 Posts |
Posted - Jan 25 2006 : 10:00:18 PM
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Finally had a sunny day on monday, so I got to hang my sheets out to dry! Whoo Hoo! It was fairly cool so I didn't hang out anything that would take all day to dry. It was so nice to climb into thouse sheets at night! AHHHHH!
"...the setting sun is like going into the very presence of God." Elizabeth Von Arnim |
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sleepless reader
True Blue Farmgirl
1022 Posts
CA
USA
1022 Posts |
Posted - Jan 27 2006 : 08:34:08 AM
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I envy the scent and crispness! We've had so much wind lately that I think anything I'd hang would end up in the next county! This weekend is supposed to be nice, so I'll try the sheets then...
Sharon
PS I bought a Yankee Candle the other day called "clean linens" nice, fresh scent :)
Life is messy. Wear your apron! |
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Julia
True Blue Farmgirl
1949 Posts
Julia
Shelton
WA
USA
1949 Posts |
Posted - Jan 27 2006 : 09:34:14 AM
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Does it smell like clean linen? And how do they get that smell into a candle?
"...the setting sun is like going into the very presence of God." Elizabeth Von Arnim |
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sleepless reader
True Blue Farmgirl
1022 Posts
CA
USA
1022 Posts |
Posted - Jan 28 2006 : 9:08:42 PM
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Sort of. It smells like an abundance of clean linen...I'm noticing as the candle has been out in the room, the scent has sort of diffused. Nothing can take the place of the sheets on the line smell!
Sharon
Life is messy. Wear your apron! |
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Horseyrider
True Blue Farmgirl
1045 Posts
Mary Ann
Illinois
1045 Posts |
Posted - Jan 30 2006 : 4:59:22 PM
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I hang those Yankee Candle Clean Linen Car Jars in my feed room out in the barn. It covers up the um, 'other' smell the cats left.
I have a line outside. I have no idea how old it is. The previous occupants say it was there when they moved in during the fifties. They're wooden posts which we paint white, with an arm like a letter T, and three lines in between. It's right beside where the old outhouse was. These farmers must've been rich; they had a cement pathway to the old outhouse. On the other side was a patch of asparagus that was finally spent. I was told it was 35 years old when we moved in, which was 23 years ago.
We have a Chinese Elm and an American Elm shading my clothesline part of the day, and a maple shading another part. There are apple trees and cherry trees over there, too. The trees make for nice shade on summer days when hanging out clothes, but the avian visitors sometimes leave calling cards on my wash. During the days when the prairie winds are going nicely, the first shirts can be completely dry before I finish hanging out the last of the load. But the wind can also be strong enough to rip everything off the lines, and send it into the yard and fields.
I love the way everything smells, too! It's wonderful to fold laundry as I take it down. I often listen to baseball games on a little radio while I do this, and bring the ironing in to do while I watch the game on TV.
I sure miss summer. |
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Aunt Jenny
True Blue Farmgirl
11381 Posts
Jenny
middle of
Utah
USA
11381 Posts |
Posted - Jan 30 2006 : 7:54:07 PM
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I have a big old clothes line....5 lines on a big metal pipe made clothesline about 50 ft. long. My husband took the lines off it in November when he had a backhoe here to dig a trench to put in a line out to the animal pen area for the frost free hydrant..which I love. BUT....can't hang anything out until he gets the lines back up and he dosn't see a rush since there is snow on the ground. I guess I won't start having a real fit until I can see the ground again..but I do love to hang things out year round.
Jenny in Utah
It's astonishing how short a time it takes for very wonderful things to happen...Frances Burnette
http://www.auntjennysworld.blogspot.com/ visit my little online shop at www.auntjenny.etsy.com |
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Cleaning Up: Using a clothesline |
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Using a clothesline
