Fondest memories of my childhood all have visions of running through all the clean sheets snapping in the wind, held fast on fisherman's rope by faded (and sometimes mildewed) wooden clothes pins. The smell was unbelievable when you snuggled deep in your bed, the sheets stiff from natural drying without a Bounce sheet.
So I swore I would someday have a house, on the ocean, clothesline a must.
Well, now I do, and I admit I don't use it often as I should/want. You see there is a clothesline 'code' around these parts. Oh sure, some will deny it and scoff at the notion....but believe me...THERE IS!
First off: I know....and YOU know people really do inspect your line. I admit I have a fascination with them but only ones with quilts and sheets on them. If there's regular clothes, especially undies, I quickly shift my eyes. There's something about watching old handmade quilts, colorful and clean drying.
Anyhooo. These are some of the unspoken "RULES". I don't make them up people...these are local facts, unspoken and denied maybe..but still....
- Timing: timing is everything. If you are too late in the morning or afternoon hanging...it's no good. You will end up drying them in the dryer at the end of the day, and whats the point of that! If you think you are being smart and hang them out the night before you are tempting Mother Nature herself...and we all know how that woman works! How do I get around this? I watch for my neighbour...when she does, I do...and she's a hardcore hanger! Merciful heavens if you leave them out all night :O
- Weather: You must always check the weather, and I don't mean on a channel on TV, I mean ask someone older then you. Around here even an 80 year old will believe a 90 year old about the weather. I like to ask the fishermen...if they don't know the weather they need to retire! If, by chance you hang your clothes out and 30 minutes later it rains...you wont get pity, you will get a surrounding sound of "tsk tsk's"...on the other hand if you hang and there isn't a breath of wind, it could be just as bad. You would think it shouldn't be this difficult but if it's too windy you might as well just throw your clothes in a far field or dump them on the ground...*see below note re: clothes pins
- Placement: Don't let them fool you, some will tell you "Go on, no one cares how you hang your clothes" They lie...they're judging you. If you mix your face clothes in with a pair of jeans, beside a sheet, followed by socks of random order...you might as well have danced naked at a crib tourney. Towels with towels, sheets with sheets, pants with pants, shirts etc....socks paired up/not doubled up though. Oh, and hardcore hangers sort each category by color as well. Ohhhhh and for sure, hang your undies/delicate on either a hidden line or not so obvious to passer bys...what a scandal if you see someones Grannie Panties flapping around like a dead cod in the wind.
- Hanging Style: as above they can deny all they want but I was laughed at the way I hung my pants. Apparently you cannot/should not hang pants by the cuffs, APPARENTLY it looks crazy. Who knew. Jeans should be in the sun obviously since they take the longest....and lord have mercy if you hang your sheets weird. Twas' confessed to me there are women who fight every urge in the world to pull over and 'fix' your sheets. The key is to hang in such a way to get the most of the wind to blow through the clothes.
- Clothes pins: Don't go for cute and colorful plastic pins, they suck, if its too cold they will shatter and cut your eyes out, they can't hold heavier clothes and they like to spring off in a good wind leaving you chasing around the yard picking up your clothes (again...makes the hard core hangers tsk tsk) Go for the larger sized wooden ones, they aren't as cute, they seem to attract earwigs more but they are key to a non stressful laundry session. (ETA: unless you enjoy earwigs, otherwise known in my house as **^%$$^&* bugs!! you shouldn't leave your pins outdoors, just the thought of reaching my hand in for one and having one of those black *&^%$# crawling up my arm makes me want to scream)
- Clothes line poles: If you don't have a wheelie out line (blue line with pulleys?) a good sturdy propping pole is needed. It has to be strong and at the first sign of weakness or rot get a new one...coming from someone (me) who had a pole break in half as she was propping it up and the end came smack dab into a very uncomfortable spot (crotch)....I'm still a girl, and it still hurt!!
*plastic=devil pins*
Here is a link with pointers if you need: http://www.ehow.com/how_2323695_hang-laundry-outside.htmlAll joking and snark aside, drying clothes on the line saves energy and is so worth all the extra work and hassle. Imagine how many loads per day I had/have to do raising three toddlers (mind you it was way more when they were babies)...saving a few cents here and there on your power bill sure helps.........plus it takes so much longer then the dryer so you don't have to spend all day folding each load, one big one at the end of the day still seems like less work. *ya right* As well it is much easier on your clothes then a dryer, and you get fresh air.
These are just a few 'rules' I've come in contact with. When it is all said and done I still follow my own rules. My pants are hung wrong, I hang them when I can and pick them up off the grass more then not. Even if some oldies (and younger whipper snappers) drive by and shake their heads at my technique the sounds of sheets snapping, the smell of a fresh quilt and watching my own kids running through the clean laundry line makes me smile...and if you look closely enough, you may catch me running through them as well.
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