Drying Clothes

[patricimo54]

In an attempt to stay on top of our preparedness program we felt a need to add 150' of clothes line and a 150 wooden clothes pins to our storage. Cheap addition, $4.50 for the line, $3.00 for the pins.

The purchase has got me and the bride motivated to sting up a working line for today. Why wait to be forced into it because of power outages. I can remember as a kid that the T post type clothes lines were common place.

With this said I am wondering how many swampers utilize some type of clothes line or drying system other than the traditional electrical or propane fuel tumbler type? If so, please share your method.

[Admin]

We're very frugal around this place. Every penny saved is a penny earned. Our electric bill usually reveals approx 7.50 worth of power consumed each month and that's why I'm having trouble swallowing the power consumption of this brood lamp. Not used to having so much as a 9 watt bulb burning 24/7, never mind a 250 heat bulb. Not a single store around here has one with less wattage.

Anyway, back to the subject

We use the dryer only when we need to. We have a clothesline that runs from the back deck to the fur shed and is on pulleys so the misses can hang and retrieve it all from the deck. It's amazing how fast the clothes dries on a sunny breezy day. We also have some of those large wooden drying racks for indoors. These are the big heavy ones and they hold a lot of clothes. We may get a couple more but the good stout ones are hard to find and sell out fast at antique stores. I know I know, I should probably build some.

A man should have an alternate source for everything. Lighting, heating, cooking, refrigeration etc. You're definitely heading in the right direction buddy. ;D

[Seldom]

We at the only ones on a 14 resident Court that dries clothes outside!!! I've noticed that very, very few folks in my town or even out in the country hang clothes. There are though, some clothes that are better for the material if dried in the dryer. There are also some clothes that most folks accept as needing ironing or wear them rumpled but my wife knows exactly how to wash and dry so that those particular clothes come out of the dryer and hung on a hanger that they look fresh pressed! She fooled me with one of my dress shirts just last week. I thought she'd ironed it and hadn't. Good ol girl by golly!!! ;D

Sheets and pillow cases will always smell and feel fresher hung on a line as will about everything but you'll notice it more on the linens.

Talking with our kids, it's patently obvious hanging clothes is going the way of the Dodo!!

[Admin]

Apr 7, 2012 15:26:47 GMT -5 Seldom said:

Talking with our kids, it's patently obvious hanging clothes is going the way of the Dodo!!

With todays generation, most of the common sense on just about any subject or task has gone the way of the Dodo.

Pretty sad really.

[barkspud]

We have a pulley clothes line from the back deck to the garage for warm days drying. It even gets used on sunny days above freezing in the winter. We have a couple woodens racks and a couple of lines in the wood room. I really enjoy the smell my clothes have after being dried in the wood room or by the wood stove.

[paddyg441]

;D ;D

Pulley Style Clothes Line at our location, the wife would not have it any other way!!! We even use the line during the winter months, yes they do freeze, but it is a freeze dry, you never had fresher smelling clothes and bedding. Only during extended raining periods does the electric dryer get used.

[trapperandhunter]

always dry them outside when i can, don't see the point of running a dryer unless you have to ..

[lilweasel]

We dry our closes outside on a pulley and line. In the winter, I have 2 lines in the basement for clothes. If I'm not home the girls like to sneak clothes in the dryer

[patricimo54]

Is this what you guys are talking about with the pulleys or is there something different?

www.lehmans.com/store/USA_Made___Home___Single_Line_Instant_Retractable_Clothesline___H621994#H621994

www.lehmans.com/store/Home_Goods___Laundry___Drying___Rustproof_Clothesline_Pulley___3318#33183319

[patricimo54]

Back to the preparedness program for laundry solutions I have considered the old wringer method.

www.lehmans.com/store/Home_Goods___Laundry___Washing___Lehman_s__Best_Hand_Wringer___32823320#32823320

A little pricey, but there has to a more cost effective method.

www.grainger.com/Grainger/TOUGH-GUY-Mop-BucketWringer-2MPE1?Pid=search

This would be an affordable alternative, but I don't know how efficient it would be. I think I'll check the local W/M to see what they offer in wringer type mop buckets that we could use for non electrical laundry service.

[Admin]

The second link looks pretty similar to what we use but pricier. We have the elcheepo from the home depot but they been in service for a long time and no issues. Mamma can stand on the deck and sail clothes all the way out to the fur shed. ;D

I see the Amish hang clothes out all winter so they must dry just fine in the winter sun. Mamma says NO to that and employs the dryer. It is what it is I guess.

[ninedeer]

we have hung clothes out on the line for along time weather got to be pretty cold or rainy fro the clothes to not go out.my wife has a line and drying racks in basement as well.

[barkspud]

The pulleys in your second link look well built and tuff compaired to what we have. Seems like there reasonable priced as well. I remember my grandma having me do some of my laundry in the deep bathroom sink. She had a ringer similar to the one on the bucket. It could be hung on the inside of the bath tube for ringing cloths. She had a newer washer but still did most by hand.

[paddyg441]

;D


The second Pulley is exactly what we use, they are very sturdy, and unless someone beats them with a hammer, they will last forever.

The Line/cable does breakdown over time, it is plastic coated to prevent rust. However between the UV/IR rays and all of the contaminates in our atmosphere the plastic does break down, and rust leaching can occur.

[old243]

The day the clothes line breaks and the clean clothes are all laying on the ground , it is not safe to be around the house . I'm sure most old timers have experienced this. Might be a good day to, be gone huntin.  old243