We recently moved to mid Tennessee and have only a washer. I have completely enjoyed hanging clothes out on the line to dry. Who knew?
Anyway, I remember my great aunt, who NEVER used a dryer, always had this nifty little cloth bag that she carried around while hanging her clothes out. Take the pin out of the bag, put it back in....over and over. I started out using a similar bag. Now, here is where it gets simple! One day, I forgot to bring the bag out with me when taking the clothes down from the line, so I just put the pin back on the line. The next load that went up, was soooo much easier to hang out - took less than half the time.
Since we tend to wear the same items over and over, the spaces between the pins pretty much stay the same on the line. Easy!
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When I was growing up, we were never allowed to leave the pins on the line. We always wiped the lines with a rag before hanging the clothes. There were definite rules to follow when hanging clothes. I don't have a clothesline anymore but you can't beat the smell of freshly hung clothes, if you're not allergic.
If clothespins are left outside on the clothesline all the time and it rains, they will get stained and moldy and leave marks on your clothes. They also can break easily after being wet for a long time. I don't use a dryer and I have a clothespin bag that I hang on the clothesline while hanging the clothes and then when I'm done I take it inside and hang it up on a hook inside our side screened porch.
That is a great thing to do but there is just one thing that I know you will want to know. If you are using wooden clothespins they can get black mold on them if they are left out in the rain or dew for too long and then when you hang the clothes you get little black spots on your clothing. Just be careful and check the clothespins every once in a while.
I find that the wooden clothespins seem to ruin, if left out on the line; the wood gets rotten and the metal rusts. That's why I always put mine back in the clothespin bag and bring them in; I don't hang mine in the same order all of the time, either.
My Mom, born 1910, bought what was then a common 'clothespin' bag. It had a quite large hook for hanging and sliding on the clothesline so 'twas easy to move as she hung clothes.
I live in Southwest VA. and I also leave my clothespins on the laundry line but they get black (mildew) on them as well as my lines. I wash the pins in hot sudsy water with bleach and also wash the lines; so now after a few times doing that I invested in a clothespin bag and bring them inside and all I have to do now is wash the lines.
Boonjaras in VA
Hi I come from Qld Australia and I find if I leave the 'pegs' on the line they rot from the extreme heat. We tend to use a strong plastic with metal joining hinge. Also I have been fortunate to never having owned a dryer as the sun and weather temperatures allow the washing to dry.
You'll probably want to wipe down the clothesline also since dirt, bird poo, etc. can wind up there, and consequentially on your clothes. I know - ick. Enjoy your new 'dryer'. :)
I also like to wipe the clothes line down before hanging out clothes. This is easy to do when you take a wet paper towel with you to the line. Just put it on the line and pull it down the line. You can see how much dirt you remove after you do this.
I have also left clothes pins on the line and they turn dark. Much rather take them in after each usage. It not only saves the pins but it's convenient for me to grab one when I need it for other uses.
I have a clothespin bag like Tomatohangers mom had. The hook and hoop on mine is definitely antique, but the cloth bag itself has been redone several times by me. The original bag was in tatters when I got it, so I used it as a pattern. Like others, I bring my spring-type clothes pins/bag in Well, it goes in the garage so that the pins last longer and don't get moldy/mildewy.
I am in my late fifties and my grandma had a bag around her waist that she kept her pins in, She never left them out. They will get moldy and will not last as long.. Also before you hang your clothes out wipe the line down!
Thank you for all the great advise. I am now bringing my wooden pegs in after each wash/dry. My pins are all dried out & black with the mild. Yuck. Im throwing them out & starting fresh & using my clothes pin bag. Also the plastic pins rot from the sun too!!
That will ruin the wood ones, but you can do that with the plastic clothes pins..
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