Hanging Clothes Out To Dry

I enjoy hanging clothes out on the line.  There's nothing like seeing clothes hanging out and the crisp, clean smell you get when you bring them in.
I've tried numerous times to get me a clothes line but things just haven't seemed to work out with what I've tried.  At first, I strung a rope from a gate post, then to a fencing post, then back to the gate, then back to another post............  Although it sagged a lot, it worked for awhile until the need to close the gate for cattle stopped my use of the gate.

 After that fail, I tried a portable, round laundry drying rack that is made in the USA.  It is pretty pricy, but it is very sturdy and convenient.  I would just set it up outside the back door and hang away.  ONE PROBLEM with this rack is that if you get any wind at all, it easily tips over.  I need to figure out how to solve that problem.  Until then, it is tucked away with our emergency preparedness items.

 

A few weeks ago, my friend was telling me about her "Minky Retractable Reel Outdoor Dryer with 49-Feet Line Drying Space". 

She loves hers so I asked if she would order me one since it was on sale for $13.99.  I thought for that low of a price, it was worth a try.  At first I put it, once again, on the old gate fence post and strung it over to the old grain silo.  It was not high enough and when I hung too many clothes on it, or heavy work clothes or towels, it sagged way too much and the clothes would drag on the grass.

Today I started looking around for a different place to attach the Minky and voila, there it was, right in front of my eyes.  And guess what, it was there the entire.  We have one steel t-pole that my husbands mother used as a clothes line many years ago and since we moved into the home 19 years ago, I've just used the pole as a plant hanger.

First off, I tested the Minky to make sure I had enough cord to make it from a near-by pine tree across to the t-pole.  PERFECT!  I got a screw driver and went to work hanging my Minky on the pine.  I connected the loose end of the cord to the t-pole then had my husband help me cinch it up tightly to the Minky on the pine. 

Hopefully this time will be the last time I need to search for a place to hang my clothes outdoors.  Oh my, looking at the picture, my husbands work pants almost look as dirty and faded hanging on the line as they did going in the washer.  But, even though they look dirty, they are clean.......well, as clean as they are going to get.  With his heavy work clothes always getting soiled with dirt and grease, I don't bother to spot them cause it's basically worthless and a waste of time.

For hanging socks, I purchased an 18 clip, Stainless Steel Laundry Drying Rack.  I purchased this a year ago and I use this all year round since socks take so long to dry and I don't want to waste electricity just trying to get dry socks.  This thing is wonderful and it will also be a great preparedness item.

And lastly, I'm back to using my homemade clothespin bag that I made out of an old denim child's jacket that I purchased at a thrift store.  I just cut the sleeves out and sewed the armholes shut, turned it inside-out and sewed across the bottom and put a pant hanger on the inside to hang on the clothes line.