Wednesday, January 12, 2022

Why and How I Hang Laundry Outside in Frigid Winter

 Choose the whites to hang in sunny frozen winter. They will bleach!

I am willing to get numb fingers for anything that can really benefit from a free bleach. Otherwise, I put the unmentionables and rags, etc. inside on the radiators. Here, I hung these bits outside when the ambient temperature was 12F with a real-feel of 3F. The clothes were frozen stiff within the 5 minutes it took me to do this. 

Their line-dried deep-winter fresh scent was just exactly what I crave.

Also, please notice my nice big clothes dryer! It is this one from Lehman's, made in the USA. My old one was a similar umbrella style and had been repaired and babied along and rusted for a number of years now until it dramatically flopped to the ground this past summer (yes, with laundry on it - sighhh). 

I am very pleased with my sturdy new one. It is leaning to one side because I simply used my old ground screw (like a pipe you literally screw into the ground which provides a hole for the clothesline to stand in and is flat to the ground otherwise for mowing or running over). which is slightly large. The clothes dryer comes with its own ground screw which I'm sure, some day, I will get around to installing. When the weather is bad or we want the whole yard for our activities, I remove my clothes dryer from the yard. It can hold 4-5 loads of laundry, although keep in mind that my washing machine is on the smaller side. I am really happy with this clothes dryer and drying our things without electric or gas. 

My friend, also in town, uses the Amish method of pulleys with the clothesline high above her yard. Another city friend has a drying rack that she puts outside in good weather. Many ways to get the wet clothes out in the fresh air!

12 comments:

'Snough said...

You inspire me. We don't have a yard -- we have a paved patio in back and also a second-floor porch. I've long thought about creating a pulley system so we could hang the laundry on a rack at ground level, and then pull it up to the porch. Maybe I'll look into your Lehman's rack . . .

Margo said...

Every Plain Menno and Amish house in the country has washlines on their porches, front or back or side, in addition to the big pulley washlines. Some porch washlines are those wall-mount retractable ones. I have one of those on my balcony, too!

e said...

Nothing like the Day Star to brighten the white load! I love that you get the wash out in the snow. Intrepid! I have racks which stand over the furnace vent in the winter and I also have a 5 strand retractable line on a covered porch. I saw this amazing thing decades ago at a friend's house and wanted one for years. Finally bought myself one and couldn't be happier with it. FIVE STRANDS!!!

Leisha said...

I always hang my clothes outside , unless it's been raining and I use a clothes dryer. I do love a pulley wAshline !

Becky said...

I love my clothesline, but sadly, it doesn't get enough sun this time of year to dry everything in a day. That's okay, because I have another one in the basement....I just need to be patient with how long it takes to dry things.

sillygirl said...

We have a south-facing cathedral-ceiling house so on wash day I put a wooden rack in the front window and hang clothes not meant for the drier there - a few women have commented to me about it - positive I think! There are covenants here but nothing about this sort of thing!!!

Margo said...

I have been known to leave laundry out overnight and into the next day until it's dry, haha!

Margo said...

Very clever! I do so wish that HOAs would be more supportive of outdoor washlines.

sillygirl said...

I also have a line out back for days when it is warm enough to get the other clothes dry. If the HOA complains I'll tell them solar and wind power are much more ecological then wasted gas or electricity.

BLD in MT said...

You looks so happy as you do your winter laundry! Yay! Oh, that winter sunshine really can't be beat.

I've always thought clothes lines were rather charming. I like how they look. I like how the clothes smell. I like how simple it is. I'd probably die of delight if I ever saw an Amish clothesline in person. ;)

We looked at pulley lines when we replaced our clothes lines and retractables...but then we were gifted a free umbrella style one, all it needed was new line. So, that's what we use. Year round! (Though we do have a foldable rack for indoors, if needed, too.)

Margo said...

Beth, Amish clotheslines are wonderful to see! And the farms are totally charming as well. Put it on your bucket list ;)
Another reason I like my umbrella washline is that it includes instructions for replacing the rope (not recommended with my last one and honestly not a job I would have taken on). I appreciate that kind of longevity mindset.

BLD in MT said...

It totally is on my bucket list! :)

I love a company that plans for you to have it a lifetime... It is SO the opposite of the planned obsolescence that has taken over in much consumer goods. Long-live Lehman's clothes lines, cast iron pans, and so on!