Tips for hanging clothes on clothesline:
In the warmer months, this is a very effective way to cut back on your utility bills. By utilizing the “free” warm air outside, you can have dried clothes in a matter of hours. It sometimes takes some getting used to the stiffened clothing and towels, but if you think about how much you are saving—sometimes it is worth it. The stiffness will go away.
I recommend getting all of your washing done in the early morning hours ready in baskets to be hung out when the sun comes up. Take all of it out and begin hanging on the line. If you are going to be doing this much of the time, I recommend getting something to put your basket on top of so that you don’t have to bend as much when getting clothing out. You can keep your clothespins in a utility bag as to not lose them. Typically, depending upon the humidity, your laundry should be dried by early afternoon and ready to be brought in and put away. I like to take like items off and set them in the baskets. That way when we put them away in each person’s room basket, it is much easier than having to sort them. Towels we fold right from the line to the basket.
Here are some tips on how to hang clothing properly:
Jeans/pants/skirts
Hang them by the waistline. Try not and fold over the waist otherwise you will have to make sure that part dries. It should clip right next to the line.
Shirts and blouses
Hang them upside down by the side seams. If you hang them on the top by the shoulders you will have puckers from the clothespins when dried.
Sheets
Hang folded over the clothesline
Towels
Pinch one end and hook to line with clothespin. Take your next towel and let it overlap the first one just a tad and then hook that corner with a clothespin. You can do this for washcloths too. It saves on using up all your clothespins and the amount of time to remove each pin when dry. Just be careful how much you let overhang together.
Undergarments and socks
If you don’t want the whole world seeing these, hang them on the back of the line or in the middle row. Hang socks by the toes. You can put a pair together.
