10 Unique DIY Outdoor Clothesline Ideas
For those of you who live in a country house, an outdoor clothesline mustn’t be strange to you. Instead of using an electric clothes dryer, it has several benefits when you build a clothesline and let the sun dry your laundry. First, drying clothes on a clothesline helps save money and save the environment. Next, there are the aesthetic advantages. A well-designed clothesline is both functional and decorative. So here we’re bringing you a bunch of clothesline ideas to inspire you.
1. Discover the Charm of a Wooden Trellis Clothesline: A Classic Option with Lattice Pattern, Ideal for Concealing Your Yard’s Clothesline and Facilitating Quick Air-drying of Laundry.
2. Create two sturdy trellises and run your clothesline between them. This can make you take care of your garden plants while you’re drying clothes:
3. If your outdoor deck has enough height, then you should put that space to work for you – building a clothesline is a good option:
3. If you’re still looking for ideas to refresh your boring clothesline in backyard, all you need to do is paint your posts in white color and then add decorative corbels to them:
4. If you only have a small backyard, then this versatile set-up will be your best choice. It allows you enjoy relaxing time on this hammock with a canopy, and also provides a clever way to dry your clothes:
5. This set up won’t take you much space. With the help of two wooden arms and three pipe supports, you can easily build this clothesline attached to a section of your backyard fence:
6. This clothesline post has a bench that will be a good spot to sit your basket when hanging clothes:
How to build this Clothesline.
7. The pulley clothesline was definitely easy to use because it brought the clothes right to you. And with some simple materials, you can built one by yourself:
Tutorial: practicallyfunctional.com
Here’s another fun project for a pulley-operated clothesline that stretches out quite a bit, using sturdy trees as the anchors.
Gone are the days of lugging laundry baskets across the yard. With these ingenious pulley clotheslines, everything is conveniently done right from your own space.
You can position the clothesline up high, even on a balcony or upstairs, making laundry day a breeze. And when it comes to keeping the line taut and neat, you can easily find handy tension adjusters at places like Walmart or Amazon.
8. Upgrade this very traditional style of clothesline in your yard by adding a pair of hanging flower baskets:
Image via: littlemissourihomestead.wordpress.com
9. Install and hide a clothesline between two wooden brackets outside of the kitchen window:
Image via: homesteadrevival.blogspot.com
10. Shaped like cactuses, this unique and modern clothesline is both functional and artistic, and will make your home’s outdoor more striking:
Easy and Helpful Tips for Drying Clothes on a Line:
Clothesline Advice:
Begin with the Right Tools. Choose a special vinyl-coated cord for your clothesline. Regular ropes get damaged in the sun, hold onto water, change color, and release fibers into your clothes that might make you itchy.
Give the Line a Wipe. Before putting laundry on the line, wipe it with a towel. This helps keep both the line and your clothes clean.
Use the Sun’s Bleaching Power to whiten sheets and clothes.
Turn bright or dark items inside out to reduce fading, including jeans.
Shake Each Item Before Hanging. Shaking gets rid of wrinkles, straightens hems, plackets, and sleeves, and softens the garment. After shaking, gently press hems or plackets that tend to roll.
Avoid Overcrowding. Make sure not to put too many clothes on the line at once. This helps them dry better and prevents wrinkles.
Check the Weather. Before hanging clothes, check if the weather is suitable. If rain is expected, it’s better to wait for a sunny day.
What Not to Hang on the Line:
• Avoid line-drying down-filled jackets, comforters, and sleeping bags, as it may cause the down to flatten or clump. These items are not suitable for air-drying because the fluffier the down, the warmer it becomes.
• Lay sweaters flat to dry to prevent them from stretching.
• Delicate fabrics like lace, which may snag in sudden winds, should not be air-dried.
• Some vintage fabrics are not ideal for line-drying. While it works well for high-quality cotton in good condition, more delicate fabrics, those with tears or rips, and heavier items are better suited for a drying rack.
• Skip Line-Drying During Pollen Season. If you or someone in your family has allergies, avoid line-drying during pollen season to prevent pollen from collecting on your laundry.
• Avoid Hanging Heavy Items. Don’t hang heavy items like blankets on the line, as they may stretch and lose their shape.
11. Fence Clothesline
If you’ve got a privacy fence in your yard, here’s a clever way to put it to use for your laundry needs.
Just set up the clothesline so it hooks onto the fence and voilà—hang your clothes on it.
12. The Standalone Pop-Up Clothesline
Here’s a nifty clothesline concept: it starts as a line supported by two posts and folds flat.
When you need it, simply pull it out and it stands independently. It’s a great space-saving solution you can set up and take down whenever you like.
