# What can I use to make a clothesline? and instead of pins?



## ne prairiemama (Jan 30, 2010)

Any ideas? I can find 2 trees or whatever to run a line but what can I use for the line itself......? I don't have clean twine or rope or wire that I can think of. our dryer still goes but its not heating or turning off at all unless you open the door. dh is pretty sure he has it figured out but we have to wait on getting the part for it. :help:


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## ne prairiemama (Jan 30, 2010)

eta: it turns off if you open the door, it doesn't heat if you open the door lol


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## motdaugrnds (Jul 3, 2002)

If you cannot find something to use as a clothes line, why not just throw your laundry over the lower limbs of the trees?


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## ne prairiemama (Jan 30, 2010)

I could try that, I'm not sure if they'd stay there with our wind though its been pretty strong. Our only 2 trees with low branches (most of our trees are huge and old lol) are an apple and cherry though so maybe they would workif its not so windy tomarrow...lots of little branches. thanks!

eta: sorry i guess this isn't really a S&ep question. i'm tired and ditzy. please forgive me! i feel like i "know" you all the best on the board so my 1st thought was asking you lol.


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## LonelyNorthwind (Mar 6, 2010)

Just attach a pully to each tree and string a wire between them. Not rocket science.
I've got one pully attached to the back deck and another to a tree out back. Works great.


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## ann in tn (Nov 25, 2007)

I have seen people around here use the fence (this works as long as no dogs on either side of fence...lol). I have also seen people use bushes to lay the clothes across. 

I am hoping that next weekend I can get my hubby to put up a clothesline for me. I want to stop using the dryer as much and cut back on the electric bill.


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## Nico DeMouse (Feb 25, 2008)

You know, I just hang wash on hangers from the exposed piping in my basement. I've also hung wash on hangers from the shower bar in the bathroom and from the molding around door frames...if you're looking for a quick, cheap stop gap solution any of these would work.


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## Riverrat (Oct 14, 2008)

We do not even have a dryer, we have a clothesline, similar to what Grammascabin has for spring, summer and fall, and we have a line in the basement for the winter, works great. Ours is around 100 feet long. There is commercially prepared line that you get at any hardware store that is covered wire which protects the clothes and will not rust in the rain. It is also very strong. If it is windy outside we use it in the winter as well, makes the cloths softer and if you live in an area with frost it will actually make whites whiter...Man, never thought I would be discussing laundry...lol


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## beaglebiz (Aug 5, 2008)

GrammasCabin said:


> Just attach a pully to each tree and string a wire between them. Not rocket science.
> I've got one pully attached to the back deck and another to a tree out back. Works great.


Call me weird Grammascabin, but I love your pics...this one of you and your son (grand?? you look too young) is so sweet. This looks like a good summer calendar pic!!


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## beaglebiz (Aug 5, 2008)

OP...the very best clothespins are found at estate sales. While everyone is trying to get their valuable antique treasures, I am snuffling around the back porch/garage, looking for clothespins


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## bee (May 12, 2002)

I bought a cheap pac of clothesline at the dollar store and some pins there too. My Mom took pity on me and gave me some of her good quaility older pins. I just have to periodicly tighten the sags out of my line as it stretches. I have a line in my loft too.

My dryer broke last spring; I only miss it for my knit tops(keeps their shape) and if I forget to wash something I need quickly!!

Mom has one of those folding cloths dryer racks she puts in front of her woodstove..of course she isn't washing for 10 people either!


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## fetch33 (Jan 15, 2010)

When I hung laundry out years ago, I just draped the clothing over the line. Most items had enough length and heft to stay put unless it was really windy. It was easier taking things in off of the line too, esp if I was racing a rain shower!


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## Trixters_muse (Jan 29, 2008)

I have hung things over the fence and on hangers. I also used a piece of old cable TV cord once. Do you have anything like that laying around?

For clothes pins, I used large paper clips on small and light pieces of clothing. It worked pretty good.


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## ne prairiemama (Jan 30, 2010)

Thanks for all these ideas everyone they are great!! 

Riverrat you made me laugh!:happy0035:

Trixters_muse thank you!!! we do have a ton of old tv cable out there from the previous owner!!!

grammascabin what a sweet picture! I love it!


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## belladulcinea (Jun 21, 2006)

I use wooden drying racks, easy to hand stuff on and put away for later. I bought all three of mine at garage sales! I also have an outdoor line in my screen room.


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## hsmom2four (Oct 13, 2008)

I hang my laundry on hangers and put them on the shower rods and also wooden racks inside. The FL sun is too rough on clothes and right now there is a ton of pollen blowing around. Of course, you have more kids than me lol! so you might not have room inside. When I had a clothes line on the porch it was made from a piece of electrical wire and I still hung the clothes on hangers. I could fit way more on the line and then go straight to the closets with them. I did hang undies and socks from hangers as well with clothes pins though because I could get a couple pairs on each hanger. HTH.


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## Pelenaka (Jul 27, 2007)

Since 99% of our clothes are hung I use to use white clothes hangers for daughters & black or brown for my son. Then I would tell them after dinner to go out & get their hangers off the line & put them away. Apprently if any one of them put each others clothes away they die of kooties. 
I did the unders & socks along with my hung clothes. System broke down when I married hubby and 99% of his clothes are folded and put away. Thankfully no one has died a kootie death. 

If you don't have clothespins then paperclips work. In a pinch I have also draped clean clothes over our bikes parked in the sun. Patio furniture, broom suspended between the backs of two chairs, tomato stakes, and even across the car seats with the windows rolled down. Anything is fair game when it's laundry day. 

~~ pelenaka ~~


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## ne prairiemama (Jan 30, 2010)

Yay!!!! my ds brought out his orange 1 man emergency tent and it has arope/twine thingee in it!!!! we can use it for temporary line and then take it down for the tent later  never thought i'd use that for hanging clothes...
We don't have any hangers anymore since we moved we have just used the dressers. Our house is old and apperantly hanging stuff up wasn't in their thoughts when they built it lol.


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## ne prairiemama (Jan 30, 2010)

Thanks these are all great ideas! i'll need to use more than one even with the line of string as we do ALOT of laundry here even though we don't even have a alot of clothes each. when you add cloth diapers, wipes, towels, bedding ect. it adds up quickly!


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## Pelenaka (Jul 27, 2007)

ne prairiemama said:


> Thanks these are all great ideas! i'll need to use more than one even with the line of string as we do ALOT of laundry here even though we don't even have a alot of clothes each. when you add cloth diapers, wipes, towels, bedding ect. it adds up quickly!


You might want to look into a guard dog or trip wires placed near your dirty clothes hamper or washing machine. Sounds like you are having a R.R. -reverse robbery which is when theives bring items instead of stealing. 
I've been trying to catch the ones who visit my cellar for years they main strike around the same time that my children clean their bedrooms. 


~~ pelenaka ~~


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## calliemoonbeam (Aug 7, 2007)

A couple of other "make-do" ideas including using "chip clips", you know for closing potato chip bags, the large-size paper clips for lighter things, and large safety pins, pinned to the edges of the garment and then clipped shut over the line. 

I've also hung clothes inside over curtain rods, shower rods, chair backs, dresser handles, etc., but using hangers. Guess those won't work for you, sorry, but you could drape shirts over the backs of chairs and hang jeans over a shower rod and other things over the tops of doors, cabinets, etc.

I've had to "make do" a few times myself, lol. Good luck!


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## oakridgewi (Dec 12, 2006)

If you have something to makeshift a line but still no pins, you could run a double line, twisted lightly together and hang clothes by inserting between the twists?
sy


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## wyld thang (Nov 16, 2005)

I think you can make some clothespins with pieces of sticks, split them down the middle the bit. Some wood would be better than others. Or split them all the way and wrap rubber bands around the end. or string. I really like using drying racks though, you can put them anywhere all year round. I put heavy stuff like jeans and blankets rugs and sleeping bags on the deck rail.


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

I found some really nice bamboo spring type clothespins at Meijer. Made in China but I'm pretty sure all that type of bamboo is grown in China. I have a series of 8 foot tall t-posts set in the ground (9 posts total) with 3 for each line, posts placed about 30 feet apart. I got the line (yes a cheap synthetic line but it was made in the US and it was woven line, not the single plastic never stop stretching line) and wrapped and tied it around the top of each post. I have a large capacity washer and can dry 4 loads of laundry a day in the heat and dryness of late summer.

Any time you have 7 kids and a broken dryer it is an emergency. You posted in the right place.


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## PATRICE IN IL (Mar 25, 2003)

I've been know to button the waistband button around the line and use a large paper clip bent into a hook, slipped through a beltloop, to hang up pants on a line.


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## secretcreek (Jan 24, 2010)

Nico DeMouse said:


> You know, I just hang wash on hangers from the exposed piping in my basement. I've also hung wash on hangers from the shower bar in the bathroom and from the molding around door frames...if you're looking for a quick, cheap stop gap solution any of these would work.


Yep, works best for me to hang "non stretch out of shape" wet clothes indoors in the winter though as they evaporate quickly in a dry house. I use hangers with swivel hooks and hang clothes outside all the time- it keeps the item from catching wind and swirling off of the line/hook/ nail/ railing/etc...

*(old extension cord, cordage, new electric fence wire, wiped clean old cat 5 cable wire that's no good, ...and call a neighbor and borrow some pins? )

With 7 children...you are probably not talking about small loads to hang up...
-scrt crk


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## Shrarvrs88 (May 8, 2010)

You know the Little House on the Prairie series? Well, a Trilogy was done about Ma as a young girl. They laid their wash out in the grass.


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## Shrarvrs88 (May 8, 2010)

Pelenaka said:


> You might want to look into a guard dog or trip wires placed near your dirty clothes hamper or washing machine. Sounds like you are having a R.R. -reverse robbery which is when theives bring items instead of stealing.
> I've been trying to catch the ones who visit my cellar for years they main strike around the same time that my children clean their bedrooms.
> 
> 
> ~~ pelenaka ~~


Haha Loved this!


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## used2bcool13 (Sep 24, 2007)

In doors I have a long bungee cord that has hooks on each end, maybe you have a bungee cord around?

I use it inside for light items, but you could "hook" one up anywhere.


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## LonelyNorthwind (Mar 6, 2010)

Wow, I have enough clothes pins for now but you guys have some great ideas for emergencies! I like that photo too. Funny how the simple tasks become treasured memories. That is one of 8 grandson's who live in Wash. state. They take turns 2 or 3 at a time rotating all summer. All but 2 are teenagers already.
I had to come back to this thread to tell you today was clear, bright and cold. I had enough water to wash whites and hung them outside to dry all day. So delicious to bury your face in a basketfull of sunshine!


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## Tdw1762 (Oct 18, 2010)

Parachute cord makes good clothesline. It is very strong and doesn't stretch much and won't rot. You can buy online or at a military surplus store. The real stuff is called 550 cord or 550 paracord. It has seven smaller strands in side. It's not real cheap hut is good stuff to have around. Has very many uses. Most survivalist recommend having around. Especially in a pack if you are a hunter or hiker etc...


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## Cheryl in SD (Apr 22, 2005)

How about posting to Freecycle or craigs list for clothes pins, wooden racks & line? JAT


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