Clothesline Construction

Build Your Own Clothesline

Using a clothesline to dry clothes can save you money. Clothes line are inexpensive to build as a DIY project. Clothesline in your back yard do not have to be unsightly. Drying clothes out side in the fresh air is better than drying them in a drier.

Did you know that your clothes dryer is the third largest user of energy in your home next to the washing machine and refrigerator? Clothes dryers use ten to fifteen percent of all the domestic energy in the United States. Depending upon the size of your clothes dryer and the rate you pay per kilowatt hour for electricity, or cubic foot of gas, your cost to run a dryer per year runs between $130 and $160. That may sound insignificant but when multiplied by the approximately 100 million household dryers in daily use it adds up to a tidy sum, approximately $1.5 billion in the nations annual energy cost. Of course that does not include industrial driers.

The energy cost of clothes dryers can be greatly reduced by constructing a clothesline, at least part of the time. Using a clothesline or a wash line may be inconvenient or seem a little old fashion in the modern world but if you want to reduce your carbon footprint and save some money it is an effective place to start. There are many households that have no alternative but to use a dryer because of local zoning restrictions. Most of these households are apartments or condominiums, although there are many community associations that do not allow outdoor clothesline construction. They deem them as “unsightly”.

However, if you live in an apartment, condominium, or other areas that prohibits the use of clothes dryers you still can reduce dryer use by using clothes racks or indoor clotheslines. Clothes drying racks come in a variety of different sizes and styles to accommodate most any situation. Some are free standing and others hang on the wall in a bathroom, stairwell, or kitchen. If your apartment or condominium has a garage or a basement a clothes line can be easily strung in these locations.

If you are fortunate enough to live in a rural area a "t" clothesline (see Fig.–1) is a great choice. From late spring to late fall clothes will dry on an outdoor clothesline in approximately one hour. Typically a large washing machine load of laundry will require two dryer loads to dry, taking approximately two hours or longer.

Most home supply centers have a variety of clotheslines and dryer racks that are adaptable to individual needs. If you want to reduce your energy cost and carbon footprint I recommend that you consider using a clothesline or a clothes drying rack for at least part of your clothes drying requirements. Clothesline Rack

Clothes Line 1

Fig. – 1 Drying Rack

Constructing a Clothesline:

Clothesline 4 The "t" clothesline is the easiest to install. If it’s a store bought clothesline simply make two holes in the ground with a posthole digger or crowbar and place the post in the hole. The hole can be filled with earth or cement to stabilize the post.

You can build your own clothes line by fabricating two "T" structures using pressure treated 4X4s. Secure them in the ground with cement and string clothesline rope between them. Position the "T" post approximately five feet above the ground and eighteen inches below the ground.

Insure that you locate your clothesline in an area that gets the most sunlight. To avoid bird and other droppings, do not place it under trees. A properly structured clothesline does not have to look “unsightly” if care is taken in building it and choosing a location.

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