This may seem self explanatory, but what I've seen on the occasional clothesline tells me it's not. There is more passed on knowledge, and experience, involved in drying laundry that apparently isn't getting handed down. So just to have this information in print... here we go.
Stuff your mother may not have told you:
Snap the clothes or bedding a few times, before hanging. This helps smooth out wrinkles. Keep your wrists strong while doing this, or your snapping laundry days may be numbered! If you are hanging the items over something more strong & sturdy, than a thin line, you can use paddles, rackets, anything clean, to beat the fabric. This somewhat replaces the softening and wrinkle removal of air movement, when there is no breeze. (10 months out of the year where I grew up.) If you live somewhere breezy, then you can skip beating fabric, or other such things. :)
Have you lines so that the outer lines are a good bit higher than the inner lines. This allows you to hang large light colored bedding over a load of items you don't want faded, or pollen laden. Be careful that the sunlight doesn't still rest on the bottom of long garments. If you made *long outfits that don't come apart, try hanging them over a two or three wire span, to get them out of danger. If you think that sounds a bit awkward to situate, I agree. Not a fan of combination top and bottom garments. Unless there is very little fabric, it's going to get musty, hung as a single unit, before it can dry, or you're trying to span it over other lines for air.
Hang blouses and shirts from their hem, not the shoulders. If you are low on pins, lap the hem edges of the current, and next item, using a single pin. Pants can be hung by the hem between two lines, with the crease in place, and the pins at the seams. Both of these methods reduce ironing, and pin marks. Notched pins can leave less marks than coiled spring versions, depending. Getting the laundry down as soon as it's dry is best, but often not practical. When you do take it down, give it another good snap. Don't forget to get the pins in, off the lines, and out of the weather. I recommend making a pin apron, and storing them in it.
Expose stains, discoloration, or wrong sides of colored garments, while drying. This helps, even if you cover the colored laundry with bedding above. Try not to build a laundry line in known bird flight paths. Watch your site a bit, before installation. If the bird path can't be avoided, you can use old bedding/fabric, to cover the laundry.
Often birds don't seem to ever eliminate in a way that it gets on the laundry, so this really is only taking precautions. Hanging out a whites load, with everything single file, reduces the bird aim issue to basically zero. It's just that covered laundry had a broader 'target area' (the bedding across the top of the lines). If you have a lot of trees, building a dedicated colored laundry 3-line set, under a canopy, can be nice. The top cover is still needed due to debris, sap, and birds/animals in trees.
If you have very hard water, hanging your wash out, when flash rain showers are expected, is a good idea. Rain water will help rinse out the washing additives and minerals that make clothes stiff, plus smells cleaner than hard water. It's not so nice if you live near roads, and such things, that make the rain smell bad. Hmm, maybe sniff your rain first? Haha.
*Tall folks really aught to rethink doing this, my opinion. It's just going to get too close to the ground, on a line, or turn into a rope in a modern dryer. I suppose it's not an issue in dryer climates, because you could just drop the bodice down the skirt, and hang it from the inside out waistband. Alternately, if you have a pulley system line that goes high, and king size bedding, then never you mind about the length. Carry on.
Snap the clothes or bedding a few times, before hanging. This helps smooth out wrinkles. Keep your wrists strong while doing this, or your snapping laundry days may be numbered! If you are hanging the items over something more strong & sturdy, than a thin line, you can use paddles, rackets, anything clean, to beat the fabric. This somewhat replaces the softening and wrinkle removal of air movement, when there is no breeze. (10 months out of the year where I grew up.) If you live somewhere breezy, then you can skip beating fabric, or other such things. :)
Have you lines so that the outer lines are a good bit higher than the inner lines. This allows you to hang large light colored bedding over a load of items you don't want faded, or pollen laden. Be careful that the sunlight doesn't still rest on the bottom of long garments. If you made *long outfits that don't come apart, try hanging them over a two or three wire span, to get them out of danger. If you think that sounds a bit awkward to situate, I agree. Not a fan of combination top and bottom garments. Unless there is very little fabric, it's going to get musty, hung as a single unit, before it can dry, or you're trying to span it over other lines for air.
Hang blouses and shirts from their hem, not the shoulders. If you are low on pins, lap the hem edges of the current, and next item, using a single pin. Pants can be hung by the hem between two lines, with the crease in place, and the pins at the seams. Both of these methods reduce ironing, and pin marks. Notched pins can leave less marks than coiled spring versions, depending. Getting the laundry down as soon as it's dry is best, but often not practical. When you do take it down, give it another good snap. Don't forget to get the pins in, off the lines, and out of the weather. I recommend making a pin apron, and storing them in it.
Expose stains, discoloration, or wrong sides of colored garments, while drying. This helps, even if you cover the colored laundry with bedding above. Try not to build a laundry line in known bird flight paths. Watch your site a bit, before installation. If the bird path can't be avoided, you can use old bedding/fabric, to cover the laundry.
Often birds don't seem to ever eliminate in a way that it gets on the laundry, so this really is only taking precautions. Hanging out a whites load, with everything single file, reduces the bird aim issue to basically zero. It's just that covered laundry had a broader 'target area' (the bedding across the top of the lines). If you have a lot of trees, building a dedicated colored laundry 3-line set, under a canopy, can be nice. The top cover is still needed due to debris, sap, and birds/animals in trees.
If you have very hard water, hanging your wash out, when flash rain showers are expected, is a good idea. Rain water will help rinse out the washing additives and minerals that make clothes stiff, plus smells cleaner than hard water. It's not so nice if you live near roads, and such things, that make the rain smell bad. Hmm, maybe sniff your rain first? Haha.
*Tall folks really aught to rethink doing this, my opinion. It's just going to get too close to the ground, on a line, or turn into a rope in a modern dryer. I suppose it's not an issue in dryer climates, because you could just drop the bodice down the skirt, and hang it from the inside out waistband. Alternately, if you have a pulley system line that goes high, and king size bedding, then never you mind about the length. Carry on.
Depending on your location, weather, and clothes thieving animals, there are other options. A bush/many bushes, can dry laundry just fine. So can a line, retractable or otherwise, strung across a porch. Or a balcony. A clean roof. A clean vehicle. Fence line. Thick vegetation on the ground. A tree. Laundry + air = dry clothes. Don't forget to turn dyed fabric inside out!
If you are having trouble finding supplies, especially sturdy spring coiled pins, take a look at these sites for ideas:
Pants stretcher These may or may not work for you, and they are tricky to pin down in high winds, apparently. I had something similar, and mine worked great, other than being a pain to simply keep on the line.
Assorted floor drying racks and other equipment, same seller as above pants stretcher.
Pre-made Clotheslines I like the construction of these the best, for manufactured lines, and they are a bit easier to hide away from nervous neighbors.
Another pre-made clothesline, drying rack, and plunger style washer - I have the plunger style washer thing, bought from another site, and I've really liked it. Much better than the older metal versions of this type. Link goes to laundry tips.
Mostly what you might want to note is no matter what, it's best to hang stained clothes out, rather than use the modern dryer. Until that stain is FULLY removed. Which you may not be able to tell, until the garment is dry.
The clothespins of awesomeness! New maker of REAL stainless steel spring pins, called Classic American Clothespins. I have 2 dozen of these. They are even better than 90% of my allotted inherited clothespins! Pricey, sort of, but it's a one time purchase, that your children's children should be able to use.
I personally wouldn't hesitate over the price. Especially if you are re-washing clothing that fell down from poorly made pins, or are having other issues with your pins. He has options for DIYers, to help reduce the upfront cost of a fully finished pin.
Would be neat if he decides to branch off into adjustable, or multi sized, stainless steel pants stretchers, that stay on the clothesline. I might be day dreaming though.
More Clothespin makers This is news to me, I just saw it when I checked the link still works, and noticed he was having delayed stock. So searched around, and found this. What a great thing. May this little industry continue to grow. :)
As for pin holders/storage/aprons - It's just a length of sturdy fabric in a convenient, or pleasing, shape. With 2-3 sturdy pockets, and a sturdy waist tie. Hang from hook/nail in barn, or covered building. Tie around waist when hanging laundry. If you make it too frilly, there could be some resistance from the men folk, and non-frilly girls, concerning helping out with laundry. ;)
Pants stretcher These may or may not work for you, and they are tricky to pin down in high winds, apparently. I had something similar, and mine worked great, other than being a pain to simply keep on the line.
Assorted floor drying racks and other equipment, same seller as above pants stretcher.
Pre-made Clotheslines I like the construction of these the best, for manufactured lines, and they are a bit easier to hide away from nervous neighbors.
Another pre-made clothesline, drying rack, and plunger style washer - I have the plunger style washer thing, bought from another site, and I've really liked it. Much better than the older metal versions of this type. Link goes to laundry tips.
Mostly what you might want to note is no matter what, it's best to hang stained clothes out, rather than use the modern dryer. Until that stain is FULLY removed. Which you may not be able to tell, until the garment is dry.
The clothespins of awesomeness! New maker of REAL stainless steel spring pins, called Classic American Clothespins. I have 2 dozen of these. They are even better than 90% of my allotted inherited clothespins! Pricey, sort of, but it's a one time purchase, that your children's children should be able to use.
I personally wouldn't hesitate over the price. Especially if you are re-washing clothing that fell down from poorly made pins, or are having other issues with your pins. He has options for DIYers, to help reduce the upfront cost of a fully finished pin.
Would be neat if he decides to branch off into adjustable, or multi sized, stainless steel pants stretchers, that stay on the clothesline. I might be day dreaming though.
More Clothespin makers This is news to me, I just saw it when I checked the link still works, and noticed he was having delayed stock. So searched around, and found this. What a great thing. May this little industry continue to grow. :)
As for pin holders/storage/aprons - It's just a length of sturdy fabric in a convenient, or pleasing, shape. With 2-3 sturdy pockets, and a sturdy waist tie. Hang from hook/nail in barn, or covered building. Tie around waist when hanging laundry. If you make it too frilly, there could be some resistance from the men folk, and non-frilly girls, concerning helping out with laundry. ;)
Update! - I found an article written obviously for seriously breezy areas! Also very focused on a huge amount of ironing, but it discusses something I'd never considered. Wind blowing on a garment, not hung from the shoulders, could add wear and tear to the underarm attachments. I have always wondered why people hung things that way! Must be a concept from breezy/windy areas. Sorry about your ironing then, dear folks of the breezy windy locations.
A Guide to Laundry-work: A Manual for Home and School - Mary Davoren Chambers 1915. Drying information starts on page 31.
A Guide to Laundry-work: A Manual for Home and School - Mary Davoren Chambers 1915. Drying information starts on page 31.