Yup, those were the rules i was taught, and also, the heaviest items were put on first, next to the poles to keep them from stretching the line in the middle.
i still adhere to these rules, and my daughter who isn't THAT old, still hangs clothes all summer long...winter time...not so much (and i did literally break a pair of pants one time that were (freeze dried) ...tried to fold them in half, broke them in half instead :) boy was my mom mad!