Ditter43

Does any of this bring back memories?





I remember

1. Hung socks by the toes not the top.

2. Hung pants by the bottoms not the waistband.




Remember?





You have to be a certain age to appreciate this. I can hear my mother now ....



THE BASIC RULES FOR CLOTHESLINES: (if you don't know what clotheslines are, better skip this)



1. You had to wash the clothes line before hanging any clothes - walk the entire lengths of each line with a damp cloth around the lines.



2. You had to hang the clothes in a certain order, and always hang "whites" with "whites," and hang them first.



3. You never hung a shirt by the shoulders - always by the tail!. What would the neighbors think?



4.. Wash day on a Monday! . ... . Never hang clothes on the weekend, or Sunday, for Heaven's sake!



5. Hang the sheets and towels on the outside lines so you could hide your "unmentionables" in the middle (perverts & busybodies, y'know!)



6. It didn't matter if it was sub zero weather ... clothes would "freeze-dry."



7. Always gather the clothes pins when taking down dry clothes! Pins left on the lines were "tacky!"



8. If you were efficient, you would line the clothes up so that each item did not need two clothes pins, but shared one of the clothes pins with the next washed item.



9. Clothes off of the line before dinner time, neatly folded in the clothes basket, and ready to be ironed.



10. IRONED?! Well, that's a whole other subject!



A POEM



A clothesline was a news forecast

To neighbors passing by,

There were no secrets you could keep

When clothes were hung to dry.



It also was a friendly link

For neighbors always knew

If company had stopped on by

To spend a night or two.



For then you'd see the "fancy sheets"

And towels upon the line;

You'd see the "company table cloths"

With intricate designs.



The line announced a baby's birth

From folks who lived inside -

As brand new infant clothes were hung,

So carefully with pride!



The ages of the children could

So readily be known

By watching how the sizes changed,

You'd know how much they'd grown!



It also told when illness struck,

As extra sheets were hung;

Then nightclothes, and a bathrobe, too,

Haphazardly were strung.



It also said, "Gone on vacation now"

When lines hung limp and bare.

It told, "We're back!" when full lines sagged

With not an inch to spare!



New folks in town were scorned upon

If wash was dingy and gray,

As neighbors carefully raised their brows,

And looked the other way .. . .



But clotheslines now are of the past,

For dryers make work much less.

Now what goes on inside a home

Is anybody's guess!



I really miss that way of life.

It was a friendly sign

When neighbors knew each other best

By what hung on the line.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

jbud2

I still hang wash out! On those first nice days of spring, I strip the beds and all the bedding goes on the line. Then I email my SIL, yes my SIL, at work, that I hung my wash out today. He does the laundry and would love to be able to hang out all their laundry.

S D G

I remember the clothes line. People now think they are an eye sore, but I like them. You got outside in the fresh air, got some sun and saved on the electric bill. A clothes line used could save around 30 dollars a month on the electric bill. Over the year that is a good amound. Some times the old ways are still the best.

raedar63

I still use a cloths line as well, I remember several years ago my mom getting after me for leaving my cloths pins on the line . LOL
I love driving through the country and seeing the wash hung out.

MissSandra

I remember doing it backwards as a child hanging for 9 people is alot of work, and yes doing it backwards got me out of doing it. now I hang on hangers sometimes sheets and blankets on the full line. there is nothing like the scent of fresh linnen off the line

huntannette

Yep , i remember those days....my mom wouldn`t be too fussy when we did it because she was happy to get the help but MIL wow...when i first got married...was 18... decided to help her so, hung her clothes on the clothesline and to my surprise she went back after me...took everything down and did it over....i hadn`t done it the right way....thats was the last time i helped...besides she would always say it was ok..she prefered doing it herself ...lol





I remember

1. Hung socks by the toes not the top.

2. Hung pants by the bottoms not the waistband.




Remember?





You have to be a certain age to appreciate this. I can hear my mother now ....



THE BASIC RULES FOR CLOTHESLINES: (if you don't know what clotheslines are, better skip this)



1. You had to wash the clothes line before hanging any clothes - walk the entire lengths of each line with a damp cloth around the lines.



2. You had to hang the clothes in a certain order, and always hang "whites" with "whites," and hang them first.



3. You never hung a shirt by the shoulders - always by the tail!. What would the neighbors think?



4.. Wash day on a Monday! . ... . Never hang clothes on the weekend, or Sunday, for Heaven's sake!



5. Hang the sheets and towels on the outside lines so you could hide your "unmentionables" in the middle (perverts & busybodies, y'know!)



6. It didn't matter if it was sub zero weather ... clothes would "freeze-dry."



7. Always gather the clothes pins when taking down dry clothes! Pins left on the lines were "tacky!"



8. If you were efficient, you would line the clothes up so that each item did not need two clothes pins, but shared one of the clothes pins with the next washed item.



9. Clothes off of the line before dinner time, neatly folded in the clothes basket, and ready to be ironed.



10. IRONED?! Well, that's a whole other subject!



A POEM



A clothesline was a news forecast

To neighbors passing by,

There were no secrets you could keep

When clothes were hung to dry.



It also was a friendly link

For neighbors always knew

If company had stopped on by

To spend a night or two.



For then you'd see the "fancy sheets"

And towels upon the line;

You'd see the "company table cloths"

With intricate designs.



The line announced a baby's birth

From folks who lived inside -

As brand new infant clothes were hung,

So carefully with pride!



The ages of the children could

So readily be known

By watching how the sizes changed,

You'd know how much they'd grown!



It also told when illness struck,

As extra sheets were hung;

Then nightclothes, and a bathrobe, too,

Haphazardly were strung.



It also said, "Gone on vacation now"

When lines hung limp and bare.

It told, "We're back!" when full lines sagged

With not an inch to spare!



New folks in town were scorned upon

If wash was dingy and gray,

As neighbors carefully raised their brows,

And looked the other way .. . .



But clotheslines now are of the past,

For dryers make work much less.

Now what goes on inside a home

Is anybody's guess!



I really miss that way of life.

It was a friendly sign

When neighbors knew each other best

By what hung on the line.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------[/quote]

mtspools

Oh WOW --I could hear my mother voice as if she was here today telling me those things. I still hang laundry out when I can. Wich reminds me I need new lines.
Thanks for the good memories.

purplemem

I love hanging clothes on the line. And yes, those were the rules I had to follow.

In my current home, I don't have a clothesline and I really want one.

Do you remember the metal frames we put inside jeans to dry and make a crease in them?

mtspools

Sure do

JanetM

I've never hung my laundry on a clothes line, but sure do remember my Mom and Grandmother doing this.
My Mom was great at hanging sheets. If you hang the fitted sheet just so, it can be folded neatly when you take it down.