One thing you forgot, was that the clothes pins also had to be bleached, because if they were moldy, they would leave spots on the clean clothes, and tired women were not happy about that.

Like the old saying went, if Mamma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy!!

I still have a clothesline, I only use it in the Summer months. Texas summer temps are 95-100+, so the clothes dry quickly. Only towels get done in the dryer. My house didn't have wiring for a dryer or a/c until 15 yrs ago, when my DH put it in. Its lovely to have my own personal electrician.

Do you remember the metal stretchers that were inserted into the legs of Daddy's khaki work pants so they wouldn't have to be ironed? I hated those things with a passion...

I remember my mom with her first washing machine, an old wringer type.She would wash the clothes, hang them on the clothes line to dry...take them in (sometimes frozen), sprinkle them with water, roll them in bath towels, put them in the refrig for a day or so, then take them out and iron them !!! CRAZY ??? I never understand it.

I am so glad to have a dryer! Although I like the smell of sheets dried on the line, I have learned to love the smell of convenience!!! ha ha ha :lol: :-D

Here, here! :thumbup:

Too many rules. I still have a clothesline; however, since having bilateral total knee surgeries July 09, I rely on my dryer so I won't fall outside. As a teen, my Mom worked so my brother & I got to do the washing & drying most Sat's out in the garage on the wringer machine. Sometimes it was so cold the clothes would freeze before we got them hung on the line. If I spent the night with my Grandparents & Aunt, she'd have to have me home by 7am to help do laundry.

I grew up with a ringer washer - it was my job to do laundry on Thursdays - and I'd get soaking wet doing all the rinsing in the double tubs. We didn't even have a dryer (and I grew up in the Chicago suburbs in the 60's-70's - can you believe it!), so I'd have to hang it all on the line. In the basement if it was winter.

I have a question - do the clothes really freeze dry in the winter? Not that I could get my wet hands to work out there that time of year, but it sounds interesting...

I am still using clotheslines...we have two paralell lines and a drying area on the back wall of our house. Still follow most of the "rules" but I put shirts and t's on plastic hangers...it cuts down on ironing. We do have a dryer, but it is only used in the depths of winter. Power prices keep rising here and dryers are really expensive to run.

We had a traditional line when I was a kid...we called the poles props.

Naturalmama, the clothes sure do freeze if it's below freezing temps outside. It's like wrestling a frozen piece of cardboard to hang up shirts & towels. I do remember metal stretchers for men's/women's pants. We weren't allowed to wear pants to school back in 50s & 60s (girls & women here in the South were under different rules then than now). My Dad even went to the Principal, but no luck.