Rules of the clothesline...
09-15-2010, 06:33 PM
#131
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Texas
Posts: 607
That sure brings back memories. Raised four kids with cloth diapers and they had to be done everyday. Sometimes they froze stiff and we lived in the South. Mother had a wringer washer when I was small but when I married, lived in apartment and my mother-in-law gave me a second hand washer that you put on the stove and ladled water in and turned on the fire and rinsed the diapers by hand in the sink, then put them in the washer and washed. Then had to take lid off and let it cool and ladle out the water and then refill for rinse. Ugh. It was a Kenmore. By the time we had the second child we lived in a house and bought a "real" washer and hung things on the line - big improvement. Then when the third child was born, we moved again and got a dryer also. I thought I was in heaven. Wish I had a clothesline now just to hang out quilts and blankets to get fresh air. I have the frontloaders now and they are nice - I do appreciate them. Can't imagine how I made it in the old days, of course, I was young.
09-15-2010, 06:33 PM
#132
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Texas
Posts: 607
That sure brings back memories. Raised four kids with cloth diapers and they had to be done everyday. Sometimes they froze stiff and we lived in the South. Mother had a wringer washer when I was small but when I married, lived in apartment and my mother-in-law gave me a second hand washer that you put on the stove and ladled water in and turned on the fire and rinsed the diapers by hand in the sink, then put them in the washer and washed. Then had to take lid off and let it cool and ladle out the water and then refill for rinse. Ugh. It was a Kenmore. By the time we had the second child we lived in a house and bought a "real" washer and hung things on the line - big improvement. Then when the third child was born, we moved again and got a dryer also. I thought I was in heaven. Wish I had a clothesline now just to hang out quilts and blankets to get fresh air. I have the frontloaders now and they are nice - I do appreciate them. Can't imagine how I made it in the old days, of course, I was young.
09-15-2010, 06:44 PM
#133
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Currently Mosquito (which is outside of Placerville) California
Posts: 752
Originally Posted by Colbaltjars62
I remember clotheslines but had no idea there were rules. :shock: :shock:
Do you remember clotheslines?
You have to be a certain age to appreciate this. I can still 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!
Do you remember clotheslines?
You have to be a certain age to appreciate this. I can still 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!
And, I open my mouth about this subject and my mom's voice comes out. oooooooooohhhh nooooooooooooooooo! I still use those rules, only, I've figured out how to go without clothespins at all.
09-15-2010, 06:54 PM
#134
Junior Member
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Walterboro, SC
Posts: 107
This is exactly how I remember all the rules. I have been wanting to have one put in my back yard again, I guess it's been 15 or so years since I used one. Maybe I'll tell my husband and get one soon.even if I didn't hang close for drying, they make a great holder for photos of quilts. And the wonderful freshness of bed sheets straight off the line and back to the bed. That's a really special cozy,homey feeling.have a good day.
09-15-2010, 07:33 PM
#135
Super Member
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: AZ and CT
Posts: 4,898
One of my grammas used to hang her undies INSIDE the pillowcases. I used to HATE hanging clothes on the line when it was my job as a kid. Now, of course, I love hanging my sheets out for the great fresh smell. I always 'wipe' the line first, and the wiping cloth is always dirty. I think I still have some pants stretchers in the basement. Obviously haven't used them in years, or I'd know for sure!
Do any of you remember the term "getting clothes-lined"? It came from kids running through back yards in the dark ~ ~ ~ probably up to no good ~ ~ ~
Do any of you remember the term "getting clothes-lined"? It came from kids running through back yards in the dark ~ ~ ~ probably up to no good ~ ~ ~
09-16-2010, 04:57 AM
#136
Super Member
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Louisiana
Posts: 6,764
Originally Posted by Colbaltjars62
Hmmm, hubby says no huh... Wonder what his story is... LOLOL!!!!!
Same here! I think he doesn't want to have to go around it with the lawnmower.
:lol:
BTW -- I had one of those wringer type washers and it was downstairs in the garage below our garage apartment. I would sometimes put things washing and "forget" them there for a very long time. My DH (who was a mechanic) had the cleanest clothes in town. :o) When the first baby came we "invested" in a washer. The dryer came later. But I still used the clothesline when the weather was nice.
We live in sugar cane country and when the farmers burn cane, soot flies everywhere. Not a good thing for wet clothes on the line. So a dryer was much appreciated.
09-16-2010, 07:18 AM
#138
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Oklahoma City, Okla.
Posts: 596
Originally Posted by theoldgraymare
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...
09-16-2010, 07:40 AM
#139
Super Member
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Louisiana
Posts: 6,764
Originally Posted by Dix
Originally Posted by theoldgraymare
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...
:lol: And did you ever see a man wearing a pair of pants that had just come off of one of those thingys? :lol: :lol:
09-16-2010, 04:51 PM
#140
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: NL. Canada
Posts: 521
I remember those rules. I have a clothes line now, don't use it all the time. It the spring time when there is a wind blowing I love to put my clothes out. The sheets and pj smells so nice and fresh. My mom had a dryer but she always used the clothes line even in winter.
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