DIY Clothesline | Dry Clothes Outdoors
A DIY clothesline is ideal to dry clothes outdoors, and depending on where you reside this can occur in the summer and winter months. Building a clothesline which resembles an old power-line takes a little creativity and even less work.
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Living the homestead life tends to mean reclaiming a simpler time. Which in turn means saving money whenever, and however, it can be saved. Hence, making hanging clothes on the line an economical practice.
Seems rather practical, yes?
Who am I kidding, I love hanging clothes on the line. There is not more practical and traditional than freshly laundered garments on the clothesline. Especially on the DIY clothesline Justin constructed for me as a gift.
The design represents old electric poles, down to the last detail, glass insulators. Every build on the homestead represents me and a world long gone. For this reason a prefabricated clothesline kit would not do.
A DIY Clotheslines is Practical
The ability to dry clothes outdoors is practical to many. However, some individuals require a bit of convincing.
- air-drying clothes eliminates static electricity
- clothing dried on the line smells fresh, like sunshine
- Sunlight along with distilled vinegar is a natural disinfectant to laundry
- There is less wear and tear on clothing which is line dried
- When you dry clothes outdoors it saves money and conserves energy
The DIY clothesline in this article is large enough to wash 5 average loads in a day. In addition to this, queen size bedding is capable of being dried on this unique clothesline.
Placing the dried clothing or bedding in the dryer for 5 to 10 minutes will eliminate any pollen, wrinkles, and will also soften the items.
Individuals who go through the process of drying clothes outdoors may as well make their own laundry soap! A homemade laundry soap recipe is extremely easy to make and it does a great job cleaning and minimizing order in clothing.
Dry Clothes Outdoors
In addition to being able to dry clothes outdoors during the summer months, clothes can also be hung on the clothesline during the winter months.
There are also benefits to line-drying clothes in the winter months. Many of the benefits are similar to drying clothes during the summer. The UV rays during the the winter continue to whiten whites and minimize order as it does during the summer. However, instead of the warm of the sun drying clothes, clothes are dried using a freeze drying process.
Building a Clothesline
Transforming a single family home into a sustainable homestead allows for all builds to be designed with a splash of creativity and for it to be personalized. Building a clothesline, especially one which is built to last, is more valuable than an inexpensive metal one.
The plans for this DIY clothesline is based on our property’s needs. Feel free to modify the instructions to better fit your property and family’s needs.
Material
- 8-feet 4×4 treated posts, 6x
- 8-feet 2×6 treated boards, 3x
- 8-inch carriage bolts or specialty bolts, 12x
- 3-inch eye bolts, 20x
- 1-roll paracord or clothesline rope
- 60-pound bag sakrete ready mix cement, 3x
Many of the tools used to construct this DIY clotheslines are commonly found in many household. The tools consist of a crescent wrench, electric drill, hole boring drill bit for the carriage bolts, and a compound miter saw.
For those who do not own an electric compound miter saw a manual one can be purchased for quite inexpensively at a local hardware store.
Also, in keeping with the theme of an old electric pole, glass insulators are added for ascetic appeal. Again, a touch of my style to complete the design.
Instructions
- set the 4×4 posts by digging a 2-foot hole. Place the post and 1 bag of sakcrete cement into the pre-dug hole. Add water to mix the cement. Create a brace to the post to ensure it remains level and does not move as the cement sets. Allow the cement to cure prior to beginning the next steps.
- Using a compound miter saw, cut the remaining 4×4 posts at a 45 degree angle at each end, cutting 6 pieces at 24-inches long point to long point. Attach the 24-inch cut pieces to the main post using 3 1/2-inch screws.
- Next using the 2×6 boards, at a 15 degree angle on each end, cutting 6 pieces at 40-inches long point to long point.
- Secure the 2×6 boards together using the carriage bolts or other specialty bolt (hex-head bolts which were photographed) and nut set. If the bolts are not self driving, drill pilot holes using the appropriate drill bit based on the bolt size.
- Measure the appropriate distance to place the eye bolt lags. How far apart you’d like them is up to you. Pre-drill pilot holes for the eye bolt lags, apply the eye bolts.
- The final step is to add the clothes line rope.
Note:
The posts are placed 6-feet apart. However, when building a clothesline the posts can be placed up to 10-feet apart. Keep in mind, the further apart the posts are the more lag will occur in the clothesline rope.
DIY Clothesline for Drying Clothes Outdoors
A DIY clothesline is ideal to dry clothes outdoors, and depending on where you reside this can occur in the summer and winter months. Building a clothesline which resembles an old power-line takes a little creativity and even less work.
Materials
- 6 4x4 treated posts,, 8-feet posts
- 3 2x6 treated boards,, 8-feet boards
- 12 carriage bolts or specialty bolts, 8-inch bolts
- 20 eye bolts, 3-inch eye bolts
- 1 roll paracord or clothesline rope
- 60 pound bag sakrete ready mix cement, 3 bags
Tools
- crescent wrench
- electric drill
- compound miter saw
Instructions
- Set the 4x4 posts by digging a 2-foot hole. Place the post and 1 bag of sakcrete cement into the pre-dug hole. Add water to mix the cement. Create a brace to the post to ensure it remains level and does not move as the cement sets. Allow the cement to cure prior to beginning the next steps.
- Using a compound miter saw, cut the remaining 4x4 posts at a 45 degree angle at each end, cutting 6 pieces at 24-inches long point to long point. Attach the 24-inch cut pieces to the main post using 3 1/2-inch screws.
- Next using the 2x6 boards, at a 15 degree angle on each end, cutting 6 pieces at 40-inches long point to long point.
- Secure the 2x6 boards together using the carriage bolts or other specialty bolt (hex-head bolts which were photographed) and nut set. If the bolts are not self driving, drill pilot holes using the appropriate drill bit based on the bolt size.
- Measure the appropriate distance to place the eye bolt lags. How far apart you'd like them is up to you. Pre-drill pilot holes for the eye bolt lags, apply the eye bolts.
- The final step is to add the clothes line rope.
Notes
The posts are placed 6-feet apart. However, when building a clothesline the posts can be placed up to 10-feet apart. Keep in mind, the further apart the posts are the more lag will occur in the clothesline rope.
As mentioned, when you dry clothes outdoors there are a plethora of benefits. However, none as greater than being able to execute a simple, traditional means of drying clothes.
I suggest you avoid plastic pins. I find they do not last long here in our New England winters. They get brittle with the cold and break. Most of my wooden ones have lasted over 8 years!
Thank you so much for letting me know!
What a great idea for the insulators and the solar lights! I, too, recommend wooden ones. Take them back indoors with you when you’re done with them and they’ll last ages. I have some from my mother when she used to hang clothes out — as in 30 years ago!
I absolutely love drying my outside on the line. Your DIY clothesline looks great and I love the personalized touches you added to the posts. I also have lines in my basement, so I can hang dry year-round. In fact, our dryer broke back in the winter and I haven’t bothered to get it fixed since I highly prefer to line dry.