Clothesline basics and a poem

[blessedhomemaker71]

THE BASIC RULES FOR CLOTHESLINES:

 

(If you don't even know what clotheslines are, better skip this.)

 

 

1. You had to hang the socks by the toes... NOT the top.

 

 

2. You hung pants by the BOTTOM/cuffs... NOT the waistbands.

 

 

3. You had to WASH the clothesline(s) before hanging any clothes - walk the entire length of each line with a damp cloth around the lines.

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

10. 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.

 

 

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

 

 

12. IRONED???!! Well, that's a whole OTHER subject!

 

[There is one thing that's left out. We had a long wooden pole (clothes pole) that was used to push the clotheslines up so that longer items (sheets/pants/etc.) didn't brush the ground and get dirty. You have to be a "certain age" to appreciate this one.... (But you YOUNGER ones can read about "The GOOD ol' days"!!) I can hear my mother now.....]

 

 

 

 

And now a POEM ...

 

A clothesline was a news forecast,

 

To neighbours passing by,

 

There were no secrets you could keep,

 

When clothes were hung to dry.

 

 

It also was a friendly link,

 

For neighbours 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, "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 neighbours’ 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 neighbours’ knew each other best...

 

By what hung out on that line.

[Amishway Homesteaders]

CUTE!

 

We like to tell people that ask if we hang clothes outside that yes we do ....................

On our Solar Clothes Dryer!

Takes them a bit to see that it is our Clothesline!

If they get it at all - some think we DO have a solar Dryer out in the back yard?

 

[Andrea]

LOVE this! And yes, our "unmentionables" always go on the middle line surrounded by sheets and towels. I guess I'm tacky though, I am guilty of leaving the clothespins on the line! LOL

[Jasminegirl]

LOVE this! And yes, our "unmentionables" always go on the middle line surrounded by sheets and towels. I guess I'm tacky though, I am guilty of leaving the clothespins on the line! LOL

this is just too cute...love it. We still try hanging our clothes on the line and try to hide the unmentionables also

[kappydell]

sounds like you hung a few as a child! Me too, but I could never convince those who had not that hanging clothes 'right side up' was WRONG! Let alone putting them on hangers to dry (WTF is with that?) Nor could I convince anyone that sharing clothespins was efficient, nor hanging clothes along their seam lines (so the wrinkles would be minimized). Now folding clothes so they dont wrinkle? Nobody knows that, either; they either wad them or ball them. Oh well....! Ironing? remember those cool clothes sprinklers made from soda pop bottles? I had to explain WHY I sprinkled the clothes on a couple occasions, to 30 year olds. Permanent press sure changed wash day!

[Annarchy]

Good ol' days? Still doing it. LOL

 

Must hide unmentionables! My silly neighbor teased me one day.... "... I see London, I see France, I see Annies underpants...."

 

Never ever happened again!

[SueC]

we only use a dryer if it is raining, otherwise it is always out in the sun on the line. The 'new' place has a rotary line that is stuck in a low position so have to watch the length hanging down, but otherwise good. And yes the unmentionables go on the inside line