What's involved in putting up a clothesline?

[politicat]

I don't want one of the umbrella ones, because I really don't have the space for it (what little wide footage I have I'd like to use for other things, or it's in the front of the house), but I do have a long narrow strip down one side of the house (90 feet by 6 feet). I was thinking 12 feet by 4 lines would work about right for two people.

How do we put one up? We just got the city to approve the right to dry in areas not governed by a CC&R (it's a place to start) but I don't even know where to go to get one (The Hardware Store of the Gods, probably.)

Thanks!

[NMDemDist2]

1. my MIL has a cool retractable one she hung on her shed and it

stretches to their power pole

let me search and see if I can find it online for you. you would just need two really steady posts about 6-7 foot high-- here's one like she has

http://www.builderdepot.com/seo/BUTTSMANUFACTURINGCOMPANY_BM/112882_15_-_7_5_LINE_RETRACT_CLOTHESLINE.ihtml

edit to add, here's a good article on the different choices

http://www.burkesbackyard.com.au/2004/archives/2004/home_among_the_gum_trees/clothes_lines2

[politicat]

2. We've got a retractable one for indoors...

I like it, but I'm worried about the plastic breaking down. UV light and polychlorinated vinyls don't work well together.

But... I spent some time at the hardware store, and picked up 2 8 foot sections of 1 inch pipe, 4 2 foot sections of same, T joins, quik-crete and spray paint. We have post hole diggers and and other such fun things, so I'm going to build a clothesline. I'm still thinking about making it removable...

That Edwardian one is utterly beautiful. I may have to build something similar for indoors. We have the ceilings for it in the working (rather than entertaining) part of the house.

[NMDemDist2]

3. her's is mostly metal and in Arizona so far it's holding up n/t

[muttcats]

4. Bird poop

How would you keep your clothes from being targeted by birds? I really don't think it could be done where I am. Every day I have to clean at least five splatters off the windshield before I drive away. It's everywhere. I just noticed the kid's swingset is so covered in poop that it's probably a health hazard.

Would mounting one of those plastic owls on the clothesline help?

I'm serious -- not joking at all.

[NMDemDist2]

5. I don't think Pcat has that problem in Colorado

but I can see there may be "issues" in MO

Make a scarecrow?

[politicat]

6. Our bird issues are less ... pressing than that.

We have a colony of feral cats and several raptors that live in the area. The raptors don't seem to feel the need like songbirds and wrens do, and the cats keep the smaller birds away. The big trees are to the front of the property rather than the back or sides.

There's a stream about a mile from the house and that's where the birds collect. I can't remember the last time I had to clean crap off the window, (other than road dirt) and I just looked at the uncovered part of the back deck... No plops at all.

There are some goop... uh... good! points to living in a really dry climate.

[Warpy]

7. I used a line on Cape Cod for 10 years

and never once had to clean bird poop off my clothing.

I think not putting it under a porch or under a tree helped. Birds do poop as they fly, but they like their comfort as much as we do and would prefer to poop while they're nesting or sitting on a branch.

The problem here in NM is dust and grit. If there's any breeze at all, you'll find your whites turning a brick red from it. I do dry all my rag rugs outside, though. I'm just not up for gritty sheets and undies.

On edit: my line consisted of two boat cleats, one on a garden shed and the other on a corner of the house. I had a loop in one end of the line and the other was permanently tied. I'd just walk the line over and slip the loop over the cleat when I was ready to hang the clothes. An 8 foot 1/3 with a notch in the end propped up the middle of the line (old solution). When I was done, I'd slip the loop off and wind the line over my arm, just hang it on the other cleat.