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How to Install a Clothesline

By eHow Home & Garden Editor

Rate: (42 Ratings)

A clothesline will save you money, conserve energy and give your laundry that fresh, outdoor aroma.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

Galvanized Iron Pipes
Clotheslines
Eyebolts
Measuring Tapes
Shovels
Cement

Step1

Select a site that is least visible from your (and your neighbors') views.

Step2

Plan for the clothesline to run as close to north and south as possible. This will give your clothes the maximum amount of sunlight.

Step3

Allocate a distance between the poles great enough to hold your laundry, but not so long that large or heavy articles will drag when hung in the center.

Step4

Purchase a ready-made clothesline pole set, or construct poles with galvanized iron pipes, fittings and 12 eyebolts.

Step5

Dig a hole for each pole at least 1 foot deep and 1 foot wide.

Step6

Mix a bag of cement with water.

Step7

Fill the hole partially with cement and insert the pole.

Step8

Use a level to set the pole vertically, then backfill and slightly overfill the hole with cement.

Step9

Repeat with the other pole. Ensure that the second pole is the same height as the first.

Step10

Allow the cement to dry completely.

Step11

String rope for the clothesline from one crossarm to the other. Allow a little slack in the rope.

Tips & Warnings

If you are short, either dig the holes deeper or purchase shorter pipes so that you can reach the clothesline.
For removable clothesline poles, use 1 to 1 1/2-foot-long pipes slightly larger in diameter than the upright poles. Cement these shorter pipes into your holes level with the ground. After the cement has dried, insert the clothesline poles into the pipes.
Choose vinyl or natural rope that does not stretch when pulled taut or weighted down.

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Comments

lightybug said

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on 11/20/2007 I have a pre-existing line strung from my porch to a really tall tree. I need to replace the line as the one on it is rotten.. how do I do this by myself? Please help as I am in Maine and the weather is getting colder every day .. I need to get it done while I can get outside...

emcp said

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on 7/5/2007 I have a retractable clothesline that I am about to install and I'm wondering how high I should place it given that the wet clothes and linens will weight the line down.

Anonymous said

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on 8/8/2006
Make a concrete base by using a cavity block or plastic bucket. Fill this with cement and let the socket set in this.

Dig a hole 30 cm by 30 cm and 35 cm deep, partly fill it with wet cement, place the set concrete base into this, and then fill the reminder.

Place the opened rotary clothesline into the socket and set it level. Allow the base one day to set.

Anonymous said

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on 7/22/2007 Don't buy a clothesline kit at WalMart. Part of the idea of a clothesline is to be Eco-friendly and get away from draining your wallet into wasteful energy consumption via drying machines. It would be against principle to buy a clothesline kit from WalMart, which is known for harming the environment, selling useless stuff, wasting energy, and using sweatshops.

Anonymous said

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on 3/12/2006 For those that are looking for a clothesline that is easy to put up and down, I brought a Versaline clothesline that fits anything length up to 5 metres and unclips from its mounting brackets so you can remove it. The clothesline also folds flat against the wall and works really well and I would recommend it to anyone.

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