How to Install a Clothesline Tightener

There is nothing quite like the smell of clothes that have been dried on an outdoor clothesline. But after many uses, a clothesline can begin to stretch, which causes your clean clothes to end up on the ground. The best remedy for a stretching clothesline is a clothesline tightener. It's inexpensive and takes only minutes to install.

Things You'll Need

• Clothesline rope
• Clothesline pulleys installed
• Clothesline tightener
• Scissors

Instructions

1. Take one end of your clothesline and tie it to the hooked end of the clothesline tightener. Be sure to knot it tightly.

2. Run the other end of your clothesline around your pulleys and bring it back to the clothesline tightener.

3. Push the cap down on the other end of the clothesline tightener and insert the loose end of the clothesline. Pull it all the way through the other end. Continue pulling until the clothesline is as tight as you need it to be.

4. Cut off excess rope, but leave at least 12 inches for future tightening.

Tips & Warnings

• Use line separators to help keep the lines close together when heavy items are put out to dry.

• Tighten the clothesline at least once a month to keep it from sagging.

• Do not pull the clothesline so tight that it cannot move freely around the pulleys.

References

• The Boston Globe: Ask Martha: Setting up a clothesline