90. Hanging Clothes to Dry.—To some it might seem that the laundry work is practically done when clothes are ready to be hung on the line; but the next step has some very important features, the oversight of which might make necessary the rewashing of articles.
One of the chief virtues of proper drying of clothes is the effect that sun and air have on them. When clothes are hung on the line quite wet, almost dripping in fact, the combined action of sun and air is one of the best bleaches known. It is because of this that white clothes should be hung, when possible, out-of-doors, and that colored clothes should be hung in the shade or indoors.
91. To save time in the sorting of articles for ironing, hang all garments of a kind together. Then, to have the clothes dry in the best possible condition, keep in mind the following general directions:
Be sure that the clothes-line and pins are perfectly clean.
Shake things out well and turn outer garments, if they have not already been turned, wrong side out.
Hang large pieces, such as sheets and table-cloths, on a straight thread of the material, one-fourth or one-half of each over the line, and fasten with four or five clothes-pins. Sheets may be doubled crosswise, so that the upper and lower hems meet, and pinned to the line by the hems, to minimize the danger of hems being torn by the wind.
Fold flat pieces as they are taken off the line, as then they will be easier to iron.
Take starched clothes from the line as soon as they are dry, as long hanging will cause them to lose their stiffness and make them more difficult to iron. Also, as a brisk wind will take out the starch, be sure to make it rather heavy on windy days.
But who knew that the act of line-drying itself could be so contentious?
When my husband and I hang washing out together, there is a running commentary on the failings of each other's methods of hanging. I like to hang shirts from the bottom, he likes to put them on coathangers...I pair up socks before pegging them, he hangs them how they come out of the basket. And if you add my oldest daughter into the equation...well! Then you get a method which seems to involve tossing the item over the line and pinning it however it lands.
So I was interested to see the guide at bbb.co.uk's h2g2 site about how to hang clothing correctly.
In summary, some of the content covered is:
Perhaps you can tell a lot about someone by how they organise their washing line?
I like to match items up as I hang, - pyjama bottoms with tops, socks paired, sports uniforms together. Not because I'm particularly anal, just because it saves time later when I bring the washing in and fold it - and that is a task I dislike more than the hanging out.
And I tend to hang all the large items first and leave the underwear and socks until the end. I figure I can always find room on a rack for those items if I run out of space, but it's harder to find space for a bedsheet.
If I have items that are stained with pasta sauce (which is a reasonably frequent occurrence with one smallish child) I try to find a space on the line which is in full sun, as that exposure causes the stain to miraculously disappear.
My methods have been adopted over time through trial and error combined with family tradition, but I'm wondering whether there is a more definitive method from before our time, that I should have learnt?
How do you hang?
9 comments:
Oh Boy,
You might guess from the name of my blog where this is going.......
I always match my pegs (that are on the same garment) to each other, and make sure they coordinate pleasingly with said garment. In case you think this is totally out there, you would be surprised how many people email me to tell me they do the same!
I hang smalls inside, and large items to the outside of the line on that vital piece of equipment, my rotary clothes line.
I was sad to leave the old metal rotary line at the old house recently for the new-spangled-plasticy one - the lines droop and are spaced far less conveniently.
I hang everything inside-out to avoid fading, and larger garments (such as adult Tee shirts) get three pegs on the hem instead of two.
Business shirts and similar garments get hung straight on a hanger.
If I have time, I hang each member of the family's clothes together, and fold them as I remove them from the line, so they are already all together for putting away.
If I have to rush the washing in (if it is starting to rain) my washing will sit in a basket unfolded for ages, so it is more pleasant to fold it outside in the fresh air if possible.
Washing is the only domestic chore that I am any good at - I am a pretty boring cook, and a reluctant cleaner - perhaps I like washing (relativly speaking) because it is dealing with fabric, which I love.
Now you all know what a washing dork I am.
I go with the "Big Rocks First" theory of hanging. Towels, sheets, shirts, smalls last.
Not because they look the best that way, but as a disliked chore if you hang the big items first the size of your chore seems to diminish more quickly than if you start with the socks.
I hang delicates on a hanger, inside (silk shirts, black items etc).
Socks are hung in pairs ready to fold together straight from the line.
If I remember I will hang a line of "big rocks" on the outside of the line to hide the smalls.
I'm now at the end of this comment hoping that you don't think I actually hang out big rocks, literally.
Big items first, on the outer line nearest the neighbour - not that I care whether they see the smalls or not - but because that is the side nearest the sun! Also put three pegs in things like male tee shirts and hang shirts from the bottom. Socks paired and undies segregated according to sex. Clothes first then teatowels, towels, table mats etc except sheets that go on the outer lines.
Whilst helping my sister-in-law in Scotland last year I discovered that she is one of the 'matching peg' school. In fact she went along replacing pegs on all the things I had hung up. Talk about obsessive! Just as well I am thick skinned!! The answer to that one I would say is to have pegs all the same colour - but how boring!! And horror of horrors, since The Dof has retired and frequently helps hang out he is also a 'matching peg' compulsive!
Wow, fancy giving that much thought to it.
But now you have made me think about it...
Shirts are pinned by the underside of the collar.
Towels hang together so as not to cast a shadow on the clothing.
Undies and socks go on one of those circular peg things you can buy from the $2 shops, they save pegs.
Pegs are chosen at random.
Mum used to use the shared peg thing, linking all the clothes together, but that was because she was ALWAYS short of pegs!
What I wouldn't give to smell clothes that have just come in off of the line. It has been so many years since I had that experience! What great memories you have brought back for me.
I have a fabulous book called "Home Comforts: the art and science of keeping house" which was given to me by Domestic Goddess and which, in turn, I have given to Alison. The author writes an entire chapter on Drying the Laundry. True.
There are even illustrations on how to peg out clothes. For example, she shows two examples of how to hang out a shirt.
Whether you find the concept of this book faintly disturbing, or it's an area of true fascination for you I recommend having a look through it...
Author: Cheryl Mendelson.
The question I have is ... how did our readers learn to hang clothes? Did mum/grandma/Uncle Joe teach you or did you figure out your own style because we all do have our own style.
What a joy to feel I'm amongst so many competent and professional air-dryers and how interesting all the differences are. I'm impressed by the two mentioned male hanger-outers. The only time my two did it was hilarious – many years ago when I was recovering from an operation and couldn't do it. All went reasonably well till it came to the sheets. They were just bunged up bunched any-old-how (they were the last and I think they were fed-up by then) and for two people who had both done Higher/'A' Level Physics they displayed no practical application whatsoever of the priciples guiding evaporation and gravity!
As to pegs, the only choice I make is whether the wind is so strong I turn to my cyclone pegs or will the ordinary ones do? Colour matching doesn't matter to me and I like the bright, gay abandon of a mixed multi-coloured effect.
My line is small and king size sheets are too long for it. Compromising standards is thus essential. However I HATE it when people peg things, such as T shirts, so that inevitably they dry out of shape. I make sour assumptions about their moral calibre. I group like items with like so as to make sorting easier. With a rotary line obviously large items should be placed on the longest lines.
I do not have space for a clothes line. But I find that I put just as much thought into how I hang them on my clothes drying rack. Shirts go on hangers and jeans go over two arms with the zipper side up. Every towel gets its own arm.
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