Best type of clothesline.

That's how all the Amish do it around here, but usually higher up, to a barn or tall pole.

It's how I want to our at the next house.

You would be surprised at the wind speed difference up there too.

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Ya, but on a breezy day here with winds hitting about 15-20 I'd think the clothes would be in the next county! By the way I use a clorox bottle swiped from the recycle bin for my cloths peg holder and I use both plastic and wood without any mold even here in humid NC, maybe it's because they're out every other day? It's easier on your septic system to do 1 load a day rather than lots of loads on 1 day. Course when we get our grey water system working that won't be an issue but I'd rather spread the work load out anyway.

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My clothes line is something like the one in the pic at the link below.

http://www.onlinedirect.hills.com.au...ducts/A1604PAR

It's brilliant because it doesn't take up much space, but has plenty of hanging space, and folds down against the fence when not in use. You can buy ones that fasten onto a strong wall, such as the side of the house, or garage, so are virtually out of sight when not in use.

Don't use wire for a clothes line, unless it is plastic-coated. The plastic lasts for years and years and helps to prevent 'fold' marks and of course there's no rust.

I use plastic pegs, the extra large size. They last for years and years too and don't rust, even though I keep them outside all the time (in our hot and humid climate). I keep them in a plastic garden pot! Seriously. I punched some holes on each side of the pot and threaded through some coat-hanger wire - a length with a loop at each end. I faced one loop facing me, and another facing the opposite direction - that way, when the pot is hanging on the line, it doesn't get blown off on a windy day. The drainage holes in the bottom of the pot keep the pegs from sitting in water, and I've had no problem with rusting. It's worth it to pay a little extra for best quality pegs.

Because of disability, I have trouble ironing, so am careful to hang things in such a way that they don't show peg marks etc. For shirts and blouses, I hang them on the line so that the join under the arm is the place where the pegs go. (They are sort of folded in 'half' over the line.) For jeans etc, I peg them at the waist-line.

I make sure to bring the clothes inside as soon as they are dry, and hang or fold them immediately before they become too creased. If you leave things hanging on the line too long, they will fade more quickly. Usually, even a pair of jeans is dry in an hour or so in my climate, and I hang them out dripping wet - no squeezing or spinning, or they end up very creased.

I have two lines attached to the side of the house and connect on the other end to trees at the edge of the woods. The clothesline is metal coated with green plastic. We've had to replace line once in 26 years. There aren't any poles or anything to mow around either; that's a bonus. I use regular spring type wooden clothespins that I always bring inside when the clothes are taken down. I used to leave them outside clipped back to the line but they got moldy and rotted quickly. Since I've made a habit of bringing them in, I've been using the same ones for years now. I hang shirts upside down to help with clothespin marks; they don't seem as visible on the hems as on the shoulders.

I have an apron that has big pockets. I keep the clothes pins in the pockets, and keep the apron in the basket. They're there, handy, where I need them, and they don't get left outside to get moldy.

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Wire lines are okay if you wipe them first. Same with plastic, to an extent.

I stand and pinch the clothespins onto my clothing first, 20-30 of them, so they are handy. I look like an idiot, I'm *sure* but who's seeing me? LOL

A nail apron would work, too. Just realized that! Have had nail aprons for years. Ding! Ace gives them away sometimes.

Hey, Nathan, knock the loose rust off then use a coating of Ospho to stop the rust and then just paint over that with rustoleum and then you'll be good to go. Much easier than cleaning all the rust off.

We have a pull out clothesline which never seems to get retracted. Got it at a yardsale for a couple bucks so it doesn't really matter that it stays out all the time, I guess. It is under the house since our house is up eight feet on a post and pier foundation. The breeze blows through, the clothes dry and they don't get rained on. Works well for around here. The other clothesline strung around is some old braided nylon with metal strands through it rope which was used for an electric fence around a horse pasture. It was free rope and it works fine with laundry.

If the laundry is hung nice and straight then it doesn't need to be ironed at all.