Remembering
Mom's Clothesline
There is one thing
that's left out. We had a long wooden pole (clothes pole) that was used to push
the clotheslines up so that longer items (sheets/pants/etc.) didn't brush the
ground and get dirty. You have to be a "certain age" to appreciate this one....
(But you YOUNGER ones can read about "The GOOD ol' days"!!) I can hear my mother
now.....
THE BASIC
RULES FOR CLOTHESLINES: (If you don't even know what
clotheslines are, better skip this.)
1. You had to hang
the socks by the toes... NOT the top.
2. You hung pants
by the BOTTOM/cuffs... NOT the waistbands.
3. You had to WASH
the clothesline(s) before hanging any clothes - walk the entire length of each
line with a damp cloth around the lines.
4. You had to hang
the clothes in a certain order, and always hang "whites" with "whites," and hang
them first.
5. You NEVER hung a
shirt by the shoulders - always by the tail! What would the neighbors
think?
6. Wash day on a
Monday! NEVER hang clothes on the weekend, or on Sunday, for Heaven's sake!
7. Hang the sheets
and towels on the OUTSIDE lines so you could hide your "unmentionables" in the
middle (perverts & busybodies, y'know!)
8. It didn't matter
if it was sub-zero weather... clothes would "freeze-dry."
9. ALWAYS gather
the clothes pins when taking down dry clothes! Pins left on the lines were
"tacky"!
10. If you were
efficient, you would line the clothes up so that each item did not need two
clothes pins, but shared one of the clothes pins with the next washed item.
11. Clothes off of
the line before dinner time, neatly folded in the clothes basket, and ready to
be ironed.
A clothesline was a
news forecast, To neighbors passing by,
There were no
secrets you could keep, When clothes were hung to dry.
It also was a
friendly link, For neighbors always knew If company had stopped on by,
To spend a night or
two. For then you'd see the "fancy sheets", And towels upon the line; You'd see
the "company table cloths", With intricate designs.
The line announced
a baby's birth, From folks who lived inside,
As brand new infant
clothes were hung, So carefully with pride!
The ages of the
children could, So readily be known
By watching how
the sizes changed, You'd know how much they'd grown!
It also told when
illness struck, As extra sheets were hung;
Then nightclothes,
and a bathrobe too, Haphazardly were strung.
It also said, "On
vacation now", When lines hung limp and bare.
It told, "We're
back!" when full lines sagged, With not an inch to spare!
New folks in town
were scorned upon, If wash was dingy and gray,
As neighbors
carefully raised their brows, And looked the other way.
But clotheslines
now are of the past, For dryers make work much less.
Now what goes on
inside a home, Is anybody's guess!
I really miss that
way of life, It was a friendly sign
When neighbors knew
each other best... By what hung out on that line.
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23 comments:
oh........these "basic rules"...yes, i do remeber them... (51 now...)1 The poem is so true!!! well..times chamge, making things easier, but not necessarily nicer!!! :)
Beautiful post and fantastic banner! This is an inspirational site. Thanks for sharing.
Hope to see you on my blog:)
I remember one time my husband and his dad hung the clothes on the line. They broke all the rules about hanging...it was a funny sight! Thanks for a great post!
The lady graphic you used reminds me of my own (young) mother!
I'm told that my mom ironed our cloth diapers. I'm sure it's true. :)
Lovely post!!
Love this post! I remember all these rules.
Oh I don't think my Mom hung many clothes on the line, I know we had one and she would hang bedding out to air. I still love to take hangers and hang my sheets out...Oh, nothing smells better then sheets hung out to dry!
Carol
I was very lucky to get an out-door line this year. I was concerend as to how I would find time to use it. You have to carry the clothes from the laundry room, up the stairs, outside, around the house and then hang.......BUT the first time I took a load out I fell into the zen-bliss of laundry. Sunshine, birds singing, breezes whispering in the trees. Oh how I love my outdoor line.
Debbi, what a wonderful post. Here in England, my mother Phyllis and I still hang our washing on a line to dry. I love the smell of the clothes being dried in the fresh air....and yes, there is still an order to how clothes are hung out to dry. Some things don't change. Best Wishes Daphne
I do love clotheslines too and I have some bedding on mine now. I love watching them blow in thew breeze..
Smiles, cyndi
Haha,yes, some of it I remember, some not, makes me want to put up a clothesline now, just for the memories!
What a great blog!!! So excited I found it you have such talent! DARLING!
xox
http://abpetite.blogspot.com/
Ain't that the truth!!!
Funny you should post his now. My dryer broke so we've made a hap hazard clothes line in the backyard. My kids haven't a clue to "the rules"! LOL I didn't miss hanging them on the line, but did miss the smell of fresh laundry from outside. Great post!
*hugs*deb
Nice visiting your blog. Particular, I like your article since it is educational a source for homesteading.
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Wonderful post and poem and to tell you the truth I still miss having a clothesline.
I had to laugh because my Mother never had a dryer until my husband and I bought her one so I was taught how to hang clothes exactly this way!!
In the winter, our basement was heated and we had lines down there and that was where the clothes dried in the winter. Thanks so much for the flood of memories this brought back from my childhood and teen years!!
Hugs,
Deb
Hi Debbi, Your post made me chuckle. I remember hanging clothes on the clothes line a long time ago. I even had a clothes line in my basement when the kids were little because back then we used cloth diapers. My picture was in the state of Washington. My niece was visiting your state and Washington. She was surprised about not having to pump gas in your state, but getting waiting on. How I wish we had that here. Have a great day. Hugs Your Missouri Friend.
LOVED this, Debbi! What sweet memories it brought back....AND the fact that I still follow alot of these rules to this day! lol! Do you know what's hard to find? The good old fashioned clothesline AND the metal clothes pole with the rubber split tip on it! I'd love to find them somewhere. :)
xoxo laurie
Such a useful tip. It would be handy in the future. Thanks for sharing.
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Oh, I love when a post brings back certain memories to me, especially the joyous ones. Thanks for stirring up some happy ones.
Maureen
Well Debbi as you know the good old Hills hoist is still a standard fixture in most Aussie homes - including mine. Yes, I was taught the same rules and still go by them without even realising it lol! And to add to the rules I remember my mother telling me that a housewife was judged by how white her whites were and by how early her washing was out on the line - it meant she was a diligent worker. Well, forget those now, but I rarely use a dryer unless it's been wet for ages. I love the smell of sunshine on my clothes and can't see the sense in paying to dry things in a dryer when the sunshine is free and hygenic - and makes things so nice. Not to mention being outdoors and listening to the birds while I am hanging it out.
Thanks for the tip. I really appreciate it. I love your blog too. Thanks! God bless you.
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