Make a Clothes Line

Drying clothes on a clothesline is a green option. Dryers are one of the household appliances that use the most energy, so using a clothesline not only helps the earth, but also saves you money. Making your own clothesline is a practical, innovative option for those who are environmentally conscious or on a budget.

Steps

Preparing to Make the Clothesline

1. Find out if you can have a clothesline. Not all neighborhoods, subdivisions, and cities allow clotheslines. Some people believe that they look bad in yards or neighborhoods. Check with your Home Owner's Association or city ordinances.
2. Mark an area where you will place the clothesline. Most loads of clothes use 35 feet of line. The length of line needs to accommodate at least one load. The area you place the clothesline in shouldn't be a high traffic area. Make sure it's not in an area where people or dogs frequently walk. You also don't want the clothesline to hang over anything, like flowers, a pool, or shrubbery.
   • Don't make the line any longer than that. The longer the line, the more sag the line will have.
   • Avoid placing your clothesline under trees that drip sap, leaves, or other material. You also want to avoid placing your clothesline under trees with a lot of birds.
   • If you want to dry colored clothes, make sure there is a spot in the shade so the colors don't fade.
   • You can spread clotheslines between multiple posts or multiple trees if you plan on drying many loads at one time.
3. Determine how high the poles should be. When building your clothesline, you want to make sure that it is the proper height. You don't want the clothesline to be too tall so that you can't easily hang your clothes. On the other hand, you don't want the line to be too low so that larger items, such as blankets and sheets, touch the ground.
   • The wood for your posts need to be taller than how high you want the poles. Part of the pole will be in ground. For a 6 ft. clothesline, you will need at least wood that is 8 ft. tall.
4. Purchase the materials. To make a proper clothesline, you need to purchase the right materials. You will need:
   • 2- 4 x 4 x 10′ treated wood posts
   • 2- 2 x 2 x 8′ treated wood posts
   • 8 - 1/4″ x 6″ hot dip galvanized lag screws (and washers)
   • 2 - 1/4” x 8” galvanized lag bolts
   • 8 – eye hooks
   • 2 – clothesline tighteners
   • 2 – quick links
   • 100 ft clothesline
   • 2 bags Quikrete
5. Gather the tools. To make a clothesline, you will have to saw wood, drill holes for bolts, and dig a hole into the ground. To accomplish this, you need the following tools:
   • Miter saw
   • Drill and bits
   • Clamps
   • Post level
   • Post hole diggers
   • Bucket (optional)

Making the Clothesline Posts

1. Measure the posts. Most clotheslines are approximately 6 ft. tall. Two 10 ft. posts work well for this, because it gives you the height and allows 3-4 ft. of the post to be buried underground. You can also use a 8-8 1/2 ft. post instead. If the posts are too long, you need to cut them. However, these two posts may not need to be cut at all.
   • If you live in a climate that experiences a deep freeze in the winter, make sure to put your posts below the freeze line so they don't shift. Decide if that is 3 or 4 ft. or more.
   • You may also need to bury the post deeper in the ground if you live in an area with sandy or unstable soil.
2. Cut the angles in your crossbeams. Take the two 8 ft. posts and cut them in half. This will give you four 4 ft. posts. Then take two of the 4 ft. beams and cut them in half so you have four 2 ft. beams. These will be used for the cross braces.
   • That should give you one 4 ft. crossbeam and two 2 ft. braces for each clothesline post.
   • Cut 45 degree angles into the ends of the 2 ft. beams. To do this, adjust your miter saw to the 45 angle. These beams will be the braces. Make sure you double check your angles before cutting the wood. Messing up the angle means you will have to get another piece of wood.
   • The crosspiece can be around 3 ft. long if you want. You can also cut the ends of the crosspiece at an angle if you don't want flat edges.
3. Drill the holes. Measure and mark the center of the crossbeam and the center of the top of the post. The center mark will be on the edge of the crossbeam at the top that faces the sky. The center mark on the post will be on the top, which is the edge that the brace sits on. Drill a hole that is a little narrower than the lag bolt in the center where you made your mark.
   • Connect the crossbeam to the post with the lag bolt.
   • When complete, the crossbeam will sit on top of the post, in the shape of a T.
4. Screw the braces to the posts. Fit the braces against the post and crossbeam. You want to drill the holes near the bottom at an angle so it will connect to the post, and then through the top so it will connect to the crossbeam and brace. Drill holes into these areas, making sure the hole is centered on the wood.
   • The braces will fit snugly against the beam and post because of the angle you cut into each end.
   • Clamp the wooden braces in place to stabilize them. Drill the holes into the beams and screw in the bolts.
5. Install the eye hooks. Measure the spaces for your eye hooks evenly along the crossbeam. Make sure not to start at the very edge. Try starting around 6 inches from the edge. For 4 hooks, you want to space them 10-12 inches apart. Pre-drill the holes, and then twist the eye hooks into the holes.
   • You can use the handle of your screwdriver to twist the hooks into the wood.
   • You may want to install 3 eye hooks instead of 4 depending on the length of your crossbeam.

Digging the Holes

1. Dig the holes. Use post hole diggers to dig the holes where you marked them earlier. The holes need to be about 1-2 ft. deep if you live in a warmer climate, and 3-4 ft. deep if you live in an area that is prone to deep freezes or a sandy area. The holes need to be 12 in. wide.
   • Before you dig any holes in your yard, double check to make sure there are no gas, water, cable, or telephone lines in the area where you are digging.
2. Level the posts. Drop the clothesline posts into the holes. Place a post level onto the post. Make sure to get the posts level before pouring any concrete. Get someone to help you, or try adding dirt and packing it into the hole to help hold it while you adjust.
3. Pour concrete. Pour 1 bag of dry concrete mix into each hole. Add water from the garden hose. Mix the concrete with a mixing stick to combine the concrete until it is a uniform consistency. Use the level again to make sure the posts are level before the concrete has a chance to set. Let the concrete set for 24-72 hours.
   • You may want to pour the bag out in stages. This may make it easier to mix and keep the post level.
   • As you add the concrete, continue to tamp it down with each new section of concrete so that everything is as compact as possible.
   • You can also mix the concrete in buckets before you pour it into the holes.
   • Use rope or heavy string to keep the post straight while the concrete dries.
4. Replace the dirt. Once the concrete has completely dried, shovel the dirt back on top to cover the concrete. Pack the dirt down to make sure the hole is secure.

Installing the Clothesline

1. Attach tighteners. Connect two clothesline tighteners to outside eye hooks on one post. You can buy these at home improvement stores. The tighteners allow you to make sure that your line is taut without sag, and also allows you to tighten the line if it starts to sag over the years from weather and use.
2. Attach clothesline. Buy a 100 ft. cloth clothesline from a home improvement store. Cut the clothesline in half. Tie one end of the rope to the inside eye hook beside the tightener.
   • If your posts are too far apart, you might have to buy two packs 100 ft. cloth clothesline and string one through each side. Cut off the excess when you're finished.
   • If you want to prevent frayed ends, tape the ends of the rope or burn them with a cigarette lighter.
3. Stretch the clothesline between the poles. Pull the rope to the opposite post, and loop it through the matching inside eye hook. Pull it across and through the outside eye hook. Stretch the rope back across to the original post, where it should meet up with the tightener.
   • Pull the rope through the tightener. Tighten the rope. Trim any excess rope.
   • Each rope should go through 4 eye hooks in all: one on the inside and one on the outside on each post.
4. Install pulleys instead. Another option is to attach pulleys to the eye hooks instead of tying the rope directly to the hooks and looping around. Pulleys can be purchased at home improvement stores. Attach them to all eye hooks.
   • Wrap the clothesline around both pulleys on either post. Tie one end of the rope to the hook on the end of a tightener, and pull the other end of the rope through the tightener. You will have a movable, tight loop of rope threaded through each pulley. Make sure to knot both ends securely, and cut off any excess rope.

Tips

• If you don't have posts, clotheslines can be attached to shed and house roofs, to trees, to windowsills, or to anything up high. Scan about for the possibilities.
• Run the line north to south for the most rays.

Sources and Citations

See also

• Clean Deck Wood
• Build a Storm Shelter
• Excavate a Trench
• Build a Pulley
• Install Posts in the Water for a Dock or Pier
• Build a Greenhouse
• Learn to Read Blueprints
• Reduce Stormwater Runoff at Your Home
• Build a French Drain
• Make Fake Rocks with Concrete

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