Once you've decided to buy and install a retractable clothesline, there are several things to think about. The first and most obvious thing to think about is the length of your retractable clothesline. It's best to buy one that's the same length as your available space or a bit more. If it's too short, obviously your retractable clothesline will not work!
Also you should give some thought to the material of the clothesline in your retractable clothesline. I personally recommend a nylon or acrylic clothesline since they will last the longest. You can buy a cotton clothesline but it will stain easily and probably will not last very long. Also give some thought to the color of the clothesline. In addition to buying a color that you like, make sure that the clothesline will be easily visible and not unsafe for other people walking around it.
Finally, think about where you will buy your retractable clothesline. You should be able to easily purchase one at a hardware store or a store which carries home improvement products. The advantages of buying your retractable clothesline locally include getting advice from the salesperson about how best to mount it. If you will need extra mounting hardware, for example, screws or clamps, your salesperson should be able to help you find it. Another advantage of buying a retractable clothesline locally is that if you don't like it or it's defective, you can easily return it to the store where you bought it. You can also buy a retractable clothesline online where you are likely to find the cheapest price. Make sure that the cost is still reasonable when including shipping if it's not included. Shopping for a retractable clothesline online may be difficult since you cannot closely inspect what you are buying and it may be a hassle to return it to the online store.
Smart shopppers will look at the options for retractable clotheslines available at their local stores and once they've determined one or two models they like, compare the prices online. If the known model is substantially cheaper online, you can buy it there and know exactly what you will be getting.
Thanks for reading this post about how to buy a retractable clothesline!
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
How to install a retractable clothesline
The first step in installing a retractable clothesline is to determine the ideal location. If you're interested in using a retractable clothesline but you haven't purchased one yet, you should be able to easily buy one at your local hardware store or home improvement store like Home Depot. You can also buy one online by searching on Google or Amazon.com
A home with a yard or patio in the country or the suburbs will be the easiest place to install your new retractable clothesline. First, you'll need to decide where you'll mount the retractable clothesline's main body. It needs to be somewhere sturdy and solid, and must also be at the appropriate height. I recommend mounting your retractable clothesline at about the same height as the top of your head. This way, it's easy to hang clothes, but it isn't low enough that you may accidentally walk into it and hurt yourself. Some people may want to install their retractable clotheslines a bit lower so they don't have to raise their arms as high when hanging wet clothes.
Once you've determined where you want to mount the base of the retractable clothesline, think about where you will attach the other end of the clothesline. Of course the main advantage of this type of clothesline is that it doesn't need to be hanging up when you're not drying clothes but it still makes sense to put it somewhere where it won't be in your way. For example, I would not want to duck under wet clothes every time I enter my front door, so I won't stretch my retractable clothesline across my front lawn.
Also think about where the dripping water from clothes on your retractable clothesline will fall. Dripping water onto a lawn is ideal. If you can somehow drip the water into flower pots or a garden, that's even better. Avoid places where the dripping water will turn into mud, or pool in slippery places where you often walk: the benefits of a retractable clothesline don't outway the costs of tracking mud into your house or worse, slipping and falling on your patio or deck.
Once you have determined the perfect location for your retractable clothesline, install it with the nails or screws that came with it. If you are not handy with tools, consider asking a friend to help you out. Make sure that it's solidly mounted and cannot easily fall: your wet clothes will place a fair load on the nails or screws.
Installing a retractable clothesline is a bit more difficult in an apartment. If you have a balcony or patio, this can be good option. Be careful when mounting your retractable clothesline since your landlord may not like you putting nail or screw holes in the wall! You may be able to temporarily install it without damaging your walls using clamps - ask at a hardware store about this. If you have an apartment without a balcony, your last possible solution may be stretching your retractable clothesline between two windows. This isn't ideal since it may be difficult to hang clothes on the line and, if something were to fall, it may be difficult to find, especially if you live in a tall building! Another idea is to check with your building owner and see if you have access to the building's roof: mounting a retractable clothesline on the roof may be a good solution for those without a yard or balcony but who want the savings and sustainability of a retractable clothesline.
A home with a yard or patio in the country or the suburbs will be the easiest place to install your new retractable clothesline. First, you'll need to decide where you'll mount the retractable clothesline's main body. It needs to be somewhere sturdy and solid, and must also be at the appropriate height. I recommend mounting your retractable clothesline at about the same height as the top of your head. This way, it's easy to hang clothes, but it isn't low enough that you may accidentally walk into it and hurt yourself. Some people may want to install their retractable clotheslines a bit lower so they don't have to raise their arms as high when hanging wet clothes.
Once you've determined where you want to mount the base of the retractable clothesline, think about where you will attach the other end of the clothesline. Of course the main advantage of this type of clothesline is that it doesn't need to be hanging up when you're not drying clothes but it still makes sense to put it somewhere where it won't be in your way. For example, I would not want to duck under wet clothes every time I enter my front door, so I won't stretch my retractable clothesline across my front lawn.
Also think about where the dripping water from clothes on your retractable clothesline will fall. Dripping water onto a lawn is ideal. If you can somehow drip the water into flower pots or a garden, that's even better. Avoid places where the dripping water will turn into mud, or pool in slippery places where you often walk: the benefits of a retractable clothesline don't outway the costs of tracking mud into your house or worse, slipping and falling on your patio or deck.
Once you have determined the perfect location for your retractable clothesline, install it with the nails or screws that came with it. If you are not handy with tools, consider asking a friend to help you out. Make sure that it's solidly mounted and cannot easily fall: your wet clothes will place a fair load on the nails or screws.
Installing a retractable clothesline is a bit more difficult in an apartment. If you have a balcony or patio, this can be good option. Be careful when mounting your retractable clothesline since your landlord may not like you putting nail or screw holes in the wall! You may be able to temporarily install it without damaging your walls using clamps - ask at a hardware store about this. If you have an apartment without a balcony, your last possible solution may be stretching your retractable clothesline between two windows. This isn't ideal since it may be difficult to hang clothes on the line and, if something were to fall, it may be difficult to find, especially if you live in a tall building! Another idea is to check with your building owner and see if you have access to the building's roof: mounting a retractable clothesline on the roof may be a good solution for those without a yard or balcony but who want the savings and sustainability of a retractable clothesline.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Buy a retractable clothesline!
Everyone really should buy a retractable clothesline! The main benefit of a retractable clothesline is the ability to dry your clothes outdoors without the using an electric or gas clothes dryer which will save both power and space in your home. If you normally dry your clothes in a coin-operated laundromat, retractable clotheslines will save you money every week.
The idea of a retractable clothesline is that it's an outdoor rope that you can temporarily put up in order to dry your clothes outdoors. You'll be surprised how effective it can be to dry your clothes outdoors, and they will be much more fresh then when dried in a machine. With a retractable clothesline, you can put away the rope when you are finished to avoid having a clothesline hanging all the time.
You don't need a house with a yard in the suburbs or country to use a retractable clothesline. Lots of people use them in urban apartments in order to dry clothes on their balconies or even between windows.
You may find that some neighborhoods are against retractable clotheslines because they think that clothes hanging outside appear ugly and unattractive. This is unfortunate since many of these people could be saving money by using their own retractable clotheslines!
Drying your clothes by buying a retractable clothesline is also an important way of going green and living a more sustainable lifestyle. The immense amounts of electricity or gas which many people use to dry their clothes really are an unnecessary waste: most areas get enough sunlight to easily dry clothes hanging from a retractable clothesline!
Retractable clotheslines can also be useful for camping where you don't have access to a traditional dryer. Stretch our your retractable clothesline, hang up your wet clothes, and when you return from a home, almost certainly your clothes will be dry.
It goes without saying that drying clothes with a retractable clothesline won't work well in locations which get a lot of rain. If you look outside now and notice the sun in the sky, the odds are good that you could be saving power, money and the earth by drying your clothes on a retractable clothesline!
The idea of a retractable clothesline is that it's an outdoor rope that you can temporarily put up in order to dry your clothes outdoors. You'll be surprised how effective it can be to dry your clothes outdoors, and they will be much more fresh then when dried in a machine. With a retractable clothesline, you can put away the rope when you are finished to avoid having a clothesline hanging all the time.
You don't need a house with a yard in the suburbs or country to use a retractable clothesline. Lots of people use them in urban apartments in order to dry clothes on their balconies or even between windows.
You may find that some neighborhoods are against retractable clotheslines because they think that clothes hanging outside appear ugly and unattractive. This is unfortunate since many of these people could be saving money by using their own retractable clotheslines!
Drying your clothes by buying a retractable clothesline is also an important way of going green and living a more sustainable lifestyle. The immense amounts of electricity or gas which many people use to dry their clothes really are an unnecessary waste: most areas get enough sunlight to easily dry clothes hanging from a retractable clothesline!
Retractable clotheslines can also be useful for camping where you don't have access to a traditional dryer. Stretch our your retractable clothesline, hang up your wet clothes, and when you return from a home, almost certainly your clothes will be dry.
It goes without saying that drying clothes with a retractable clothesline won't work well in locations which get a lot of rain. If you look outside now and notice the sun in the sky, the odds are good that you could be saving power, money and the earth by drying your clothes on a retractable clothesline!
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