Now that the weather is nice… well, mostly nice, anyway, I’ve been thinking about putting up a clothesline in my backyard. I love the smell of clothes that have dried out in the sun.
I haven’t quite figured out how to go about putting up a clothesline though. I like the idea of something portable – or at least semi-portable. Rather than sinking a base into concrete in the ground, I’m thinking I would like to find a weighted base, like the ones used under patio umbrellas. I’m not sure if this actually makes sense or if the whole thing will just tip over. So far, I haven’t found anything I like in a reasonable price range.
Of course, this also means more doing laundry on the weekend. I just don’t have time during the week to do a load of laundry and then hang it up before I head off to work.
Also, while I live in a nice neighborhood, it’s a neighborhood filled with kids who perhaps aren’t as well behaved as I would like them to be. Even though my backyard is fenced off, I don’t know that I trust them to stay out of my laundry if I happen to be gone while it’s out drying. And I really don’t need the neighbor kids using my bedsheets as capes.
I’m just going to keep my eyes out for a clothesline that fits my pick requirements. And I should probably check the city regulations and make sure they’re allowed. I live in a very green, crunchy, earthy city, so I can’t imagine it would be a problem. Any city that gives out free compost bins has to be pro-clothesline, right?
In our area clotheslines are governed by local HOAs. So, if you have an HOA with the new house — start there. Good luck.
I very purposefully bought in a neighborhood with no HOAs. But very good advice for others pondering this addition!