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I live in Florida, outside the limits of the nearest (little) town, which to my knowledge, has no laws on the books about drying outside, one way or the other, and I don't think there is an HOA in the entire county!  It's very rural in this whole county.  I have an umbrella type line and have dried clothes outside, sometimes more, sometimes less, for decades.  These days, I dry outside almost exclusively, and dry on a rack inside when that is not possible due to weather.

Sadly, Washington state still will not allow you to hang laundry if your HOA prohibits it. Homeowner’s Associations have a powerful lobby and fight tooth and nail every time people try to change it, which is ironic since we’re such a “green” state politically. We are scofflaws and have a retractable clothesline. HAH

Grandma Donna, I wholeheartedly agree. I'm going to take a gentle approach to the 1930's lifestyle and adopt what feels right for me.

In Australia we have an online government archive called Trove which has digitised newspapers and gazettes from 1803 to the present. It is free and you don't need to join. It is very good. You can browse by date or topic.

I just came across this article from the Molong Express and Western District Advertiser, 1st August 1936, when looking up dishcloths, hoping for a crochet pattern.

A Strong Dishcloth.

A large wooden button mould sewn into the corner of your dishcloth will be invaluable when scraping out dishes, particularly aluminium and enamel. A dishcloth, which will wear for ever almost, can be made out of very fine string knitted on steel needles.

I had to double check our township after last week's conversation. So grateful it's not against regulations. The scent of sun-dried, wind-blown laundry is a foretaste of heaven!!

I love laundry in general. I love to wash, dry and iron cotton, which is what I mostly use. I own no man-made fabric items. Part of the pleasure of laundry is choosing the water temperature appropriate for the item, and drying the clothes or other items on the line outside. The smell of the laundry in the sun; the gentle breeze that helps to fluff and dry the clothes, and the warmth of the sun which actually helps to clean the clothes further, is wonderful.  If I ever moved, I would NEVER move to an area that did not allow me to naturally dry my laundry. It is ridiculous. One of the reasons that the law existed in some communities I have read, was that it reminded some members of poverty. What? Nothing is further from the truth and in areas where the poor did have to dry on the line, so what? It's a great gift to be able to enjoy aspects of housework, of which laundry is one.  Plus the added benefit is to save on electricity and gas. The world has too much reliance on gas and electrics; we should be grateful and enjoy a different method when we can. I also use a drying rack in the house for winter wet weather.

I am afraid I would be a law breaker if outside line were banned LOL.

I rack dry inside in bad weather....I love the smell of fresh laundry. I make my own laundry detergent and use no fragrance so it just smells clean. Today being Monday laundry was done and dried outside and we had such a nice breeze it was dried in no time.

I am excited for the 1930's to start, it just seems to sound so much calmer. I have sorted out my Reminisce books and have some cookbooks ready.  My radio is set up for entertainment and will watch minimum amount of news if I can make myself not get too involved in news programs. 

Next week I should be able to get the rest of the garden planted, beans, tomatoes, squash, cucumbers and zucchini.  

I have decided to set my microwave under my 1920's stove as it is barely used and the stove is on Queen Anne style legs...it will fit and be out of the way. I think I will install a little curtain across the legs of the stove, like a curtain you see in old photos under the sink.

JC

When I go out early in the morning to hang out laundry I feel so close to God. 

Our HOA doesn't allow clotheslines and there's no state law that protects clothesline use. We can dry a few things on a drying rack. That's why I call my portable clothesline a "clothesline drying rack." :) Since it's not permanently in the ground, I think that's why the HOA doesn't bother me about it. And they are very picky! I had a one foot tall chicken wire barrier around a small fruit tree to keep the rabbits from eating the trunk and I was told I was violating the no fence rule. I had to remove it. You can have a wooden fence around your property but no other kind of fencing, like the beautiful fence Charles made for the doggies. 

I can't wait until Thursday. :)

Growing up in New Jersey, we always had a clothesline. I loved playing through it and smelling my grandmother's sheets. I loved in a multi-generational household. My Nana used the clothesline while my mom used the dryer.

Now I live in South Carolina, and no one has clotheslines around me. We have an HOA, unfortunately. I wonder if not many people have them because of hurricane season. I'm sure the HOA would use that as an excuse for not having them. Some say it's an eyesore. I disagree! There's something very comforting about seeing wash out to.dry. 

I keep telling my husband he should get me a retractable one!

I have a clothesline like you Donna. When we lived on our acreage I had a nice long 2 line drying area but now in our village I have the umbrella one. I love to line dry clothes.

At a minimum I like to line dry sheets outside. They feel so much better! To me taking the time to line dry things makes it feel a little luxurious, like I've taken care to do things properly instead of rushing it through the dryer. I never understood the problem some have with clotheslines until I lived in an area where more people were struggling, I think there are many people who get tired of trying and just give up, Anyway, I'd see clothes out to dry one day, they'd be there the next and the next.... there was one house I drove by daily that had the clothes out through an entire winter, shredding in the wind. The young family coming and going, right past it. I guess they didn't really need those clothes? I think that's the sort of thing people think of when they are "against" clotheslines! I'm in an HOA now where they aren't allowed, but we have a privacy fence with the clothesline and our other subversive activities--vegetable garden, compost--all hidden behind :)

I'm in Illinois and we have a right to dry law, but I rarely see anyone line drying clothes here in the suburbs of Chicago. We bought our 1960s house from the original owner and it came with a clothesline. Our realtor mentioned that we shouldn't worry about the clothesline because it would be easy to remove, but we saw the clothesline as a selling point!

I'm 40 and don't ever recall seeing anyone line dry while growing up aside from one of my aunts and while driving through Amish country. I moved to Europe for a bit after college and was quickly converted to the gospel of line drying. I generally only use the dryer for bulkier items in the winter months or when we're sick and fall behind. The smell of line dried sheets is the pinnacle of comfort to me.

Clotheslines are definitely allowed here where I live, but I'm not sure whether HOAs can ban them in Michigan or not.  I don't see a lot of clotheslines in town, but out where I live I can only think of one neighbor who might not have one at all.  Everyone else line dries at least some of the time, in spite of our cold damp climate.

I love to see laundry on the line.  I have many fond memories of my Mom and Grandma hanging laundry.  Many not so great memories of taking down clothes in a sleet storm, having the dogs play with the sheets with muddy paws, and birds who pooped all over the clothes line filled with clothes.  My Grandma had a ringer washer that sat outside covered.  Her and Mom would bring boiling water to fill the tub and another tub to rinse.  It was backbreaking work to wash for 7 people and baby diapers. Plus Grandma washed and ironed for a neighbor( to make extra money)

I love to go to Arthur, Il. And see the clothes on the lines on Monday.  

As far as I know, there are no ordinances in my community prohibiting the use of outdoor clotheslines.  That said, I have never seen anyone other than me drying laundry.  I try to only dry clothes during the week, given that most people will be at work.  I live on a corner property, so there's really no where I can hang my laundry discreetly should there ever be an ordinance!

The laundry lines were already here when we moved in.  My Grandmom (her house) used to hang her laundry out when she was younger.  I have been hanging out wash ever since we moved here.  In the summer,  my kids would use teh washlines to make tents with blankets

I wish I had known before about the Right to Dry law. Good to know GDonna! We just moved from a Chicago suburb and we had a strict HOA that did not allow clothes lines. I would still dry clothes outside on a drying rack or hang clothes around our deck. Our neighbors behind us did the same so we didn’t “rat each other out”. We just recently moved back Indiana (our home state). The first time we went to look at the house we ended up buying, the first thing I saw was a clothes line in the side yard! I was so excited, haha! My husband knew I would be. However when we met our new next door neighbors before we even moved in, one of the first things they said to us is, “We hope you will take that eye sore down right away”. Well our eyesore is still there, but I haven’t yet used it. We plan to move it to a more discreet area, but shame on me for letting that comment keep me from doing what I was looking forward to

No right to dry laws here in NY.  But HOAs are not common in my area and I freely hang my laundry out on the line or inside or racks.  I probably haven't used a dryer in at least 30 years.  I also haven't seen anyone else's laundry hanging out for probably the same amount of time.  

Oddly, I have found over time that while people may think it is "more work" or takes longer to hang dry, it actually saves time or at least makes it more manageable.  A nice break to go outside for a few minutes to hang it or bring it in and once it is dry I don't need to rush down and remove it from the dryer to prevent it getting wrinkled and it is easy to fold each piece of clothing as I take it down whereas a basket full of dry laundry is easy to ignore until it is cold and wrinkled.  When I used to use a dryer sometimes the baskets would pile up before I got to folding them.  I really can't ever imagine not air drying my laundry even if I had to only use inside racks.

i read through all the clothesline replies to see if anyone posted this issue.... I've lived in HOAs for my entire adult life, by choice.  First in SoCal and now in Kansas.  The reason?  How to say this nicely.... people are morons lol.  I don't mind a lot of things that are banned, like RVs, clotheslines, or above ground pools....if people are responsible.  Unfortunately, this was a huge problem in Cali.  Thus, I went the HOA route.  Before that, we had entire families living in driveway RVs , making a ton of noise, leaving trash outside the door, people coming and going all night.   Above ground pools were often left uncovered, only to become giant mosquito breeding grounds.  The clotheslines were the least of problems, but were often unused and became big eyesores.  The same people that didn't use them also hung blankets and such off their balconies for days and weeks.  Here in Kansas, the wind can dry things in 5 minutes!!  I wondered why clotheslines weren't allowed.  Well, apparently some hunters saw those old sturdy ones as ideal places to bleed out their deer.  Oh, gross! ????.  I haven't given up, but when there's a rule, I usually find it there because someone didn't use their common sense and respect for others.  For example -  in the old days, do you remember anyone having to tell you that you shouldn't eat Tide?!

I'm a sworn tightwad, but I've seen some crazy stuff in my 60 years!!  I can see both sides.

This is also true, as you stated there are two sides to every coin! Not everyone is respectful of their neighbors unfortunately. 

oh my! I go to Arthur about every two months for the Amish salvage store. Love the money savings.  It’s worth the drive. When we bought our house it was in an old established wealthy ( at the time the houses were built) neighborhood. We were the first people to move in since they were built in the 70’s. No one had moved away in all those years except this house’s previous owners, the rest are still here today. First thing I did was install a clothesline. The elderly neighbors were all disgusted by it. Made no sense to me as most of them were older than the invention of the dryer (in my opinion). They now call me Laura. ( I’m sure it’s meant as an insult yet I SMILE). Being referred to as Laura Ingalls makes my heart sing knowing that I am doing something right. 

my apologies. The Amish salvage store is in Alcoa not Arthur. 

My husband is picky about what's in the yard but I really must find a spot for a clothes line.

Could you use a retractable clothes line?  I had one (from Lehman's, online) that I used on my porch in rainy weather for years.  Now I use a rack indoors when it is rainy.

Indiana is a "Right to Dry" state.  I hang all of my laundry to dry in the basement on a clothesline and 3 drying racks.  Shirts are dried 2 minutes in the dryer to get out wrinkles, then hung on hangers to dry in basement.  Sheets and bedding are hung outside on my clothesline.

thanks for the idea!

I'll have to give that some thought

Lisa - that is too bad about Washington state.  When I lived in rural Kitsap County, I had an umbrella clothesline that I shared with my daughter who lives next door.

Cindy T - I laughed when I read your comment about birds pooping on the laundry.  Some years ago we had a mulberry tree in our yard.  I always hung the clothes out in nice weather but woe be unto me hanging them out during mulberry season!

Now I live in a senior apartment building and have no access to a yard or clothesline.  I dry everything inside on a drying rack year-round.  My neighbors, aged at least 55 and mostly older don't understand why I don't use the dryer.  I also don't use the dishwasher that came in the apartment.  Another thing that puzzles the neighbors.

I have the mulberry tree too.  
I wash my dishes by hand.  In the house I built 40 years ago I put in a dishwasher.  Lived there a year and never used it. Too much trouble and not enough dishes.

My house came with a dishwasher but we never used it once, and finally got rid of it 20 years ago.  That made more space for cabinets, and is where I store all my stock pots now :)

The clothes dryer that came with the house broke around that same time, and while we had been using it occasionally, we opted not to replace.  Thinking back, that might be what started me down the road of reducing major appliances.  I'm basically down to just a small chest freezer and a washing machine now, and my house usually draws 2 to 3 kWh a day.

Just a bit of trivia - Did you know that - Ballpoint pens became commonly used in the United States in the late 1940s to early 1950s.

Here’s a brief timeline:

• 1888: The first patent for a ballpoint pen was issued to John J. Loud, but it was not commercially successful.

• 1938: László Bíró, a Hungarian journalist, developed the modern ballpoint pen and patented it.

• 1945: The first commercially successful ballpoint pen in the U.S. was sold by Eversharp and later by Reynolds International. The Reynolds Rocket pen was a huge hit, selling for $12.50 (about $200 today).

• Late 1940s–1950s: Prices dropped, and more companies entered the market, such as Parker and Paper Mate, making ballpoint pens affordable and popular for everyday use.

• 1960s: Ballpoint pens had become standard and largely replaced fountain pens for most writing  

I hang my laundry out when I can and have a clothesline in my upstairs back bedroom for days I can’t. I also use drying racks in front of the fireplaces. I do have a dryer an use it. But most of the time I hang out! I love the feel and smell. 

I'm amazed that there are bans on drying laundry outdoors in the US. On the other hand, I'm always amazed at what's allowed in the US that's forbidden in Europe. Now I've learned something new. 
I really enjoy drying my laundry outdoors and adjust my laundry day to suit the weather so I can dry it outside.

Hi Joyce, can you share your laundry detergent recipe?

I would have to search it out but just look up laundry sauce on the internet, I use grated Fels naptha and some other things and I only have to make it 2 times a year....when I get a chance I will look up the recipe.

GrandmaDonna has a recipe also.

JC

Not Joyce, but I can share what I make.  We have hard water, but the clothes clean well and no odor is left.  Even after a sweaty, stinky husband plays in the dirt all day hahaha!  I've found everything at either Menards or Walmart.  Below, it's essentially equal parts of the following:

1 cup Arm & Hammer Washing Soda (powder)

1 cup Borax

1 cup shredded white Zote soap (bar)

I make combos of this until I fill my laundry room jars.  

I made a laboratory box , where I keep everything for homemade cleaning.  I found measuring cups and an old metal grater at a garage sale.

So I've spent the week paying closer attention to my neighbors' clotheslines (yeah, I know that sounds a bit weird!) and I think what it is is that people around here still use them a lot for bedding and towels, but not so much for clothing.  I don't know why that is.  Are they afraid clothing will fade?  Is it just easier to time those loads around the weather, while clothing is sometimes more urgent? 

I use the same ingredients to make laundry liquid, though we have to use borax substitute in the UK. Our water is hard too, I add a splash of white vinegar to the final rinse.

I check the weather for good drying days. Yesterday I had a load of white linens, hung out a bit damper than the usual fast spin, so they would bleach in the sunshine. 

There is an area called Tenterfields in Worcestershire, near the ruins of Hales Abbey. I love the old names. Tenterfields are lawns for drying linens where the grass and linen have a chemical reaction which whitens the cloth. 

I follow a blogger from Wales who hangs his laundry over the bushes and wall in his garden, in the old fashioned way. 

Mum’s long washing line was cotton rope between stout poles, held aloft with a wooden clothes prop. It would break occasionally and if the grass was muddy things needed washing and wringing out again. We did not have much spare bed linen or clothing in the post war years of austerity. 

We had a clothes rack on a pulley to dry clothes above the Rayburn stove in winter, and a wooden clothes horse to stand around the fireplace in the sitting room. Damp was a problem, though the Victorian brick house was draughty.