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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.