How to Hang a Clothesline

Since my new digs have no dryer, (silly Europeans) I am faced with the task of figuring out how to hang a clothesline in the wilderness of my back garden. So I bought a pulley, a plastic green line, and something called a "line tightener" that looks more like it belongs in the Tower of London.

There is a lot of crap internet guides out there regarding this subject, mostly detailing how to hang the clothes, (really, people?), but few and far between on how to build a good (or easy) clothesline where you use screws and eyehooks and pulleys and whips and such (okay, I'm exaggerating with the whips). Look no further, Fun In The Making has a good one (with pictures!) for a quicky-poo dealy using a cleat (also it has recycled sweater pillows, and beer can slug traps, and other crafts made from recycled materials!), but if you're serious enough to buy lumber, Homeschooling 101 has the definitive guide (pole diggers!).

Though clothesline are a good idea for the environment, they are also almost impossible to get away with in the United States. Check out the recent New York Times article, "To Fight Global Warming, Some Hang a Clothesline," to see why your neighborhood probably prohibits the practice.

Otherwise, remember to hang clothes by the seams, use liquid fabric softener (or be fit for a nasty, cardboard -like surprise) and pray for no rain.