Hanging out the wash - oh how I remember the drill. With clothes pegs (or pins) balanced precariously between my teeth, I hung shirts and skirts, hankies and socks, sheets and towels, all in neat and ordered rows.
In the Ireland of my youth the clothesline dance was learned at an early age. Today electric clothes driers have all but replaced the line, and as a result, we've practically forgotten the long lost art of drying the wash.
Hanging clothes on a line! What skill is involved you may ask yourself?
At first glance it may seem like an easy task of pinning clothes on a taut rope, but I'm afraid laundry is not so simple after all. Long ago there were clear cut rules for clothes drying, that dare not be broken.
And so, today I thought I should share some of these long forgotten rules. You never know, in years to come, my little ones may live in a time when hanging out the wash comes back into vogue.
My boys may be delighted to find their mother's rambling blog post outlining their great-grandmother's family secrets and unwritten rules of the Irish clothes line.
1. Check the skies before exposing your wash to the elements ....
My mother's mother, and her mother's mother, and the whole long line of mothers who have gone before me, were expert sky watchers.
Weather watching is a long lost skill. My ancestors knew the exact shade of Irish grey which inevitably foretold rain.
My Skibbereen granny would say - "Look to Mount Gabriel for rain." When the mountain appeared closest, rain was on the way. Or maybe it looked further away, when a downpour threatened. I wish I had paid better attention to her weather warnings.
The fresh and airy scent of sun dried clothing just off the clothesline is amazing. But let's face it, a rain free spell is required, if this "solar dryer" is going to help save money and energy. So only hang out the wash if a few dry hours are guaranteed.
And whatever you do, don't hang clothes outside when it's icy. Freeze dried clothes are a no, no. They lose their shape and get baggy. You see, water expands when it turns to ice, so fabric fibers are stretched in harsh winter weather.
Finally, be cautious of very windy days. Nobody likes to retrieve their undies from a neighbor's yard.
A dry day with a light breeze is perfect for hanging out the wash.
2. Clean the line before hanging a single shirt ......
Remember birds love to leave their calling card, so wash that clothesline.
And don't remind me of spiders, who love taut ropes to anchor their webs.
In October, Irish spiders go crazy weaving their sticky traps, and a multi-corded rotating clothesline is like spider heaven. So trust me, always wipe down the rungs of your line.
3. Do not waste pins or pegs
Efficiency is key. Try to line the clothes up so that each item does not require two pegs, but instead each adjoining garment shares one peg with its neighbor.
Now this may seem like a silly rule, but trust me, if rain is coming and getting those dry clothes off the line in double quick time is essential, then you'll be extremely glad of your peg economy.
Pegs are what we call clothes pins in Ireland, and try as I might I can't seem to change to the term pins.
4. Never hang an item with a stain ....
Every item must be inspected prior to hanging. God forbid a stain should slip past your diligent eyes, and be hung upon the line.
What would the neighbors think? Even if you live in the back of beyonds, far from the madding crowd, never let a stained item adorn your clothesline. You may not lay eyes on a visitor for months on end, but the very moment a stain is displayed for all to see on the washing line, you are certain to have a caller.
Stains are simply not allowed.
5. Sheets and towels to the outside to conceal the "unmentionables" on the inside.
Always hang sheets and towels on the outside lines with any “unmentionables” hidden in the midst of all the hanging layers.
Long johns and Y-fronts are hung with the front away from the line of vision. Eyes may only rest on the back side of said garments.
Rotary lines allow small items to be placed on the inner strands. Long straight lines should have at least three parallel ropes. Hide those undies on the middle line.
6. Clothes off the line by dinner time:
Never leave your wash on the line overnight. Dark skies can bring any kind of weather, and who knows you might awaken to wet, soggy laundry in the morning.
I don't care what the weather lady says on the television. She's wrong most of the time, and she has no clue when Ireland's infamous scattered showers are going to scatter their love around the country.
And don't forget, you need to miss wake up time for the birds. As the sun rises, our feathered friends love bright, clean shirts for target practice.
7. Hang shirts as they are worn, pinning them by the shoulders.
Now this little family rule of ours may be a little controversial since I've heard others advise to always hang a shirt by its tail.
But granny's rational was this. If the shirt is hung upside down, then the arms dangle down and might get dirtied on the ground if the line is not high enough.
The sleeves are sure to get dirty if you're doing the wash for a man with mighty long arms.
8.Know thy fabric. Never hang stretchy woolen jumpers on the line.
Dry all of your woolies flat. A soggy sweater will stretch to the ground and never, ever, ever return to its original shape.
9. Never leave clothes pegs or pins on the line:
Remove your clothes pegs as you take down dry clothes. Wooden pegs left on the line rot in Ireland's wet climate.
And worse again, metal clothes peg hinges go rusty in the rain. They deteriorate rapidly in the elements. So be fair warned, rusty pins will rip and stain your clothes.
10. Do not grumble about stiff, dry towels.
Towels dried outside feel a little rougher than the plush, velvety finish of a tumble-dried towel.
Our ancestors were not as "soft" as we are today. But they did have some tricks for decreasing the exfoliating factor of their towels.
Adding a little vinegar to the rinsing water also helps.
A windy day is a towel's friend. Now gale force winds are not a good idea, or your poor towels will blow to kingdom come.
Give your towels a good shake before hanging them on the line. My granny loved to hear a towel "snap" when she shook it, before pegging it in place. We had great fun standing in the haggard by the clothes line, giving our towels a snapping-good shake-down.
And there you have it, my golden rules of the clothesline. Little did you know hanging clothes could involve such intricacies.
Alack and alas, many communities in the United States have adopted deed restrictions limiting the unsightly practice of hanging out the wash.
My mother laments this every time she visits the US. She always praises the dry air of America.
"It's a great country for drying clothes," I have often heard her exclaim. "It's a shame nobody hangs out the wash."
And so, after the stress and strain of writing this blog post, I'm off to throw another load of laundry into the drier.
Thanks for following my recipes and ramblings.
Slán agus beannacht,
(Goodbye and blessings)
Mairéad -Irish American Mom
Pronunciation - slawn ah-gus ban-ock-th
Mairéad - rhymes with parade
Here are some more ramblings you might enjoy:
- Everything You Need To Know About Ross Castle
- The Best Pubs in Galway
- Best Things to Do in Galway Ireland
- An Irish Tour Following in the Footsteps of Saint Brigid
- 11 Things to Do in Dublin Ireland You Don’t Want to Miss
- Walter's Way Tours Of Ireland
- Top Ten Hiking Trails in Ireland
- Mysteries and Legends of the Cliffs of Moher
Ray Brown
Dear Mairead,
I laughed at all the things that go into the Irish hanging of clothes. The reason: My mom had some of these traits. Especially number 9 and 10. (I didn't have to worry about this because as a boy, I was free to go out and play.) However, I remember my mom saying you had to put the clothes pins back and shirts need to be put up only the way you said it. Also how you put up things so the neighbors can't see certain things. The weather was a big one too. Thank you for this wonderful writing because I laughed and remembered my beautiful mother who has been in heaven about 20 years. God Bless, Mairead
Irish American Mom
Dear Ray - I'm so happy my reminiscing brought back lovely memories of your mother. It sounds like your mom adhered to all the rules of the Irish clothesline. I'm so glad you enjoyed this little ramble and trip down memory lane.
I hope you had a wonderful time in Europe and are back home with many lovely stories and memories from your trip.
Best wishes,
Mairéad
Maria Perez
I only wish in life is to visit Ireland before I pass. I by chance came across your blog/site. I look so forward to reading more of what you wrote.
About me born in USA from parents who fled Cuba with nothing but the clothes on their back and my 3rd sibling in arms. My 2 eldest siblings (6 & 4 years old) were sent alone ahead of them so the government would not take them. My parents were struggled but we always had a roof and food. As it pertains to hanging laundry, we considered ourselves well off because we had a washing machine and didn't have to go to a coin laundry. Aside from technical advise you gave which was spot on, my grandma always reminded me as I headed out to the clothesline..."Don't set up the clothesline near the neighbors fence (horse on the other side) and make sure there is no dog poop under if you want clean smelling clothes.
Oh and to make towels softer, ruffle them (rub them together) to loosen the fibers to get that fluff back.
I love my heritage and have no regrets of my upbringing as it made me the strong resilient woman I am today. I have no geological ancestry to Ireland but only Lord knows why my heart keeps yearning for it.
God Bless
Irish American Mom
Hi Maria - You don't need a genetic connection with Ireland to feel Irish at heart. It's lovely to hear that you would love to visit Ireland someday. I hope you make it there sometime soon. Thanks for sharing your family story and how your parents moved to America, bringing with them a determination to succeed. There were strong ties between Ireland and Spain in centuries past, and I believe many Cubans have Spanish ancestry since it was a colony of Spain from the late 1400's to around the 1890's. Before the 1700's, merchants in Irish cities like Cork and Waterford on the southern coast traded with Portugal and Spain as much as they traded with England and France. Perhaps you have some long lost ancestry connecting you with Ireland. The story of the Claddagh ring tells of the love of an Irish girl and a Spanish prince. Your DNA might surprise you.
Thanks so much for stopping by and joining in our discussion of all things Irish.
All the best,
Mairéad
Aimee
I love hanging the clothes outside to dry! Good to know I'm doing it the right way! 🙂
Irish American Mom
Aimee - I love to hang out my wash to dry, but we can't have visible clothes lines where I live in Kentucky. I dry them on a clothes horse indoors whenever I'm not in a hurry.
Best wishes,
Mairéad
Patricia
That just seems wrong. They are clothes for Pete's sake! What is so offensive about that?! I know that goes on in lots of places, and it is still ridiculous!
Irish American Mom
I agree Patricia, but I get around it. I stick a clothes horse out on my deck which can't be seen. It is silly when we should all be saving energy every way possible.
Penny Wolf
Build the kids a tall fort with a clothesline inside. (You may need a building permit though)
I would have to at least hang my pillow cases on a hanger on the porch!
Irish American Mom
That's a great idea, Penny. Love it.
Lorna
I agree with your mum, seems almos sinful to put clothes in the dryer when the sun is shining. We hang them out between the showers here 😉
Is that really true that some communities forbid the hanging out of clothes? Love the pic of the sheep under the clothes hanging up. I have a really long line and a wooden pole for propping it up - just like my grandmother had I suspect, but not as skillfully done!
Irish American Mom
Hi Lorna - My granny in West Cork had a pole to prop up her line too. I have lovely memories of hanging up the wash with her when I was a little girl. She was a woman who never stopped talking, so she delivered a running commentary as we pegged up shirts and towels together. Such happy memories 🙂
All the best,
Mairéad
Claire Fullerton
Well done, Mairead! A lot of thought went into the writing and organization of this wonderful post. I never would have known to consider the question of most of your clothes drying points, which tells you how much I know about line-drying! But it was a wonderful, character revealing dissertation, telling of Irish resourcefulness and problem solving and the close kinship the Irish have with nature. I really enjoyed this read!
Irish American Mom
Dear Claire - Thank you so much for your kind words about my ramblings. Hanging out the clothes to dry may seem a very mundane task at first glance, but when the work is wrapped in happy memories, the simplest of tasks is nostalgically transformed. I like your observation that Irish resourcefulness and problem solving show our close kinship with nature. So very true!
All the best, and thanks for stopping by.
Mairéad
Patricia
You know, I forgot some of the rules until you mentioned them! We had that square line that rotates, and we always hung the "unmentionables" in the inner lines. Then the socks, rest of clothes, then towels, then sheets! We were and are a family that hangs shirts and pants by the hems. Yes, we use the clothes line still. I will admit to throwing the towels on the dryer for a couple of minutes to soften them, but only because my family complains!
There is no better smell in all the world than the smell of line dried laundry. I don't know how fresh air gives that smell to clothes, but it is the best! I line dry whenever I can, and hang clothes in the basement on racks and one line unless I need them right away.
My favorite photo was the one with the sheep!
Irish American Mom
Hi Patricia - Line dried laundry smells so fresh - all the scented dryer sheets in the world could never recreate its natural essence.
I love that photo of the sheep too. I was so delighted to find it had a creative commons license, so I could share it here on my blog. The sheep looks like she is inspecting the laundry. I hope it passed her test.
All the best,
Mairéad
Shannon
I remember my mom and grandma hanging laundry outside to dry. Such fond memories as I would hand them the pins as they hung the clothes out and collect them when the clothes came down. The mad dash when rain threatened and the frozen jeans in the winter. I also remember that laundry was always done on Monday and you could see laundry on every clothes line in our southern Alberta, Canada village. I think the reason for Monday was that garbage was not allowed to be burned on that day so you knew your clothes would come in smelling fresh and not of smoke.
Irish American Mom
Hi Shannon - Lovely to hear you too remember hanging the clothes out to dry. It was such a ritual in my granny's homes. I reminisce about these simple everyday tasks so much these days. Thank you for stopping by to share your beautiful memories, even if the jeans were a lttle frozen in the winter.
All the best,
Mairéad
Miriam Salvemini
I loved this! My mom passed along many of the tips you mentioned to me as a young girl. We would place our hard towels atop a hot radiator during the winter months so they were warm as we stepped out of the bath. There is nothing like the smell of fresh sheets.
Irish American Mom
Miriam - I'm so glad you enjoyed this trip down laundry lane. It's lovely to hear from so many readers who have such fond memories of line dried laundry, especially "hard" towels.
All the best,
Mairéad
T.M. Johnson
Ahhh, IAM, three fragrances conjure up my youth: lilacs, iris...and breeze-dried laundry. Three clotheslines ran the length of our backyard. One of my chores was to mow the backyard lawn. I remember navigating the pushmower between the canyons of sheets, pillow cases, under and outer garments, socks, towels, etc. The smell was intoxicating. A sheet would billow in your face and you'd almost forget the task at hand, pause to bury your face in the sun-dried fabric. My newlywed wife worked for the BOSS and a duty of hers was hanging out his family wash. BOSS had a pet rook named Dolly who'd pick his master's socks out of the wash basket and make off with them if you didn't keep a close watch over the pesky bird. I've long wanted to install a pulley clothesline from the corner of our house to my workshed and swing the summer wash from it: reeling out and rreeling in fragrant apparel. Alas, the electric clothes drier is her laundry standby these days...and those faux "fresh breeze" drier sheets are but a sad excuse for sunshine and gentle breezes. Thanks for jogging my memory about the Good Ol' Days when the family's laundry was pinned and hung out to dry. TMJ
Irish American Mom
Hi T.M. - This little blog post seems to have stirred many good memories for readers. When I was writing it I wondered if everyone would think I've lost my marbles, reminiscing about such an everyday task as hanging out the laundry. But boy am I glad I wrote this little piece. I have so enjoyed reading everyone's lovely comments about the clothesline, and learning so many readers share fond memories of breeze-dried laundry. Sometimes it is the simplest task that creates the fondest memory. I can picture you pushing your mower skillfully through all those billowing sheets, careful not to get any nasty, green, grass stains on those fresh, clean sheets. And it sounds like your wife had quite a task keeping track of all the bits and pieces in the wash when a pesky bird was eying those socks.
Best wishes,
Mairéad
Bonnie Banters
I remember as a child hanging clothes to dry outside...sadly, today the air is not as fresh. Adorable article...really enjoyed!
Irish American Mom
Hi Bonnie - Thanks for your kind words about my laundry banter. I enjoyed writing this piece - it brought back lovely memories of my granny. We would feed the hens together, before we hung out the wash.
All the best,
Mairéad
Bonnie Banters
That's so sweet, Mairead!
LeAnne Bristow
Wonderful post! I think you're granny was just as wise as mine when it came to watching the weather. My granny could get stains out of anything. I still hang my clothes today and I am happy to say that I follow all the rules...except number 10. I dry my towels in the dryer. Arizona has hard water anyway so towels dried outside are really stiff and scratchy.
Irish American Mom
LeAnne - Thanks for reading my ramblings. Number 10 is the most difficult - hard air-dried towels are just not the same as the soft, tumble-dried variety. I usually give my towels a 20-minute spin to soften them. I also have a spiky, plastic, dryer ball which really helps to fluff them up.
All the best,
Mairéad
Sharon Clark
Thank you for all the interesting info on laundry rules. Now I know why my mother hung her laundry as she did.
Irish American Mom
Sharon - There was method in everything our mothers and grandmothers did. I hope by recording some of these little tips from days gone by, I can preserve this simple knowledge for my children.
Best wishes, and thanks so much for stopping by.
Mairéad
brian@irelandfavorites
It's the subtleties in life that separate the locals from the yocals.
Hope you enjoyed Easter and do you get to celebrate both Mother's days?
Cheers,
Brian.
Irish American Mom
Hi Brian - We had a lovely Easter. I hope you did too.
Mother's Day is marked on both dates in our house. We always talk to Nana on Mother's Day in Ireland, but we don't go overboard with gifts - that would be a waste of money and giving in to marketing.
All the best,
Mairéad
Annie Davis
Thank you, Mairead, for another well-written blog. I look forward to them; it's almost like my great-granny telling me stories of her life in Lisburn Ireland. I grew up in a small country town in Northern NY that looks remarkably similar to photos you share with us. We also followed all "The Rules" of laundry. I still have some of the wooden pegs used as a child. Thanks for taking me home to Lisburn, NY and to Ireland, if only in memories - you captured the senses of touch, sight, sounds and smells perfectly. Annie
Irish American Mom
Dear Annie - Thank you for your lovely words about my writing and ramblings. This little trip down memory lane seems to have touched a cord with many readers. It's so wonderful to read comments from those who share my clothesline nostalgia.
All the best,
Mairéad
Penny Wolf
I have a clothes line and still use it but I admit it is first for novelty reasons. I am relieved to discover I follow all of your mentioned rules.Nothing beats the smell of sheets and pillowcases dried outside in the sun. I have some older clothes pins that have no metal. I put some of them into a jar with some drops of lavender oil for an additional treat. Anything to make a task more pleasant is always welcome.
Irish American Mom
Hi Penny - Those older clothes pins without any metal stir nostalgic memories. I love to use them to make crochet angels and for other crafts. I really like your tip of storing them in a jar with scented oil. What a great way to add an extra layer of fresh scent to the laundry.
All the best,
Mairéad
Deirdre
The Amish do it thru out Ohio for obvious reasons and my mum did it here in the US for 26 years except in winter until she moved into her condo.
Irish American Mom
Deirdre - There are many Amish and Mennonite communities here in Kentucky too. They are so self-sufficient, living by the old ways. I'm sure your mom missed hanging out the wash when she moved into her condo. Glad to know you are both together in Ohio.
Best wishes,
Mairéad
Lena Kanda
Loved the clothes line rules-- my clothes line is lying in ruins after the storms and drifting snows of winter-- still partially covered in snow-- don't know if it can be fixed or not.
Back home in Co Antrim on the farm we had a huge clothes line and it was held up with a limb of a tree just like in the picture-- I just love the sound of flapping clothes on the line and here in Maine I put my clothes out when weather permits but in winter we dry them in the garage.
Irish American Mom
Lena - Sounds like you'll have a clothesline resurrection project this summer. I do hope it can be fixed.
I remember trying to raise the line using the designated tree limb when I was young. I was amazed at how heavy all the wet clothes were, and had to call for granny's help. The wind flapping through the sheets is music to my ears too.
Best wishes,
Mairéad
Maureen Nalin
Hi Mairead,
Still laughing about the clothes line protocol! I remember it well. Can still see my mother's neighbour's line with the pink and blue bloomers flapping happily in the wind. (Do you remember those, with the elastic at the knee to keep out drafts?). Mother had a line that could be elevated by a chain for higher altitudes and anchored on the wall when the proper height was reached. She hung prize things here--new sheets, plush towels, good shirts and blouses, etc. A smaller line was down lower up by the window, with private things there, and of course, as you said, disguised/hidden with towels on the outside!!! No prying eyes there. Except once--Mom had her private line out loaded with undies, bras, and vests. Well, the parish priest came to visit at an odd time in the morning, and Mom was giving him a nice cup of tea when she looked out the window and through the lace curtain could see all her stuff! She panicked! She quickly closed the venetian blinds!
I used the clothes line for years and dried all the baby diapers (remember them?) on it, until one day red bugs got on the line from a branch leaning from out neighbor's yard. Consternation! I was covered in them and could hardly see the little things. Imagine putting that on a baby? The next day we went and got a dryer. Thank you again!
Slan agat!
Irish American Mom
Dear Maureen - I laughed at your story of the parish priest's visit, just when the wash was fully visible from the kitchen window. I can only imagine the panic felt by your mother when her eyes rested on her clearly visible "unmentionables."
Luckily in Ireland there are far fewer nasty bugs and critters to worry about getting caught in the wash than there are in America. I remember standing on a fire ant nest in Florida as I was trying to hang out some towels. I think you were justified in getting a new dryer after your red bug encounter.
I didn't even try to use cloth diapers when my triplets were born. I frequently gave thanks for the invention of disposable diapers as I changed close to 30 diapers a day. I have not-so-fond memories of buckets of diapers for my little sister, soaking in a special formula called "Napisan". You couldn't have a shower or a bath without lifting a big heavy bucket of soaking nappies out of the tub.
Thanks so much for adding to our clothes line discussion.
All the best,
Mairéad
jack sebring
maybe your neighbour doesn't want to see your washing 12 feet in the air over the boundary wall...show some consideration hillbilly.
Irish American Mom
Don't worry Jack - I don't hang out my wash in America - I stick to the rules of the American dryer.
Patricia
Oh, I must be a hillbilly then. I hang mine out, but I can't for the life of me figure out how to hang it 12ft in the air, so I must be a bad hillbilly.
Irish American Mom
Clothesline Hillbillies - kinda has a ring to it. I'd be a Kentucky clothesline hillbilly only for the deed restrictions in my neighborhood.
All the best,
Mairéad
Richard Grune
I am late but I just found your blog and have been trying to catch up... All great reads but I had to say something.. I have fond memories of my mom hanging clothes out on the line... I have forgot some of these and have had to re-learn them... I remember the pop from the towels, I had forgot that.
I am 62 and now retired but have a clothes line now. I tried the ones you hung off the side of your house and strung it out to something and used it... It did not work so well. I use the line some times. In Texas we usually have sunny weather but have been going through what seems like 100 year rains and floods.
It is hard to imagine not being able to have one, but most of my married life has not been in any subdivision. Rural community, to small town where I live now. 1/2 acre in town..lol. I forgot about using a stick to help with the weight on the line and have had to work to keep heavy things out by the poles.
Well teach the old dog new tricks... I do keep my clothes pins in a can, well a plastic coffee can.
Irish American Mom
Hi Richard - I'm so glad you found my post on Irish clothesline etiquette and to hear it brought back good memories. How wonderful that you still dry your clothes naturally in Texas. I used to live in Richardson, just north of Dallas, and when my mom would visit from Ireland, she always marveled at how dry the air was there. She lamented my lack of a clothes line every time she put on a laundry load.
Using a stick to balance the center of a clothes line is a great tip from days gone by, and I'm glad to hear you don't leave your clothes pins to rust on the line. Thanks again for stopping by and checking out my ramblings.
All the best,
Mairéad
Theresa Zimmerman
I love your blog about hanging laundry. Just this past Sunday the 17th of April, the Pacific NW had an unusually warm and sunny day. I seized the opportunity and showed my youngest grand daughter how to hang clothes on the line. Your # 10 is my favorite and I taught her the importance of "snapping" any item that had to be hung to remove any lint or debris, and how it helps to align the grain of fabric for towels and diapers etc. I had to laugh because my Great Grandmothers were very Irish! There are many Americans that do hang laundry to dry, so no one should lament. It is as you say better to hang the items in the morning because in the truly hot climes it is unbearable to work outside at noon time. So enjoyed the bit as I'm sure your sons will in due course.
Irish American Mom
Hi Theresa - I'm glad to hear my laundry inspired ramble brought a smile to your face. I used get a great kick out of snapping the clothes with my granny before we hung them up to dry. I hope your grand daughter will have lovely memories of hanging out the clothes with her grandma, just like I do.
Best wishes,
Mairéad
Emi
Since you know all the golden rules, could you please help me solve the dilemma of drying underwear in shared garden. My neighbors dry their bras and other underwear on the line stretched across central part of our garden. When I am playing with my child in the garden, multiple times I step accidentally into that laundry, I need to mention that the level of the drying line is on the level of my face. What can I do so those people stop hanging their underwear in central part of the garden. I would not want to offend them by direct asking, I know they would be as they were already offended when I tried to mention that the line itself should be perhaps moved more to the side. Is there any law in Ireland regulating that type of situations. Is it ok to dry your underwear in the center of shared garden where most of garden activity is happening? Please help, it is very uncomfortable situation, not only to have this underwear on the display but accidentally coming into contact with it, no matter how much I try not too. Thank You
Irish American Mom
Hi Emi - I'm afraid there aren't many restrictions on what you can hang on the line in Ireland. Some of the apratments in the city centre will have everything, including underwear, hanging on clothes lines on their balconies.
A suggestion I have for concealing underwear a little bit is to use a circular laundry holder something like this one .... https://www.amazon.com/Hanging-Drying-Laundry-Hanger-Amagoing/dp/B01EA7ZDI2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1489959251&sr=8-1&keywords=circular+laundry+hanger
Thanks for stopping by,
Mairéad
Anne Herridge
I absolutely loved this! My mother taught me to hang the washing as described and I still hang the "unmentionables" on the inside with larger items such as sheets on the outside! Just have to share, two years ago when in Ireland, I hung out our washing in the wild Atlantic wind at a cottage on Kerry's coast, and I still have a pair of jeans from that wash that I haven't worn or washed since, deliberately, because I could still smell that fresh air smell for the longest time (but it is fading now)! I wanted to bring the scent of the fresh, invigorating Kerry coastline back home forever!
Irish American Mom
Hi Anne - Love your story about trying to preserve the scent of fresh Kerry air on your jeans. There's nothing quite like it. So many Irish people judge the day by how well their clothes will dry. Thanks so much for checking out this post, and I'm delighted you enjoyed reading it.
All the best,
Mairéad
April A Bright Watson
Hi Mairéad,
I really enjoyed reading this tonight. I remember a lot of this from when I was a kid (I'm 53 now) too but, I have to tell you I still hang clothes up and I still follow some of those rules today. I have clotheslines down in my basement (it has heat) and I use them all winter. The only items that go in my dryer in the winter are the towels, sheets, socks and the unmentionables. When the nice warmer sunny weather starts I hang everything out (except the unmentionables they go in my dryer)- nothing beats the smell of fresh sun dried linens. I think I am the only one in my neighborhood that still uses clotheslines- but, I enjoy it, it's relaxing to me and I just love the smell of clothes after being on a clothesline.
Irish American Mom
Hi April - I'm so glad this ramble down memory lane brought back good memories for you too. Lovely to know you continue the tradition of hanging out your clothes to dry, all the while adhering to our rules of the clothesline. You really can't beat the smell of clothes after being out in the fresh air. Thanks so much for stopping by and joining in our discussion about drying clothes the old fashioned way.
All the best,
Mairéad
Bernadette
Sweet posting! My mother used an outside line when we were smaller, save on costs. I like the idea but haven't done it. I agree about the clothes hung as they are worn. 😉 A town nearby has a person that continually hangs clothes outside but must not be Irish as they are not obeying the personal garment rule!
Irish American Mom
Hi Bernadette - I'm so glad you enjoyed this little trip down memory line to the days of hanging out the wash to dry. How funny that the outdoor clothes drier from your neighboring town does not hide her unmentionables, the way we Irish do. Thanks so much for stopping by.
All the best,
Mairéad
Ann Caulfield Mehrman
I remember these rules as the way I learned to laundry out laundry. My mother did like to have one item outside to freeze…she said it made the baby diapers soft.
Irish American Mom
Hi Ann - Lovely to hear you too grew up adhering to the rules of the Irish clothesline. I never heard that freezing tip for softening diapers. Good to share some of the old ways and wisdom of our mothers.
All the best,
Mairéad