SIX COMMON OPTIONS
FOR AN
OUTSIDE CLOTHESLINE
In a place where orientation is more of a concern over space requirements, outside clothes lines prove to be a more favourable approach. Since we have already walked you through suitable clotheslines for small spaces, it’s high time we discuss six common options for a clothesline which should work perfectly outside of your home.

There are quite a few choices when settling on outside washing lines to be installed outdoors, mainly fold-down, traditional rotary hoist, folding rotary, retractable, portable, and ceiling mounted.

Each type of outside washing line we have mentioned above have advantages and disadvantages but in most cases the latter becomes apparent only in circumstances that go against the way they are intended to work.
Clotheslines
Take for example, If you choose to go with a rotary hoist which usually requires quite a large amount of clearance around its head section—usually 500 mm—yet you have it installed in a place where it is not able to rotate properly, like one of its arms keeps hitting against a wall or a tree, this clearly compromises the drying performance of the appliance which, of course, is not what you want to happen.

It is imperative that you select a type of airer which will not only suit your needs but also work flawlessly in the environment it is in.


Fold-down

A very popular type of outside washing line is the fold-down, this airer is permanently fixed to a surface and can be deployed when needed or simply folded out of the way for security or to save an area from being unusable most of the time.
Eco 300 Clothesline

Most come in a variety of colours to choose from so blending well in your backyard should not be a problem, and like its name suggests, it can be folded when not in use so it will definitely fit in places like a garage or patio.
The versatility of this outside clothes line is apparent, people tend to think that fold-downs can only be mounted on walls but that’s only because this mode of installation is very practical and convenient, hence, the ongoing trend of having them on walls. Most folding outdoor washing lines can be purchased with ground mounting kits so they are not limited to just vertical surfaces.

Reliable and highly rated brands like the Eco, Hills, Austral, and Daytek are compatible with the aforementioned ground mounting kits if you prefer your clothesline free standing, this will effectively double the chances of finding the right spot for your drying needs.

In terms of capacity, there are lots to choose from for fold-downs, some start at around half a meter for the width but extends out to one and a half meters, models like the Versaline Broadline and Slimline are available in five or seven and a half meters of width, the former sporting six extra long drying lines. That’s around forty-five meters of total drying space for the Broadline alone.

The largest model in our regiment is the Eco 300 with a maximum length of three meters and one and a half meters of depth from the wall, if acquired together with the optional low-line attachment, it boasts up to fifty-three meters of drying line—enough to handle a couple wash loads in one sitting so it’s perfect for really big families.

From single dwellers up to extended families, fold-downs are definitely worthy of your attention thanks to its flexible installation and size options.

Key takeaways for fold-down clotheslines:

  • Multiple mounting/installation options
  • Highly customisable, tons of colours available depending on the manufacturer
  • Foldable, more discreet than other formats
  • Flexible capacity, can be tailor-fit to your needs 


Traditional Rotary Hoist

Probably the most iconic outside washing line of all time, the rotary hoist (Or colloquially, Hills hoist) has earned quite a nostalgic reputation. Found in just about every home in Australia, this format of drying line has a proven history when it comes to durability and a short trip down the memory lane.
Austral Super 5 Clothes Hoist
Blatantly setting aside the nostalgia, rotary or Hills hoist is a high capacity outside washing line mainly designed for big families. It has a raisable upper section to facilitate faster drying time, ease of hanging and removing laundry.

It’s worth noting that this clothesline is equipped with a crank and telescopic post, the former is used in order to raise or lower the drying line and since the top can be turned, this makes it a breeze to hang clothes.

You can remain stationary—no need to carry the laundry basket with you and walk from one side of the clothesline to the other.
Those features may sound inconsequential at first but the value of these will redeem themselves in the long run, mostly if you have mobility issues.

Another good thing about a standard rotary hoist is the capacity, take the Hills Hoist Heritage 5 for example, this one has forty-nine meters of total drying line which can accommodate big batches of laundry, all while consuming a relatively small footprint compared to typical fold-downs of the same capacity.

Despite the high ratio of capacity for its footprint, one important consideration with this outside clothesline is the room it needs, its frame is not foldable and most models span three to four meters so this is not advisable if you do not have a dedicated spot for it and if aesthetics is high up in your list of preferences.

Despite lacking the benefit of being stowed away when not in use, its strength lies in the lack of multiple moving parts that can break, hence, it will last you a very long time.

Key takeaways for traditional hoist outside clothes lines:

  • Convenient approach for hanging clothes
  • Less moving parts makes it more durable than a folding hoist
  • High capacity in a reasonably sized form factor
  • Suitable only for spacious yards
  • Construction is geared more towards function over form 


Folding Rotary

If you still want the features of a traditional hoist but have no ‘dedicated’ location for it, a folding rotary clothesline will be your best bet.

This is a close cousin of the standard rotary hoist with two main exceptions: 1) The whole device can be detached from its ground socket/concrete base. 2) The upper section is retractable for easy storage—just like an umbrella.
Hills Hoist 8 Line Clothesline
This style is a boon to big families who can take advantage of a rotary hoist’s impressive capacity and ease of use but still want the benefits of fully utilising their backyard’s real estate for entertaining guests. It’s basically the best of both worlds.

Keep in mind that this type of outside clothesline has moving parts, even though it won’t require much effort on your part to maintain, there is still a bit of maintenance to do.

This involves keeping the nuts and bolts properly lubricated and tightened to keep them from rusting and creaking when being retracted, doing so will also prolong the life of your clothesline.
What’s interesting is some manufacturers of folding rotary outside washing lines, like Austral, are able to introduce a product like the Foldaway 51. The Foldaway 15 has an astonishing fifty-one meters of drying line, fundamentally speaking, there is zero compromises should you opt for this style.

If the Foldaway 51 is a little too big for you, you might want to take a look at the Hills Hoist 6 which is a really good size for one to two people.

Key takeaways for folding rotary clotheslines:

  • Very large capacity, can handle multiple loads at once
  • Can be unmounted from the ground socket and hidden away
  • Convenient approach for hanging clothes
  • Little maintenance required to ensure long product lifespan 


Retractable

The smallest, most discreet form factor of all models featured in this article, a retractable outside washing line can practically be installed in any home.
Austral Retractaway 40 Clothesline

Mounting choices can be wall to wall, wall to post, post to wall, and post to post. Don’t be fooled by its diminutive size! What a retractable outside washing line may lack in size does not mean it is lacking when it comes to capacity.

If you are a single dweller, the Hills Cordomatic might be what you need, it has one drying line that can extend up fifteen meters which is a perfect size too for hanging
For a family of four or more, the Austral Retractaway 50 can be stretched out to ten meters, giving you fifty meters of total drying line.

That’s basically within the territory of fold-down and rotary models— no mean feat considering you can hang several beddings at once without folding! That’s if, height is properly set of course.

Its compact footprint contributes to an effortless installation too, not to mention the virtually endless possibility of selecting surfaces to mount on. As a matter of fact, most retractable outside washing lines can be purchased with post to post mounting kits which makes it a good fit if you already have clothesline poles installed.

A really good suggestion for installation is you can have the main unit/cabinet permanently fixed on a wall of your home and have a removable post for the mount bar (the part where the end of the drying line is attached) so if you’re done with laundry chores, you can retract your outside clothes line, unmount the post from the ground and store it in a shed or wherever it can be out of sight so you can start making room for a backyard barbecue.

One other thing, since retractable clotheslines can be locked at any length, a positive aspect of this configuration is cord sagging can be eliminated/mitigated by setting the cord at the preferred tightness, we cannot say the same thing about other models unless a line tensioning mechanism is built into a certain model so, clearly, retractable clotheslines win in this regard.

Key takeaways for retractable outside washing lines:

  • Unprecedented mounting options
  • Compact, easily hidden from view
  • Line sagging is eliminated with variable length locking capability
  • A plethora of models with various lengths and number of drying lines available



Ceiling Mounted


Ah, the ‘lowly’ eaves, it is essentially the most underutilised space outside of the home and for a good reason! Nothing beats a residence with a well kept lawn and unadulterated exterior but almost every house has a small section neatly tucked away from prying eyes.

Six Lath Supreme Ceiling Airer

Be it a narrow walkway or a small utility zone with an outside sink, as long as there are eaves, you can have a ceiling mounted outside washing line installed and literally gain usable space out of thin air.

Opting for a ceiling mounted clothesline does not necessarily mean that you have to climb a ladder just to hang your clothes! A pulley system will of course come with your outside washing line to make hanging of your newly laundered articles a breeze.
A really good thing about this implementation is it obviously does not occupy any useful space on the ground which makes it a really good alternative if you have a compact yard that cannot accommodate any of the other drying options we have mentioned.

There are a lot of models in this category of inside and outside clotheslines and features vary from one manufacturer to the other, the most popular on our end is the Six Lath Supreme Ceiling Airer which has six timber laths that is available in multiple lengths, from nine hundred millimetres to almost two and half meters which is quite spacious, multiple units can be installed for bigger families and its classy design can certainly go well with victorian or tuscan style home.

If you are seeking for something with a utilitarian flair that will not look out of place outside your house, check out the Stacker Gismo.

This one is available in multiple finishes such as Ivory, White, Black, and Lacquer. Lath lengths also come in different flavours from nine hundred millimetres to two and a half meters (2.4 to be exact), this model can be configured to have a stack of five or seven laths therefore it can also be repurposed as a hanging rack—pretty nifty!

Ceilings are not generally suited to handle excessive weight, if improperly mounted you may run into some problems so it is best to have ceiling mounted clotheslines installed by an expert.

Key takeaways for ceiling mounted clotheslines:

  • Pulley system allows for easy reachability
  • Does not take up precious usable space in your yard
  • Professional installation recommended
  • Generally reliable due to simplicity of overall design 

Portable

Last but not the least is the trusty old portable outside washing line, thanks to its ingenious construction, a portable unit is usually very light, some are equipped with wheels for easy transport, and it can be quickly set up wherever and whenever you want.
EcoDry Portable Clothesline
If you would rather forego permanent fixtures that we have already talked about, the design advantages of a portable unit may be pretty much spot on for you, hence, it is the most common choice in households as a secondary airer in the event that outdoor drying is not possible but even portable ones can handle really big jobs so don’t close your doors on this one.

A typical misconception about portable airers is that they can only be placed on the ground like most outside clothes lines, that could not be any farther from the truth.

For condo and apartment dwellers, a smartly designed solution is something like the Versaline Hook & Away, it can be temporarily attached on the railings of your balcony or even a fence, the size is great for couples too since most people living in small dwellings like these are often limited to between one to three occupants.
For those with very demanding laundry needs but sill want to have a portable outside clothesline, the Fulcrum Mobile is one quick fix that you should seriously consider.

This one can accommodate king size sheets to loads that are enough for six people, the three meter long model has two tiers of drying lines (fourteen at the top, six at the bottom) totalling to a massive sixty meters that’ll make a short work of drying duties. Sporting a solidly constructed frame and heavy-duty castor wheels, the Fulcrum Mobile is technically the Hercules of portable outside washing lines.

For those who seek a more humble solution, the EcoDry Portable is one answer. This space-saving foldable inside/outside clothes line makes it easy to be tucked away when not in use.

One notable feature that’s worth mentioning is the brilliant line tensioning system which takes care of line sagging (just like a retractable model), therefore clothes will never droop down the middle forming one big chunk of wet articles, the line tensioning feature ensures sufficient space between each item—even after years of use.

Key takeaways for portable clotheslines:

  • Mobility, can be taken from one place to another
  • Space saving
  • Tons of choices for capacity, no compromises
  • Some models can be mounted on railings



As you can see, choosing the perfect outside clothesline does not have to be a tough decision, as we have mentioned earlier, the most important factors/pillars when selecting a clothesline are: a) it will handle your needs and b) the correct type is chosen for the environment it will be installed in. if both of those factors are covered, nothing can go wrong!