no room for hipsters

We sold the dryer a while back to raise capital, before the NYC spanking debacle.  And since then we only do laundry on sunny days.  The free standing rack we got at IKEA can’t always hold the weight when a sunny day coincides with the initiative to tackle the laundry heap.  Usually we have to peel it like an onion for three sunny days.  The answer: a laundry line.

Today’s blog will be a “how-to” on building your own laundry line.  Why would you want one? (According to Project Laundry List) 10. Save money, 9. Clothes last longer (where do you think lint comes from?), 8. Pleasant scent, 7. Saves Energy, Preserves Environment, Reduces pollution, 6. Healthy work, 5. Sunshine treatment (sunlight bleaches and disenfects), 4. Replace another appliance, 3. Avoid a fire, 2. It is fun! 1. It is truly patriotic (demonstrates that small steps make a difference, you don’t have to wait for government action)

So here we go.   Two 12′ 4×4″s will give you a 6′ high line if you cut 3′ for your cross piece and leave enough to sink.  In the tennessee red clay, I gave myself two feet and cut off the rest.

Screw the two pieces together and dig some holes.  Mix your concrete according to instructions.

This big iron noodle is for feeding coal into the old fashioned furnaces from around here.  I’ve never figured out to do with one now, but it busts up the limestone in the clay, very neatly.

Wait for the posts to set.  Maybe you have time to watch this music video, it’s about a girl who makes it rain every time she puts out her clothes to dry:

Then you hang your lines.  Use i-hooks for the best look.  To save a few bucks, drill holes and tie off (tape the rope to a screwdriver and pull it through).  There are pulleys too, if you want to pretend you’re hanging your drawers between buildings.

You can tell I’ve got some sag on the first time.  That denim is heavy.

I’m working on a song called “Laundry Line.”   It talks about when we should and shouldn’t bring up difficult matters in situations.  If you want to be transparent, there are places to hang a laundry line and others that you shouldn’t.  But on this particular corner, my shorts are blowing in the wind.

Tags: blowing in the wind, build your own, coal furnace, heavy denim, how to, ikea, laundry line, patriotism, project laundry list, sunshine, tennessee red clay, transparency, wet jeans