Usually I can go until the end of October before I have to start drying my clothes on the clothes racks inside our home. I'm hoping I can stretch that this year and go even further into Nov.

How late can you usually go before you can no longer hang your clothes outside (if you do)?

I can usually get into November but the fingers get pretty nippy!! :D This summer I purchased a big wooden drying rack from the Amish and can't wait to get lots of use out of it this winter.

Since it got warm again, I should be able to finish out the month of October. Regarding the drying in the house, would they dry in the basement, even though the basement isn't heated?

Danielle, in answer to your question, YES!!! When we lived in the city, dh strung some clothesline wire in part of the basement we weren't using. I hung all my clothes there during the cold winter months, or when it rained in the summer months.

I haven't had a dryer now for almost 10 years.

When we came here, I found an old clothesrack in the garage and rescued it right away. I also had to purchase a new one (which I don't like). Wish I had the Amish close by, I'd get one from them. During the winter months here, I have one in dd's room and one in our upstairs foyer. Our basement is only a partial basement and there isn't room with my stockpile down there to put any clothesracks or clothesline.

Question about drying in the basement. I do this during the winter, but my jeans are so stiff doing it this way. Does anyone know how to keep them soft? Maybe throw them in the dryer for a bit first? There has to be some sort of solution to that.

Michelle, we've just gotten use to it. Once you put them on, its not long before they aren't stiff anymore. It took us awhile to get use to the towels as well, but now we don't think anything of it.

Probably though if it really bugged you, placing them in your dryer for 5 minutes or so and then drying them, or it might be vice versa, drying them partially and then putting them in the dryer. Not sure seeing as I don't have a dryer. :D

There are limited days in Nov that I can dry clothes outside. About the middle of Nov, we get snow sometimes.

As for drying, we always put the dryer on fluff no heat for 10 min. It makes a big difference in the clothes. AS for soft pjs and sheets we do not fluff them. I don't want the nice smell to be decreased. lol

I think it would be very easy for your husband to make one. Its mostly dowels, have you did a google search for a pattern?

I can ususally hang clothes out until early-mid September.

Michelle, put them in the dryer for a few minutes AFTER they are dry and that will take the stiffness out.

Here in Chicago, it depends on the humidity.
One year I hung clothes out in the hot sun of October.
This past year, they would not dry in September due to the humidity.

We do line dry in the winter here but have to be careful of really windy days. Like this month for instance - trying to dry outdoors is impossible unless I want to hunt county wide for our clothing - strong winds have been very, very constant this year.

Quaker Anne

Lol, Anne!!!

I put them out all winter, but only towels, sheets and 'big people' pants. It's too hard on the fingers to hang all the bitty stuff, so those go on the racks downstairs, shirts always hang in the bathroom.

Fall is the season that I can't hang outside. Rain, rain, rain.

I'm originally from Nova Scotia, and I didn't use the clothesline at all back home. Fog until noon every day, and rain at least once during every 24 hour period. No matter how much I tried, they always came back wetter than they went out. Yet, I saw a lot more people hanging their clothes out there than I do here.

I'm still wondering how something so natural and beneficial has become something considered 'Low-class' among the majority, here in the states!

I'm still wondering how something so natural and beneficial has become something considered 'Low-class' among the majority, here in the states!

sigh.....I guess that really emphasises how upside-down the fabric of society has become, Violet. I hope it never gets like that here in NZ..... but sadly we do seem to have a nasty habit of following the bad trends of other countries!:ouch: