Fold Down Clotheslines: The Ultimate Aussie Guide

By now you must be aware that there are tons of fold out clotheslines on the market and we understand that choosing the right model can be frustrating. For such a simple device, there can be so many iterations courtesy of multiple brands which ultimately makes it difficult to decide on which to get.
Fold out Clotheslines


Putting aside the colours, material choices, and other bells and whistles, you’ll notice that fold out washing lines are essentially the same. As with any other product, your price range dictates the key aspects of your folding clothesline but keep in mind that cheaper units don’t always automatically equate to a worse experience.

The same goes for pricey models, yes there are very expensive foldout washing lines out there but that does not necessarily guarantee that it is going to be a good experience either.

Here are some important things to consider when it comes to fold out clotheslines:


  • Capacity - A fold out washing line is no good if it cannot handle a week’s worth of your family’s laundry.

  • Build Quality - Metal frames with plastic parts versus full metal construction.

  • Location - Anywhere is not the answer.

  • Installation - Free standing or wall mounted.


If you hit all of those factors perfectly then rest assured you’ll end up with the right airer which will last for a very long time, now let’s move over to determining the right capacity if you have no idea where to start.


Capacity

This one is pretty simple, you will want a fold out clothesline that will make short work of your laundry for the whole week plus a bit more for good measure.


To make things a little less complicated to explain, we’ll use a single dweller as our point of reference.

Most say that 10 meters of drying line is enough to handle one full week of wet articles for one person but that is a rather conservative estimate, we suggest going for at least 12 to 15 meters.
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We suggest at least 12 to 15
meters of drying line
space per person
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You will never know when you have relatives staying over for long periods and that additional two to five meters of space can be used to dry your beddings alongside your clothes in one go.
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As long as the space permits,
there is nothing wrong
with oversizing your
clothesline
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Now, multiply that to match the number of people in your home, you should be able to have a goodguess in terms of determining your fold out airer’s capacity to suit your needs—with room to spare!

Drying all your laundry in just one sitting also means less time and effort on your part, so as long as the space permits, there is nothing wrong with oversizing your clothesline a little bit.


There is another advantage to oversizing your clothesline, if you expect your family to grow in the next few years, there is no need to get rid of the old, small capacity fold out clothesline in order to make way a bigger one.

So set your expectations, plan ahead of time, you’ll eventually save more money down the road.


Build Quality

Budget is the main determining factor when it comes to the build quality of your fold out washing line, if you are trying to be practical we cannot blame you since it is the absolute attitude of almost every buyer, that also includes us!


The key is to get the fold out clothesline with the best value and by saying ‘best value’ that does not always mean the cheapest with the top build quality because if it is too good to be true, it probably is.

Always bear in mind that manufacturers have to cut corners somewhere in order to offer products at a lower price.
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Budget is the main
determining factor when it
comes to the build quality of
your fold out washing line
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In our opinion, a product with the best value is the one that fits your requirements like a custom-tailored coat or jeans, a clothesline that perfectly suits you and makes you happy without breaking the bank!

For most homes, just focus on fold out washing lines with full galvanised steel construction including the joints, and if possible, the drying lines.

Other brands offer the same galvanised steel construction for the main assembly but the problem is some of their fold out clotheslines have load-bearing parts fashioned from cheap plastic.
Hills Everyday Double Folding Frame Clothesline
The problem with cheaper plastics is that they can become brittle over time, rendering your washing line useless if there are no available spare parts.

The worst part is, some skimp so much to cut costs that they even put out products that have line hoops/catches made out of plastic.

A few manufacturers use fibreglass reinforced polyurethane components which is quite durable and some are even industrial grade (the type used in power tools, to give you an idea), this is done not to just save on production costs and make it quicker but also results the product being lighter.
Full steel construction is significantly
more durable than other designs with
plastic supporting structure.
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Designing a clothesline to be light is great if it’s a portable unit. Fold out washing lines are permanently mounted in just one location so this advantage doesn’t make any practical sense with logistics being the only exception.
If you see plastic inserts and covers that are basically there for aesthetic purposes it is perfectly fine as long as the sections of the clothesline like the frame, joints, brackets, and mounting assembly—basically all the parts that do the heavy lifting are made of metal.

There are brands out there that have models made from anodised aluminium, those are a pretty good bet if you want a cost-efficient fold out washing line suitable in salty areas but be reminded that aluminium does not have the same tensile strength of galvanised steel at similar thickness.

Aluminium can be prone to kinking or bending if the grade chosen is subpar so keep an eye out forthat.
If you want the best kind of metal for your clothesline (without the cost being a barrier) then go for ones that are made of marine grade stainless steel, these are suitable for any type of environment and is designed to withstand the harsh, corrosive properties of saltwater.

Marine grade stainless steel is very durable and manufacturers that offer fold out washing lines using this kind of metal usually offer very long warranty coverage of up to 30 years while most mainstream ones top out at 10 to 15 years.
Hills Single Clothesline
One last component to pay attention to on your fold out washing line is the cord, most use vinyl coated ones with a polyester core, these are good, reliable materials that last but are often prone to sagging.
Use of plastics should be restricted to
aesthetic purposes, glass-fibre
reinforced variety is an exception.
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Cotton, polyester, or nylon lines will eventually sag so you will soon need to seek help from the store you bought it from in order to have them retightened if your clothesline does not have a built-in line tensioner.

The line materials we have mentioned above also become brittle or fray over time and eventually have to be replaced. You can go for fold out clotheslines with galvanised steel cables if you don’t want to be bothered by any of those issues.


Location, location, location.

Choosing the right location for your fold out clothesline is vital to guarantee fast drying times and keep multiple issues at bay, it is a no-brainer and you will want to get the most out of your investment so pay close attention to our tips on finding the right spot to air out your clothes.


Keep your Clotheslines Away From Vents
If you prefer having your fold out washing line mounted on the wall, check and make sure that the area is far from kitchen, bathroom, HVAC, or clothes dryer exhaust vents to keep unwanted smells from reaching your freshly laundered articles.

It is also a good idea to situate your washing line clear from eave vents, pressure difference around your home—mostly if you live in windy places—can cause dust and other unwanted particles to be blown out from these too.

The perfect spot for a folding clothes dryer is an area where it will be hit by sunlight throughout the day as much as possible.
Keep your clothes free from unwanted
particles and odours by installing your
clotheslines away from vents.
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Also opt for a location where the breeze is constantly flowing to facilitate quick drying, sunlight helps sterilise your clothes which stops weird smells and moulds/mildews from developing.
If you want a free standing fold out clothesline out on your yard, consult your installer for the best advice in anchoring them properly, this is a big must if you’re a rolling property or if your clothesline will be positioned in a sloping area.

The last thing to keep in mind when choosing a location is to avoid installing your fold out clothesline around bushes or trees, tree sap will end up on your clothesline and guarantees staining, it’s also a good way to prevent ants and other insects from finding their way into your laundry basket—or worse, your closet.
Clothes Pegs

Place your airer away from trees
and bushes to maximise airflow
and sunlight exposure.
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Installation

For fold out clotheslines, you really only have two choices, free standing with the help of ground mounting kits that—more often than not—have to be purchased separately or you can settle with a wall mounted one and have it bolted to a solid surface.
Eco Ground Mount Kit
The best way to determine which of these two options are up to par is by ensuring that you follow our tips for choosing a location, once accomplished, you can then move on and proceed with the installation.

If you’re a DIY savvy person then you pretty much know your way around this, the majority of fold out clotheslines come with all the bits and pieces for mounting them on the wall so all you need to do is to drill the surface and work your way from there.
Ground mount kits boost your foldout
washing line’s flexibility when it comes
to installation.
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Some manufacturers bundle ground mounting kits but it is an absolute rarity so check with the store or manufacturer if the model you’re interested in does.


Most online stores which sell clotheslines do offer installation services, many have flat rates determined by the method of mounting, if a free standing fold out clothesline is your choice, we hope that you won’t run into any scenarios that require cutting a big tree root or jackhammer since those jobs will cost you extra.


Recommendations

We have a few recommendations that you might want to take a look at if you think that none of the ones you have seen so far do not make the cut.


For single dwellers or couples living in a small home, you might want to check out something like the Austral Slenderline 16 or the Eco Apartment.

Both are built entirely out of galvanised steel, the latter is good for conventional installations while the one by Eco is suitable for narrow spaces due to its minuscule width but extensive depth from the wall.
Eco Apartment Clothesline
Both are built entirely out of galvanised steel, the latter is good for conventional installations while the one by Eco is suitable for narrow spaces due to its minuscule width but extensive depth from the wall.
Long and narrow, the Eco
Apartment is great for balconies
and laundry rooms.
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The Slenderline has a good 16 meters of line space for such a small fold out clothesline, its depth off the wall is just 600 millimetres and the width is customisable up to 2.4 metres. Eco’s offering, on the other hand, is the complete opposite of Austral’s product.

Measuring a svelte 520 millimetres across and a rather long 1.45 meters depth off the wall, you won’t have to sacrifice any line drying space and finding a location is a matter of pointing at the one you could find if you live in a condo or apartment.
Austral Slenderline 16 Clothesline
The width of the Slenderline is customisable as we have mentioned earlier, the same cannot be said about the Eco Apartment since it is already quite narrow but it can be customised to a certain degree in order to suit your preference.
The Austral’s wide and short form
factor is perfect for narrow pathways
and garages.
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It is available in over 40 colours and we offer three pre-determined widths across the wall, mainly 750 and 1000 millimetre flavours on top of the 520 millimetre width that we initially mentioned.
If you have a big family or simply want a completely customisable fold out washing line that will fulfill  your requirements then we think that the Eco 300 series is what you’re looking for.

The Eco 300 can be custom tailored to a maximum length of 3 meters and up to 1.5 meters of depth from the wall, if that isn’t good enough for you, an optional low-line attachment can be purchased which boosts the capacity to a total of 53 meters.
Eco 300 Stainless Steel Clothesline
Just like its smaller sibling, the Eco 300 is available in over 40 different shades of durable powder coat paint and it is constructed entirely out of galvanised or stainless steel.
Available in multiple finishes and
sizes, the Eco 300 is the master
of customisability.
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Given the very reasonable price, our great experience with this model, and the hundreds if not thousands of positive reviews online, it’s safe to say that you can place your bet on this one confidently.
Evolution 316 Stainless Steel Clothesline


The last model that we would like to recommend is the Evolution Folding Clotheslines, of all our fold out clotheslines, this one has the best build quality, it is—in our honest opinion—second to none.

Evolution Folding is made solely of marine grade, 316 stainless steel, the hinge is designed in such a simple way that it doesn’t require separate components to work.



Built like a tank, the Evolution Folding

comes with an 80 year guarantee.

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The whole thing feels so robust that we wouldn’t have doubts that it will be able to tackle any kind of drying task you throw at it.


Even the cables are made from stainless steel, the moving parts are like puzzle pieces that basically need no maintenance so the Evolution Folding is obviously designed to last a lifetime, as a matter of fact, we offer a warranty coverage period of 80 years for this fold out washing line.

The Evolution Folding has a brushed finish and a contemporary design that will go well with any home’s exterior, if you house has a minimalist or contemporary design then it is a match made in heaven.

No matter what model of fold out clothesline you go with, as long as you end up with the one that has a good reliability track record and it passes the guidelines we have mentioned above, rest assured, your investment should serve you well for the many years to come.