Glossary of Clothesline Terms
Austral Clotheslines
Austral Clotheslines is an Australian based clothesline company situated in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Austral has been manufacturing clothesline and washing line products for over 30 years and make a large range of clothesline products including rotary, retractable and foldown clotheslines, for both indoor and outdoor use.
For more information on Austral Clotheslines, click here: Austral
Australian Made Clotheslines
Australia has long been the leading country when it comes to clothesline and washing line development and manufacturing, and to date, there are still a number of Australian-based manufacturers that produce clothes lines in Australia.
These companies include:
- Austral Clotheslines - Renowned for reliable rotary, retractable and fold down products.
- Eco Clotheslines - Makes a selection of high-quality folding frame and fold down clotheslines.
- Ecodry Clotheslines - Popular for its user-friendly, durable, and innovative portable clothesline.
- Evolution Clotheslines - Manufacturer of ultra-premium, 316 stainless steel fixed frame and folding frame clotheslines.
Breeze Brake
A Breeze Brake is a unique clothesline braking device found on all Australian manufactured clotheslines.
This mechanism, prevents a rotary style clothesline from spinning freely during windy days.
The breeze brake locks the head of the clothesline in one position so clothes and washing can be easily hung even when experience a strong breeze.
Breeze brakes are currently available on all fixed head rotary hoists and removable, folding head rotary clothes lines.
City Living Clotheslines
City Living Clotheslines is an Australian owned company based in Sydney, Australia and has been manufacturing clothesline products since the mid 1970s.
City Living Clotheslines are one of the few remaining companies still making clothes line products in Australia that use only locally-sourced parts and materials where available.
All the work involved with the clothesline manufacture process, apart from some powder coating painting, is done within City Living's premises.
For more information on City Living Clotheslines, click here: City Living
Core Hole Drilling
Core Hole Drilling is a special service required when installing clotheslines in specific situations.
Core holes are needed when clotheslines are to be installed into rock or concrete surfaces as well as installing through pavers and tiles.
Core Hole Drilling is a service offered by Lifestyle Clotheslines, however, there is an additional fee for this service should it be required.
Foldaway Rotary Clothesline
A foldaway rotary clothesline is a rotary style clothesline that has a folding head which allows it to be folded up and removed from the ground if needed.
Foldaway rotary clotheslines are one of the most common types of rotary clotheslines currently found in Australia as they allow for the clothesline to be stored away when entertaining or having parties in your yard.
For more information on Foldaway Rotary Clothelsines, click here: Foldaway Rotary Clotheslines
Foldown Clotheslines
Foldown clotheslines are a unique type of clothesline product that can be either wall mounted or ground mounted, and folded up into a horizontal position when in use.
When not required, the clothes line folds flat against the wall or ground mount kit, out of the way.
This style of clothesline is very popular where space is limited. These products come in a range of sizes ad styles to fit most modern living situations.
For more information on Foldown Clotheslines, click here: Fold Down Clotheslines
Ground Mount Kit
A ground mount kit is a set of steel legs or poles that allow for a foldown or folding frame styled clothesline to be converted into a free standing unit.
This method is often used when there is no suitable wall available for the clothesline to be mounted to or if the clothesline is required to be mounted in a position away from a wall.
Ground mount kits are available in set heights, some companies also manufacture a two-piece kit that allows for the final clothesline height to be adjusted after installation.
For more information on Ground Mount Kits, click here: Clothesline Ground Mount Kits
Ground Socket
A Ground Socket is a heavy-duty plastic socket that gets concreted into the ground which allows the clothesline to be removed even after installation.
Ground sockets come standard with all foldaway rotary clotheslines and they can also be used with ground-mounted foldown clotheslines and retractable clotheslines to allow these products to be removed from the ground when not in use.
Additional ground sockets are often purchased when rotary clotheslines are required to be installed in two different areas. (e.g. One socket in an area used for drying in summer and one in winter.)
Ground sockets also come with a cap which keeps debris from falling into the cavity when the clothes line is not installed.
For more information on Clothesline Ground Socket, click here: Clothesline Ground Socket
Hills Clotheslines
Hills clothesline products are one of the most widely known clothesline products in the world, especially Australia wherein almost every home has a "Hills Hoist" in their backyard.
Hills today is a huge multi-national company that still manufactures a large range of clothesline products such as rotary, retractable, folding frame and foldown products.
For more information on Hills products, refer to the links below:
- Hills Folding Frame Clothesline
- Hills Rotary Clotheslines - Folding Head
- Hills Clothes Hoists
- Hills Clothesline Accessories
Line Tension Lock
A Line Tension lock is a unique locking device that comes standard on all Austral foldown clotheslines.
The line tension lock allows for the perfect tension to be maintained on the lines of your clothesline at all times and is a feature that some other clothesline brands do not have.
For more information on Line Tension Lock, click here: Clothesline Line Tension Lock
Powder Coated Paint
Powder coating paint work is the industry standard in painting method today as it allows for a very tough and resilient paint finish to be applied on many clotheslines quickly.
It is the same process used in automotive manufacturing and is found on many Australian clothesline brands.
Powder coating is where the paint is actually baked onto the steel using high temperatures which gives a tougher, higher quality finish with longer lasting colours.
Retractable Clothesline
Retractable clotheslines are a distinctive style of clothesline that range in the number of lines they have (typically from 1 to 6) and can be used over varying degrees of length.
A retractable clothesline has a number of lines that extend out from the cabinet or box which is mounted to a wall or post, the lines terminate at the spreader arm which is locked into place using a receiving bracket installed at the opposite end of an area. (on a wall or post)
When not needed, the lines can be simply retracted back into the cabinet out of the way.
Retractable clotheslines are very popular today as drying space is normally at a premium on modern housing developments and people like the fact the lines can be hidden away from view.
The leading brands of retractable clotheslines sold in Australia range from 4-6 lines and extend out to lengths of up to 10m.
For more information on Retractable Clotheslines, click here: Retractable Clotheslines
Rotary Clotheslines
Rotary clotheslines are broken down into two common styles: Foldaway rotary(removable) and Fixed Head rotary (Permanently installed).
Rotary clotheslines typically have a large head that has a number of lines for hanging your washing and clothes, the head rotates around a central pole or main stem for convenience and faster drying by facilitating airflow.
Rotary clothes lines can be adjustable in height to suit the user or they can be fixed-type models that only have one height setting.
Click here for more information: Foldaway Rotary Clotheslines, Fixed Head Clothes Hoists
Versaline Clotheslines
Versaline Clotheslines is an Australian-based clothesline manufacturer that make a number of uniquely styled clothesline products.
Versaline clotheslines are often referred to as the "disappearing clothesline" as this product can be easily removed and stored away in under 30 seconds.
Versaline has been manufacturing clotheslines for over 8 years and is one of the very few manufacturers who make stainless steel versions of some of their clothesline models.
For more information on Versaline, click here: Versaline Clotheslines
Wall Mounted Clotheslines
Wall mounted clotheslines fall into a range of categories such as foldown, folding frame, and retractable clotheslines.
These products can be mounted in a variety of situations and on almost any type of wall including brick, concrete, and block walls.
Wall mounted clotheslines come in a large range of sizes to suit the largest family down to even single-person households.
For more information on Wall Mounted Clotheslines, click here: Wall Mounted Clotheslines