How to Buy a Fold Up Clothesline That Actually Lasts

There are a few things to look for in a new fold up washing line, like is it designed to last in the kind of climate where you live? What are the features you might need? Essentials that should come with it, and of course, how to determine if you are getting your hard-earned money’s worth.

In this article, we took the liberty of including a few tips to ensure that you will get the most out of your fold up washing line and of course, to guarantee that it will last for a very long time so please make sure to read until the very end of it!

Getting a Properly-sized Fold Up Clothesline

You have to make sure that the fold up washing line you will acquire has adequate line space to handle the amount of laundry you will throw at it, it is also best to choose one that has a bit of room for extras like towels and beddings that you can dry along with your clothes.

We normally recommend at least eleven or twelve metres of drying line space per person in a given household, most websites and manufacturers dictate that ten is enough but in our honest opinion, that is simply too conservative of an estimate and might spell trouble for growing families in the future.

It is normal to assume that having a fold up clothesline that is bigger than your initial estimate is unnecessary but eventually you will find out that it is a good route to take since drying all your laundry in just one sitting means less time spent on doing the errand so as long as the space permits, there is nothing wrong with oversizing your fold up clothesline a little bit.

A properly sized fold up washing line will actually last longer because it is designed to support a greater amount of weight compared to smaller models.

Many of us are fond of overloading our airers, some do this without even realizing it only to find out later on that their fold up airer is already damaged, a good evidence of this are bent frames and cords that are sagging excessively even after repeated re-tightening.

Just to give you an idea, couples should opt for a fold up clothesline that has at least twenty four metres of line space while a family of four is better off with four times that amount, keep adding more to compensate for friends or relatives who frequently come over for vacations.

Do Not Skimp on Your Budget

The amount of money you are willing to spend on your new folding airer more often than not dictates the quality of product that will end up in your yard, for something that lasts a while and is functionally vital in a household, a folding airer is basically an investment.

Of course you must also be looking in the right direction, just because one model has a high price tag does not necessarily mean it is the absolute best.

We think that the really good airers are the ones that have great prices yet offer unbeatable value while the best ones are the kind that perfectly meet your needs no matter the price.

You might be enticed to opt for a foldup washing line that is really cheap and has all the bells and whistles but here is the thing, manufacturers have to cut costs somewhere in order to offer products at attractive prices and they diver your attention to the unnecessary features that you think you need.

The first thing that they have to sacrifice is the type of metal or finish that their wallet-friendly products possess, instead of using thicker gauge galvanised steel they opt for thinners ones that bend or rust easily.

Another thing that you may encounter is the kind of finish that such fold up clothes lines posses, most high-end models or even mid-range ones from leading brands like Hills, Austral or even Eco are powder-coated, cheaper manufacturers stick with polyvinyl chloride or PVC.

PVC Versus Powder-coating

Powder coating is the standard painting process rampant in the automotive industry, it is essentially a plastic powder or polymer that is positively charged to adhere onto a negatively charged surface which is then heated/baked for a certain period of time.

When the baking/curing process is complete, the result is a very durable finish that is akin to enamel and protects the material underneath.

The frame of cheaper models are normally just thinly coated with polyvinyl chloride or PVC, the metal is quickly dipped in a pool or vat of melted PVC then the material hardens as it cools down, just like wax.

So what makes powder-coating better than PVC? PVC is a softer material and more porous than cured plastic or polymer therefore the latter pair is more hard-wearing and does a better job at protecting a steel frame from scratches and moisture.

Powder-coating polymers are also so much more resilient against ultraviolet/UV and infrared rays so it takes a great deal of time for the layer to degrade, unfortunately the same cannot be said about the inferior PVC.

PVC fades and becomes brittle after a while and even if the layer does not get stripped off, we can bet that the PVC coated frame of cheap fold up washing lines will develop rust underneath in a few years time without you realising it.

The only reason why some manufacturers stick to PVC is because it is a faster and cheaper process, powder-coating involves numerous steps to accomplish which adds to the cost of production unlike PVC dipping that can be accomplished in one or two steps.

The coat/finish of your airer is only the tip of the iceberg, something more vital lies underneath and in order to ensure that you choose a fold up washing line that is reliable, you must be able to look for the correct kind of metal suitable for your use.

Aluminium, Galvanised Steel, or Stainless Steel

There are three types of metal/alloy used to make the frame of fold up clotheslines, mainly aluminium, galvanised steel, and stainless steel.

Galvanised steel is amongst the most popular choice due to its cost effectiveness and second is aluminium; out of the three, stainless steel is the most expensive.

Other than being affordable, galvanised steel is sturdy and readily available but compared to aluminium and stainless steel, this material is a lot less resistant to corrosion or rusting.

Galvanisation is the process of submerging steel into a big vat of molten zinc, the iron in the steel metallurgically reacts with the zinc to form a tightly-bonded alloy coating that provides superior corrosion protection to steel, so you get the benefit of steel’s tensile strength along with rust resistance.

Galvanised steel—despite its shortcomings—is actually quite resilient to rust, combined with powder coating, expect an airer made from this material to stand the test of time while being wallet-friendly just like the Hills Single or Everyday Double.

Aluminium on the other hand is lightweight and also strikes the balance between affordability and durability, it is impressively resistive against corrosion so it works great in marine applications or beachfront homes and is just as easy to obtain like galvanised steel.

The only factor where aluminium loses against galvanised steel is the fact that it is a little softer, fold up washing lines made from this material may be prone to kinking or bending in rough winds but this should not be a cause for concern if the airer is fashioned from the correct thickness/grade.

The finest metal for any type of location is stainless steel and is long considered as the rolls Royce of fold up clothes lines.

Another thing that we want to talk about is the type of cords you should use/with your fold up clothes line. Most fold up washing lines use vinyl coated cords with a polyester core; these are affordable and last quite long but are often prone to sagging and need to be replaced after a few years of retightening.

Cotton, polyester, or nylon lines will eventually sag so you might 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.

If you plan on replacing the drying lines yourself, might as well purchase a steel cable for a more durable alternative, sadly, not a lot of manufacturers in the mid-range market offer fold up clotheslines that come with steel cords.

A red flag when purchasing airers are fragile line hoops/catches made out of plastic, unless they are made from fibre-glass reinforced plastic with thick and sturdy feel, you should be fine.

Fibreglass reinforced polyurethane is quite durable and are often considered industrial grade (the type used in power tools, and heavy equipment), this is done not to just save on production costs but also results in the product being lighter.

Tips to Extend the Life of Your Fold Up Washing Line

Wall mounted or free standing, your fold up washing line should be installed by an expert to ensure proper anchoring to the wall/surface and a sturdy mounting of the poles in the case of free standing units that have concrete footings.

Improperly installed clotheslines maybe damage due to uneven distribution of load throughout the structure and not only can it wreak havoc on itself, it can also damage the surface it has been mounted on because the fasteners are exerting unwanted lateral torque that often lead to cracks and gradual failure of the installation.

These are very simple contraptions that barely require maintenance but considering all of the hard work they do for you multiple times a week, at least give them a little bit of tender loving care by doing some maintenance checks every year or so.

A very easy way to prolong the life of your fold up washing line is to lubricate moving parts or scratches with thick grease and saturating bearings/nuts and bolts with WD40 or any similar low-viscosity lubricant that repels moisture well.

Fold up washing lines, should never be overloaded mostly wall mounted units that are installed on weak wood surfaces, even large capacity ones have maximum weight carrying limit so it is best to be weary of such to keep your drying lines from sagging and the frames from being damaged.

If you have finally decided on the model of fold up washing line to acquire, if at all possible, have it installed somewhere underneath an eave or awning to keep it from getting wet a lot or be exposed to rain mostly if you live in a rainy region.

We know that this is a rather strange suggestion but this is for a good reason, you see, if your washing line is going to be placed in area that is covered there is less chance for water to reach the metal therefore decreased possibility of rust developing.

There is an added convenience factor to this too on, you do not have to purchase a separate clothesline cover since your washing line is already safe from rainwater—another great way to save quite a bit of money.

Quick Recap and Key Takeaways

To keep the confusion at bay, just remember these five key aspects that are normally found in long-lasting fold up clotheslines: