Drying clothes and linens the old-fashioned way saves dollars, reduces carbon footprint and allows for off grid freedom.
There’s just something about the fresh smell of linens hung to dry outside. The Amish still make and use drying racks and clotheslines to air dry the family laundry.
At times the weather may not be cooperative so both indoor and outdoor drying options are a must.
Cottage Craft Works .com carries all types of Amish folding drying racks and outdoor clotheslines on their self-sufficient living online store at http://www.cottagecraftworks.com
There you will find several indoor and outdoor drying solutions from portable clothes lines, Amish pulley mounted clothes to the folding floor and wall mounted drying racks for indoor drying.
Accordion wall mounted drying racks take up very little space when they are folded yet, they provide several feet of drying space when they are extended. Accordion wall racks are very handy in mud rooms, laundries, and garages.
A heavy-duty folding umbrella rack provides up to 20’ of drying space yet it only takes up an 8” wide x 36” wall space when it is folded.
Cottage Craft Works also offers an economy version and a heavy-duty umbrella folding clothes rack that is smaller but perfect for towels in a kitchen or bathroom area.
Most will recognize the traditional floor folding drying racks. These simple folding racks fold up accordion style allowing them to be stored easily.
When expanded, they can be set over a heat register of in front of a window. The larger sizes provide up to 40’ of drying space in one compact area. They are also handy for drying spices, flowers, and herbs.
When expanded, they can be set over a heat register of in front of a window. The larger sizes provide up to 40’ of drying space in one compact area. They are also handy for drying spices, flowers, and herbs.
These vintage ceiling mounted clothes drying racks have been used for centuries in the UK and Europe. Some gravitated to the US and will occasionally show up here in Antique stores. The space saving concept works extremely well in small homes and apartments.
Generally, they were hung from the kitchen ceilings where most laundry was done in vintage times.
Today they work well in small spaces, porches, garages, and basements. Heat tends to flow upward to the ceiling area so these racks are very efficient for quick drying of clothes without taking up valuable floor space.
The drying rack uses rope and pulleys to lower for loading and unloading of clothing and linens.
The Pennsylvania and Ohio Amish communities have developed an ingenious pulley mounted clothes line that allows the fresh laundry to be strung from the back laundry room door without ever walking outside.
This comes in extremely handy for Northern states where wet springs followed by winter snow and ice can make it very difficult to hang out clothes on a traditional clothesline.
Patterned after pulley mounted clotheslines from earlier times mostly found in city apartment buildings, these Amish designed systems are designed to handle up to 150’ of clothes line often strung from the house to a barn or pole.
Driving through these Amish communities during weekly wash days will likely yield a display of flag like bright colored Amish woman dresses combined with white linens.
This system provides a solid outdoor clothesline without the permanent post. Even better it can be wheeled full of clothes around the yard or in and out of a garage.
Made of square aluminum tubing that comes apart for compact storage it looks like a giant hammock frame when assembled.
The lines provide up to 72’ of drying lines in only a 12’ x 8’ space.
The lines provide up to 72’ of drying lines in only a 12’ x 8’ space.
A great clothes drying solution for rental homes, vacation cottages or summer camp.
Once you start using this little compact drying systems you will wonder how you ever done without it. Hang it right outside of a back door from a soffit to quickly hang up dish rags, tea towels, socks and baby tops, bibs and delicates.
Made from two aluminum rings equipped with clothespins hanging by chains from a single hook. Also, perfect for drying herbs and flowers.
Cottage Craft Works at www.cottagecraftworks.com is a full line online old fashioned general store chocked full of quality practical wares and goods used during vintage off grid times.
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| Folding Floor Drying Rack |
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| Ceiling Mounted Clothes Drying Rack |
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| Amish Portable Clothesline |
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| Folding Accordion Wall Drying Rack |
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| Amish Small Garment and Sock Drying Ring |
