“Mommy, when are you going to put up your nice, new clothesline? It’s a shame not to use it.” Georgia really talks like someone’s 70-year-old grandma, and she’s right. I’ve had a clothesline for months. I mentioned to my mom that I wanted one and one day she brought a nice, retractable one over, but it wasn’t the right time. The deck was too dirty. The weather was too rainy. It was just too darn much trouble.

But Georgia reminded me again and again. The clothesline got buried under a pile of papers, which got spirited away when friends came over, then the pile re-emerged only to create its own gravitational pull and become a bigger pile. Finally I rescued the fancy retractable clothesline from the pile, but by then couldn’t find the screws and hook thingy that went with it. So I shoved it into a drawer in the back bathroom, and forgot about it.

But this weekend it was over 90 degrees, and I had several loads of laundry that I wanted to get done before peak usage hour. The dryer was going for a couple of hours when I remembered the clothesline. I rummaged around for the screws, found some that would do, and then remarkably found the hook thingy. “Georgia, do you know where the clothesline is?” She’s got the best memory in the house, and she did remember the last few places it had lurked, but I used The Force and found it in the bathroom.

We marched outside with purpose, and I shoddily installed the clothesline. If I had tried to do it right I would never have got the sheets on the line. Lacking clothespins, Georgia gathered up lots of plastic hair clips and I spread the sheets across the quickly drooping line. Georgia applied clips here and there, very intent and focused. It was simple and satisfying — sheets, I realize, are the perfect line laundry for beginners. Within half an hour the sheets were dry, and they smelled fresh and clean. My mom tells about her much-missed Poparoo (gruff and wonderful Gramps to me) who once gave her a silly but heartfelt compliment. “Danny, you hang out a beautiful laundry.” I remember hiding in between the clean, neatly hung clothes, the cool dampness against my skin, the fresh smell surrounding me. More than an eco-statement, hanging out the laundry felt like a connection to a precious past place.

Later that day I went to the store and checked for clothespins. They were completely sold out! A good day for laundry, indeed. Instead I bought some real clothesline and some eye hooks. My nifty retractable clothesline is good for a small load, but if I’m going to really make a difference drying clothes, and take as much advantage of the rain-free days, I need more line. I am inspired to see how much I can do. I’m sure I’ll never hang a beautiful laundry, but I can enjoy the novelty and nostalgia of the clothesline throughout the summer, and save some resources while I’m at it!

Photo credit: Jay Erickson