A washing line to play with! (Hozelock Tidyline Retractable Clothes Line)

Member Name: janharper

Product:	Hozelock Tidyline Retractable Clothes Line
Date:	07/08/01 (9568 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: stays clean

Disadvantages: you have to pull it out each time

Washing lines are not my favourite subject but I must admit that I was quite taken up with my Hozelock Tidyline. It's more than just a clothesline, you see, I can play with it too!

When you get this device out of the box you'll find mounting screws and a hook included. The instructions are straightforward and very easy.

First you screw the plastic line holder to a wall or other solid surface, then you attach the hook at the other end of the garden. You then pull out the line and attach it to the hook. Easy!

There are 12 metres of line here and its coated in plastic. This means that it is too long for my garden but that isn't a problem as the line retracts and takes up the slack.

There are several benefits to be had from a retractable clothes line:

1. You don't have to have it hanging there in your garden when you don't want to use it. Just unclip the hook and let it retract.

2. Your washing line doesn't get dirty. If you've every hung a freshly washed white top on the line and finished up with a black line on it, you'll know what I mean. This is a particular problem in winter when there is more smoke around.

3. The line will last much longer as its not continuously exposed to the elements.

There are also some disadvantages:

1. You have the hassle of pulling out the line and attaching it each time you want to put washing out.

2. You have to put it away after use.

3. If you use a clothes prop you should be careful not to put too much strain on the mechanism that retracts the line. If you use a prop that is too long you will create extra tension on the line.

4. There is nowhere for the birds to sit in winter and nowhere to tie your sacks of peanuts and coconuts for the blue tits, if you put the line away.


Personally speaking, I would much rather not have a washing line at all. Then I could send all my washing to a lau
ndry so that it comes back clean and ironed. However, I can't afford to do that yet, so I've bought a retractable line to play with instead.

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