I bought new clothespins this spring. I continue to be one of those odd Yankees who prefers to hang my laundry outside when the weather permits. In our modern ‘green’ society, why does no one encourage this?
(Side note: my neighborhood forbids clotheslines. They also forbid my antique truck, my RV, and my chickens. They would probably forbid my railcar if it had occurred to them. Due to a legal oversight on the develper’s part, we have accidentally fallen outside the rules. No one has ever tried to make an issue of it.)
Back to the clothespins.
They are simple things; two pieces of wood held together with a sping. They have a curve cut out to go around the clothesline. This makes them grip better and allows them to spin freely when not holding clothes in place.
They don’t last forever. They are untreated wood. If I brought them in when not in use they might last longer, but they are inexpensive. I never bother.
When I hung my laundry today they broke. At least a dozen of this year’s clothespins snapped near the spring and were unusable. Six months of relatively average New England weather did them in. Last year’s pins, though ratty looking, are still functional.
File them under ‘don’t make them like they used to’ I guess. Anyone know where to get high quality clothespins?
Notes from Mosquito Hill 