You spin my laundry right round baby, right round, like a record baby.

April 28, 2008 12:09 PM

I want a rotary clothesline for my back yard. But the area in which I want to put it has concrete laid down already, so I'd like the clothesline to be freestanding rather than slotted into concrete as such clothesline usually are. Where can I find a freestanding rotary clothesline? I need to be able to either buy it in Toronto or have it shipped there.
posted by orange swan to home & garden (11 comments total)

Perhaps you could mount it in a patio umbrella base, or buy a table meant to hold an umbrella.

Clotheslines like this are sometimes called umbrella clotheslines if they fold down.
posted by yohko at 12:23 PM on April 28

Ooh, excellent idea! Then it could go in the garden shed in winter time, or if I was having some sort of party and wanted the clothesline out of the way for esthetic and space reasons.
posted by orange swan at 12:44 PM on April 28

This is a British brand, but I'm sure similar things are available in Canada.
posted by essexjan at 1:00 PM on April 28

You can also make a concrete cast block with a receptacle for a post. Just mix concrete, pour into a small container tub, and let it set in the mold for a couple of days. If it's one square foot (165 lbs) it will probably be heavy enough to not tip over in everyday use. This would be cheaper than a table shade stand, in case funds are scarce... total cost probably less than $15.
posted by tinkertown at 1:18 PM on April 28

Garage-sale Christmas tree stand + a couple of concrete blocks for weight?

Five-gallon bucket filled with sand?
posted by Ostara at 4:22 PM on April 28

Clotheslines like this are sometimes called umbrella clotheslines if they fold down.

I can't help with finding products to ship to Toronto, but in Australia, the fold down rotary clothesline is called a "Hills Hoist" (might possibly help the OP with search terms? Not sure).
posted by ranglin at 6:50 PM on April 28

what about a christmas tree stand? they are, by necessity, adjustable, and surely the weight differential will not be huge if you buy a base intended for a large tree.

(thank you. jewish girl here. heh.)
posted by thinkingwoman at 7:01 PM on April 28

oops, ostara beat me to it.
posted by thinkingwoman at 7:02 PM on April 28

Perhaps you could mount it in a patio umbrella base, or buy a table meant to hold an umbrella.

This sounds great, but measure before you buy-- the pillar of the clothesline may be thicker than a standard umbrella. A base meant to hold a cantilever umbrella seems more likely to fit the pole and provide enough weight to keep it from tipping on a windy day.
posted by Mayor Curley at 8:48 PM on April 28

Check your local RV supply for one of these
posted by buggzzee23 at 9:46 PM on April 28

Don't underestimate the weight of wet clothes! Especially when you don't balance them well on the clothesline, or put stuff further away from the center/pole. Also, those things catch the wind really well. A Christmas tree stand will never work, and even a concrete stand would have to be rather heavy or have a wide base.
posted by Lynx at 4:09 AM on April 29