Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

rotary washer or retractable line?

20 replies

ballyHooHah · 18/03/2020 12:07

New house. No washing line. Any views on whether rotary or retractable line is better. Always just had lines....but could do either here.


We can see this thread is quite old now so some of the suggestions may be out of date, but if you’ve landed here looking for recommendations, we’ve recently updated our best rotary washing lines page with lots of great options loved by Mumsnet users. We hope you find it useful.
MNHQ

OP posts:
Couch25k · 18/03/2020 12:09

I have a 4 arm Brabantia Rotary. I got the biggest one they did. Love it. And today for the 1st time this year I have a load of whites out blowing. Happy days

AutumnGlitterBall · 18/03/2020 12:09

I prefer lines. I think the washing dries more quickly and you can put them away in the winter so they aren’t standing there going rusty.

springydaff · 18/03/2020 12:20

Definitely a line. Looks so glorious having everything blow about.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

SoupDragon · 18/03/2020 12:22

I'm a big fan of my line. I put up a temporary one when my rotary line broke and I haven't looked back.

Ookmybanana · 18/03/2020 12:22

Rotary. You get more space to dry unless you have a large garden. I like that I can just take it out of the ground so I don't have to look at it when it's not in use and I can mow round it. I also have a four armed brabantia and can get 3 load on it (unless I run out of pegs!)

TinyCheese · 18/03/2020 12:25

Retractable line for me, very easy to put away and can put a lot of washing and it would dry faster, I think.

AnneOfCloves · 18/03/2020 12:27

Retractable line - they are brilliant.

gigglingHyena · 18/03/2020 16:25

If you can, I'd get both. We only have space for a fiary short line, so need the rotary to fit a whole load of washing out at once, but I like having the lined for bigger stuff like duvet covers and towels.

Agree with others stuff does dry faster on the line.

Redshoeblueshoe · 18/03/2020 16:33

I had a retractable line. It was great. Now I've got a rotary. The rotary holds a lot more, but it doesn't seem as efficient.

jackparlabane · 18/03/2020 16:42

Do you have somewhere to put a rotary when not in use? If not, then retractable. My retractable goes back and forth 3 times across the garden so the full 15 metres is used - as much hanging space as a rotary but invisible when not in use.

Kpo58 · 18/03/2020 16:44

A 3 armed rotary is best. It loads loads more compared to a washing line and unlike the 4 armed ones, you can fit sheets and duvet covers on it without having to fold them over.

NotExactlyHappyToHelp · 18/03/2020 16:46

Line beats rotary every time. They get all covered in spiders webs and the stuff at the back never dries properly.

Agree with PPs that your stuff looks lovely and cheerful blowing on a line. Like it’s having a nice time.

Lighteninginabottle27 · 18/03/2020 16:47

I have both. The retractable is better for bedding. It dries quicker.

SallyWD · 18/03/2020 16:48

I have both in my garden! It means I can hang multiple loads out.

FairfaxAikman · 18/03/2020 16:53

Our rotary broke and we got retractable lines. The washing did dry quicker but the bit where you secured the line on the reel broke very quickly. We went back to a rotary after that.

UnitedRoad · 18/03/2020 17:17

We have a retractable line, with two lines. To be honest it doesn’t get retracted anymore, but we’ve had it 15 years, used it for about 6-9 months each year, and it’s fine. I think it cost under £10!

I’ve never liked rotary ones.

ballyHooHah · 18/03/2020 22:05

@NotExactlyHappyToHelp Agree with PPs that your stuff looks lovely and cheerful blowing on a line. Like it’s having a nice time. Oh yes.

OP posts:
thecapitalsunited · 18/03/2020 22:22

I have a rotary hoist line and I love it. I can get 4 loads on it comfortably and the outside line is wide enough for a king size duvet. The whole thing cranks up to 2.3m high (and back down to 1.8m for getting the washing in and off) so that the washing sits above the fence line and catches all the breezes.

I’ve had mine a few years now. Never known any spiders webs to accumulate and the stuff in the middle dries fine. Nothing better than seeing lovely white sheets spinning and flapping in the breeze.

GarethSouthgatesWaistcoat · 18/03/2020 22:38

I prefer the retractable lines - I think mine's a Minky. I'd recommend a line prop or two as the line itself is rather flimsy even when wound around the tensioning hook. Hoisting the line with a prop does the trick Grin

Mine's great for bedding and towels. I couldn't get on with the rotary, everything took forever to dry and pegging out large items was a hassle.

AlCalavicci · 19/03/2020 17:30

I have a tiny yard and use a retractable line if I only have a small amount of washing to hang the line just goes straight to one hook but if I have a lot to dry I zig zag it to cup hooks .
From above it probably looks like a drunken spiders web Grin

New posts on this thread. Refresh page