Customer Reviews

Household Essentials 5-Line Indoor/Outdoor Retractable Clothes Dryer

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(20)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(14)

 

 

I live in Arizona where it is silly to have an electric or gas clothes line. Instead, I go solar. I have used 5 line clotheslines like this one for a dozen years at two different houses. The current line is over 7 years old and is just now in need of major repairs. It has lived its life battling the hot sun on a west facing wall. The only place we have to hang our laundry is across our patio--not a very attractive choice for parties. When not in use, it hangs unobtrusively on the wall. On wash day, I pull it out across the patio (which is shorter than the line's full length.) I can hang several loads of jeans, assorted clothes, and my really thick bedspread and it supports the weight. I highly recommend this clothesline.

We have utilized 2 of these units in the last 3 years... why? They both were susceptible to plastic failure. The maker should use metal at the stress point, that being the line tension adjustment screw on the left side. Worked well for a couple of weeks then when the lines started to sag, the tension was adjusted and the plastic broke rendering the unit useless. *** PLEASE DO NOT BUY *** A waste of your money!

The Cloths line worked reasonably well for the first few months, but then the plastic knob on the left side broke and, apparently, cannot be replaced. The piece is actually a ratcheting lock that keeps the line tensioned. Without it the line will just sag and is useless. As stated above, this part should not be plastic.

I went to the company website "Whitney Design" and there isn't even a link for support or parts; check it out. That's a question I should have asked before paying $55 for this; "Does the company support what they sell?"

I would not buy this product again.

We installed this line in our basement, and it works great. Fairly easy to install. We had a bit of a complication finding a stud, but other than that it was not a big problem. We also set up a post for this unit outside so it is easy to move it around. ( You will need an extra set of bolts which we purchased at our hardware store. We have yet to use it outside since it has been winter, but it nice to know we have options.) It holds a ton of clothes, and with our family size of 5, we fill it up. I like that you can tighten the clothesline to stop it drooping. Overall a good purchase- just wish it came with someone to fold and put away all those clothes!

I bought my clothes line in August 2006 and the one in the box was broken. We replaced it and now it is June 2007 and I need to replace it again. The locking knob on the side is not built to last and is broken again. That is the reason we had to replace the first one. I live in the Midwest so I do not use my clothes line all year and it has not had enough use to be replaced. I highly recommend using a clothes line just not one with built in obsolescence.

I have used one of these clotheslines for 11 years, and am about to purchase another for a second home. I have found it to be sturdy, and well worth the money. The line is the standard-sized vinyl-covered clothesline, not the flimsy "portable" or travel-style line. Although the line no longer tightens with the one-hand knob, I can use both knobs together and tighten it just fine. Aside from this, the only problem I have ever had is that one of the lines broke from chafing against the aluminum bar housing -- that was easily repaired by shortening each of the lines a little and re-tying the knots. Except for hanging it and installing the hook at the opposite end of your drying yard, this comes assembled and ready to use. Highly recommended -- it will last a long time if you don't abuse it.

We have utilized 2 of these units in the past 3 years. Each one was susceptible to the same fault, the locking screw will work, but the plastic that attaches the screw to the line holder breaks off leaving no tension on the lines for the clothes to hang. Kind of hard to explain but I wouldn't buy another. The company could provide a better construction material or method of construction, mabye using METAL that won't break! *** DO NOT BUY ***

THIS IS A -Star(negative) as it won't let me have no stars at all.
This is the worst product ever, it came with some plastic parts that just melted with the sun, there is one screw that lock and unlock the wires that thing is plastic and melted after the 2nd day of installed, the dryer was not directly exposed to the sun (it was under a shadow) and melted anyway, don't waste your money as I did, buy something else.

Poor quality, plastic brackets, April 3, 2009
By Susan Young (DENVER, CO United States) - See all my reviews

This clothesline lasted less than one month. The idea of the design is great, but the stress points need to be metal. For some reason, the brackets that hold a huge amount of weight are plastic, and the only metal is the handle and the attaching bracket on the opposing end. We loved it for 3 weeks until the plastic brackets snapped apart in a 5mph breeze and my brand new white sheets were impaled around a rose bush.The only part of the line remaining attached to a structure was the opposing metal bracket with metal handle. I would have gladly spent more dollars for a better product. Now I am on the search again! The company would have replaced the clothesline for me, but why? The clothesline is just going to repeat failure unless the quality is improved.

Besides drying your clothes in a quarter of the time it takes an electric dryer, you don't have to iron anymore, and your clothes smell great off the line. I can't believe I've waited so long to dry clothes the way mom did-- outside, on the clothesline. This Whitney Designs unit works pretty well, though it doesn't seem very durable to me. The plastic parts look cheesy, and like they won't last long. I've only had the unit for one weekend, so it remains to be seen how long it will last. There is a one-year warranty, however.

I'd give this a "Buy" rating. $40.00 seems about right, though I paid $45.00 at Menards in Madison, WI.Retractable Clothesline