Caring for Your Wooden Clothes Drying Rack

A drizzly day - doing what spring should.


Hang drying clothes on wooden clothes drying racks is making a big comeback. Racks are typically (should be) unfinished wood and with that, comes some "how to care" tips. Apparently caring for your wooden clothes drying rack isn't second nature to some people and before your know it, the rungs turn black with mold and they start to warp.

So here are 8 tips and some advice on how to care for your drying rack:

1 - Keep your unfinished wood...unfinished. Do not paint or seal - it won't last.

2 - Carry your rack from the sides, not from the rungs.

3 - Allow rungs to dry in between loads. This avoids mold growing. Mold needs moisture - no moisture - no mold.

4 - As soon as heavy laundry (usually jeans) is dry, remove to avoid warping.

5 - Keep dry. Avoid outdoor exposure. Wooden drying racks are not designed for typical outdoor use. (especially rain!)

6 - In the event of black speckles (mold spores) place the rack in the direct hot sun to kill the spores. You may rub a little white vinegar on the rungs. NEVER use bleach. (unless you want white stripes across your laundry)

7 - Sanding the rungs lightly keeps them soft and snag free. Rub clean after sanding. The dowels are unfinished wood, usually kiln dried wood, and will swell with moisture resulting in the grain of the wood to rise a little, feeling a little fuzzy. That's normal, wood will absorb moisture and dry as the seasons change.

8 - Store your clothes drying rack is a dry location (not the wet basement). Store upright to avoid stress on the joints which may loosen the joints over time.

Wooden drying racks have been around for a long time. Following this advice will keep your drying rack almost good as new. (we're talking unfinished wood, will never look good as new)

Oh, and did I say you'll save lots of money and help climate change too?

Clothes Drying Racks - Build It Into Your Life

Clear and cold, but that darn brown haze on the horizon just hangs there.


So with my mind wondering back to Italy, I still have some thoughts to share. And besides, I don't want my laundry art photos to go to waste. I was so impressed with small yet important lifestyle differences in Italy, that it bares my continued blogging.

Washing clothes is one of those necessities in life, like eating and taxes. It's a daily, or at least weekly, chore that's been around as long as humans have worn clothing. And so a household has to some how accommodate washing laundry and therefore clothes drying. It was clear in Italy that clothes drying in the form of hanging it outside is the first choice for most homes.

Clothes drying lines or clothes drying racks are built into the frame work of homes, balconies and/or windows. Look closely at the above photo and you can see that the balcony railings extend and hold several lines for clothes drying. This is a real commitment to hanging your clothes out to dry, it's just what is done. Laundry isn't shamefully hung out the back of the home, it's hung right out front for the world to see. And I love it.

And if there isn't a balcony, the rigs are built into the side of the building with easy window access.

While admiring this lifestyle and the beautiful colors it adds, I can't help but be amused by the idea that some are offended by hanging clothes. You know those covenants that restrict outside clothes drying. I just don't get that. Is it the underwear? Doesn't everyone wear underwear? I think if you walk through any mall in the U.S. you're likely to walk by several stores with displays that could pass for soft porn. I find that more objectionable than the real world of undies hanging out to dry.Others must find it amusing that we even have these restrictions. I find it ridiculous. I'm all for civil disobedience in this case.

Hanging your clothes on a line or clothes drying rack really doesn't take that much time. The time is little enough to easily build it into your day, into your life. It's a commitment, a lifestyle, a pledge that will make a difference - an environmental difference for us all. Ciao!