Retractable Washing Lines
Wall or post-mounted with extendable lines up to 15m, retractable washing lines can provide all the line-drying space you need. Retractable washing lines can be mounted inside or outside and when you have finished drying your washing, the lines automatically wind back into the unit out of the way. Here we review some of the best:
Austral Retractaway 40 Retractable Washing Line Review
Our Rating: 
- RRP: £118.00 (AUSTRAL RETRACTAWAY 40)
- Total line space: 40m
- Maximum line extension: 8m
- Minimum line extension: 1.5m
- Can be either wall or post mounted
- 5 PVC coated lines
- 10 Year Structural Guarantee
We like:
It’s hard to fault this Australian-made washing line. The Austral Retractaway 40 uses an effective tensioning system which allows you to extend the lines to a distance of over 8 meters giving an impressive 40 meters of drying space. The lines are PVC coated so your clothes won’t snag or stain. The stainless steel casing is bomb proof, if a bit heavy at 6kg, it’s built to last and won’t rust. Plus, Austral have considered all the options for mounting the line; the Austral Retractaway 40 washing line can extend from wall to wall, wall to post, post to post, or post to wall and the posts have optional ground sockets so they can be removed to create space when required.
We’re not so keen on:
The premium price tag.
Available from: |
Brabantia Pull-out Drying Lines Review
Our Rating: 
- RRP: £21.86 (Brabantia Pull-out Drying Line)
- Total line space: 22m
- Maximum line extension: 4.4m
- Minimum line extension: N/A
- Smooth pull out system
- Automatic line locking
- Easy to fit
- 5 Year Guarantee
We like:
Brabantia has a reputation for supplying good quality, durable household goods and with its sturdy construction this retractable washing line is no exception. The drying line uses a pull-out system with an automatic locking mechanism which keeps the lines taut, and as it’s manufactured from corrosion resistant materials, it’s suitable for outdoor use or in the bathroom. The fitting instructions are clear and come with a template for positioning the fixings, making it easy to set up. The 5 lines are well spaced so there is plenty of airflow around the clothes for rapid drying. A great value space-saving solution.
We’re not so keen on:
We’ve heard of individual lines stretching over time and because tension is applied across all 5 lines at once, you can end up with some lines longer than others. And, if you are fixing it to a cavity wall, make sure you use suitable hollow wall anchors; don’t just rely on the fixings supplied, as fully laden, the washing line carries a lot of weight.
Available from: |
Amazon.co.uk
|
£14.99 |
Minky 15m Retractable Washing Line Review
Our Rating: 
- RRP: £9.99 (Minky Outdoor Retractable Washing Line 15m)
- Total line space: 15m
- Maximum line extension: 15m
- Minimum line extension: N/A
- Easy to use retractable mechanism
- Stows neatly away when not in use
- Comes complete with rawl plugs and screws
- Retractable reel keeps the lines clean
- UV resistant line casing
- Also available as a dual line product
We like:
If you want to dry your washing naturally outdoors, yet only have a small garden, this retractable reel is ideal. The Minky provides a full 15m of drying space on a single line, so it can be used on a balcony or patio. And, because there is only one line, it can be set up diagonally across your garden to maximise drying space. The line is sunlight resistant and the reel can be removed from its bracket when not in use. The Minky reel provides a good value and neat way to dry your clothes outside – great if you don’t have the room for a fixed washing line. If you have a large family and do a lot of washing, Minky also make a dual line version.
We’re not so keen on:
The washing line is kept taut by wrapping it around an anchor point on the base of the unit. However, when fully extended (over 12m), the line can slip causing your washing to sag in the middle. The problem can easily be solved by using a clothes prop or by wrapping the line twice round the anchor point, but because of this, we can’t give the Minky full marks.
Available from: |
Amazon.co.uk
|
£7.49 | Alfresia.co.uk | £5.24 |
Vileda 30m Dual Cordomatic Retractable Washing Line Review
Our Rating: 
- RRP: £9.99 (VILEDA DUAL CORDOMATIC 30m)
- Total line space: 30m
- Maximum line extension: 15m x 2
- Minimum line extension: N/A
- Easy to use retractable mechanism
- Stows neatly away when not in use
- Comes complete with rawl plugs and screws
- Automatic line retraction keeps the lines clean
- Can be folded against wall when not in use
We like:
We really like this washing line – it’s perfect for our needs – we have a small garden so we don’t want to plonk a rotary washing line in the middle of our little lawn, yet with a new baby, we have quite a bit of washing. The Vileda Dual gives us a full 30m of drying space on two lines, so it can be used to span our garden in two directions (one line goes straight across and extends about 5m and the other can be extended a full 12m diagonally across the lawn). As with the Minky, the reel can be removed from its bracket or this one can be folded neatly against a wall or fence post when not in use. We’ve owned the Vileda for about 2 years and it’s been left out in all weathers yet the retractable reel still functions perfectly.
We’re not so keen on:
Like the Minky, the washing lines are kept taut by wrapping them around anchor points on the base of the unit, but also like the Minky, when fully extended (over 12m), the line can slip causing the washing to sag in the middle. Again, the problem can be solved by using a clothes prop or by wrapping the line twice round the anchor point. We really like the product, but the line slippage at full extension means we can’t give this washing line full marks.
Available from: |
Amazon.co.uk
|
£54.99 |
