Date: 27 September 2018. Clothespins and Hanger Advice.

© janice142
 

I am sure you're wondering why I am writing about the ubiquitous clothespin. Though you might not think so now, you need to have great clothespins when you live aboard a boat. Clothespins are found everywhere. The problem is in finding quality ones. Here is what I have learned, including what not to buy.

These colored clothespins are at least 30 years old.

The ones to notice however are simple BINDER CLIPS ↑. I bought a couple of packages from Dollar Tree.

Aboard Seaweed I use binder clips to close plastic bags. There are specialty clips for potato chip bags however they are expensive. A binder clip works just as well. The advantage is they take up less room. Binder clips are great galley gear.
 

Space is at a premium on any boat. Storage for the small items that make life easier is important for my happiness quotient. Clothespins and binder clips serve a multitude of purposes aboard my home.

On our 40'er we never had good luck with wooden clothespins or pegs. They either rotted, mildewed or broke. Thus, I have not looked carefully at any wood pegs.

A mistake I made was in purchasing these METAL CLIPS ↓ at Walmart.

Though I liked these METAL CLIPS ↑ at first, I discovered they rust rather rapidly.
 

These small metal clothespins were found in the RV department at Walmart. Salt air did them no good at all. What I like is that the tips are covered in plastic. They have a decent spring too. It is the metal part that did not meet my expectations. It rusted.

I believe they came ten or twelve to the package. The price was less than $5.
 

Most plastic clothespins in the harsh sea environment become brittle. The sunlight, especially when reflected off the water, causes rapid deterioration. That is why I was attempting to "beat the system" and find good quality metal clothespins that would last a long time.
 

Next I went to eBay and searched for Stainless Clothespins. This is what I found for $2.

In the eBay photo they looked much sturdier. Alas, the stainless clips were of poor quality.
 

I store some clothespins on a small piece of black braided twine in my head. I hang clothes to dry down below on a set of lines across my shower. Water dripping there does not matter. Having the clips conveniently located makes my life easier.
 

Each night I wash my panties, blouse and skirt. All are hung up to dry. My clothing is chosen by its ability to dry quickly without wrinkles. Having clothespins allows me to hang items neatly.
 

Finally I found some colorful clothespins that seem to work well. They are about $5 for six or seven clothespins.

The ones in Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Purple and Black have a magnet on the back.

The shorter pale green clothespins shown near the ends of my string are definitely heavy duty clips. I like them because they have no metal. Solid plastic works best in a marine environment, provided the plastic is of decent quality. These feel a bit oily and are not brittle. I believe they will last a long time.
 

 

The green and orange duo (upper right corner, previous picture) seem to have the non-brittle plastic I favor. They belonged to a sweet lady named Mary who passed away some ten or so years ago. I am still using them. It is a good way to remember the people who were kind to you.
 

I utilized some of the pale green heavy duty clips on a string I tied to my hanger.

The pale green ones are sturdy. I found a few at a thrift store and bought them.

As for the hanger, that came from our boat and is at least forty years old. I like that the hook part rotates. It is easier to hang in various places aboard Seaweed. I have five of them that are full sized. At a thrift store I found a smaller one. The nice lady at the counter allowed me to buy it. I use that one for my nighties.
 

I prefer the old style hanger versus the newer plastic ones. Frankly the quality of the plastic ones has not impressed me.
 

I stow my unused hangers under the step into my cabin. I drilled a hole in the engine-room bulkhead below the step. Then I put a fender washer onto a screw. Next I inserted said wood screw partially into the wall. The extra hangers are stowed there out of the way yet accessible.

It is only occasionally that I need more than one at a time. That is why I keep the spare hangers hidden.

Below is one of our hangers from The Fishing Boat.

This is my cool island skirt. I like that it has a nautical flare. The skirt looks good with my white shirts too.

I love thrift stores. There's always the chance of a bargain. Those green clips that are holding my island skirt are a thrift store deal. I believe I bought seven for a dollar.
 

It is amazing how frequently I use clothespins. As the sun comes up in the east I pin a StarTrek flag over my port side window. Yes, I am a Trekkie. StarTrek Voyager is my favorite series.
 

I have the Christmas tree ornament of starship Voyager.  It used to light up though this past year that part quit.

My Voyager trinket is still a great ornament and reminds me of happy days.

Such is life aboard Seaweed. It's a wonderful life.
 

Free advice regarding clothespins: I would suggest you start with a couple dozen good quality clothespins. That should be enough provided you do laundry regularly. If you are like me you will find a myriad of uses for clothespins once you have a supply readily available.

Happy boating to you and yours. Thank you for reading.
 

Do you have favorite clothespins.
And, what sort of hanger do you like best?
 

COMMENTS:
 

© 2018, 2023

Categories: Characters, Galley, Gear, Organizing, Unmentionables,

Making a Laptop Stand (and computer advice) ~ Previous Post ...   
 ... Next Post ~ Pilothouse Window Opener Sought

I am also an Amazon Affiliate.