I heard the beginning of Womans Hour this morning. About a 1930s School Certificate exam paper. Girls were asked to describe the correct way to hang various items of washing on the line & provide diagrams. Cue giggling from the Noughties presenters
Actually this topic is one which can make me itch with annoyance when I see washing hung out all wrong, usually in a garden I see from a passing train
There was scientific method in the madness, it was not just rules for rules sake
First aim was to minimise drying time by maximising transpiration (yes, we did have this pointed out specifically in O level biology)
Then to take maximum advantage of the power of the wind to make creases drop out to make the ironing easier, while placing the pegs so as to provide firm anchorage to stopclothes blowing off the line
It was important to make sure longer items would not catch on any nearby bush, branch or wall
And, since rope rather than plastic-coated lines could not simply be wiped clean, you minimised the area in contact with the line to avoid dirty marks
