Written by Terry Smith

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Wall Mounted Washing Lines [UK]: Heavy Duty & Indoor Options

This article was last updated on March 31st, 2021 at 4:51 pm

Call me a bit sad but honestly, one of my favourite things about summer is being able to hang your clothes up outside and the best wall mounted washing lines are fast becoming just as popular as retractable washing lines. With space at a premium, more so everyday it feels, taking advantage of these little hacks leaves more room for leisure rather than chores. If that’s your home, you might want to take advantage of collapsable laundry baskets too 🙂

If, like me, you don’t have a drying machine, doing washing can be such a pain, especially in a house with a few people. There’s always too many clothes for one clothes horse but not enough room to get another.

So an outdoor clothesline is a god-send when it starts getting warmer. I also think you can’t beat the feeling of clothes dried in fresh air. (I’m saying this, being fully jealous of anyone who has a drying machine).

Best wall mounted washing lines

Has to be said though, an outdoor airer is a great environmentally-friendly option for doing your part (going green) as a household. The best wall mounted washing lines won’t make this tiresome either, trust me.

We’ve got a few different wall mounted washing line options here – from retractable to foldable, smaller ones and larger ones.

Hopefully this will inspire you to get hold of some pegs and take your washing outside!

Comparison table: Wall Mounted Washing Lines [UK]: Heavy Duty & Indoor Options

ProductWhat We ThinkPrice

Brabantia 475924 WallFix Wall-Mounted Retractable Washing Line with Matt Steel Storage Box

  • Wall-mounted, fold away design for patios
  • Effortless one-handed operation - with a single movement you have 24 metres taut clothes lines at your disposal...
  • Retractable line can take a full washing machine load including large laundry items...
  • Stows away in a stainless steel protective storage case with one-touch button opening...
  • Dimension: 109 x 179.5 x 182 cm and comes with a 5 year Brabantia guarantee

Leifheit Teleclip Wall Dryer 74 Extendable Wall Fix Washing Line

  • Versatile drying – Compact wall mounted clothes airer for versatile installation over a bath...
  • Easy to open - Recessed handles opens rails out easily
  • Quick drying - Steel rails arranged at different heights to give good airflow between garments...
  • Space saving – Compact in size for convenient drying and folds down to store away...
  • Product details - 3 years guarantee

Hills FD45606 Supa Fold Mini Wall Mounted Folding Frame Washing Line

  • Ideal for utility or laundry rooms
  • Provides 7m drying space
  • Can be wall-mounted indoors or out (fixings not included)
  • This item is dispatched from our supplier
  • 10-year manufacturer's

ASAB Retractable Wall Mounted Washing Line

  • Ideal For Small Families This Clothes Airer Is For Outdoor And Indoor Use And Is Ideal For Hanging A...
  • Rustproof - The Cloth Airer For Outdoor And Indoor Has 5 Aluminium Arms Connected Together With Steel Wire Covered...
  • Wall Mountable Fittings The Clothes Airer Includes All The Required Fixings And Fittings That Are Needed To Mount It...
  • Space Saving When Not In Use
  • Perfect For Small Spaces The Wall Airer Is Therefore Perfect For Gardens And Terraces...

Leifheit Classic 38 Extendable Wall-Mounted Washing Line

  • Versatile drying – Compact wall mounted extendable clothes airer for installation over a bath...
  • Easy to open – Clothes horse dryer opens by pulling it out from the wall like an accordion...
  • Quick drying – 5 Rails arranged at different heights to give better airflow between garments for wall mounted drying...
  • Rustproof + Space saving – Compact in size and can be used to dry clothes indoors and outdoors; folds...
  • Product details – Weather resistant wall mounted clothes dryer

Vileda 159760 Rewind 4 Retractable Washing Line Airer, Metal, White

  • Compact and ready to use
  • Easy to install comes complete with brackets and screws
  • Alternative hanging support included
  • Easy to open and close retractable indoor line airer
  • The rewind 4 has 4 retractable lines with a maximum extension of 4 m

Made of alloy steel, the Liefheit Classic 38 Extendable Wall-Mounted Washing Line is a good option if you’re after something not too big – just do check the dimensions before you buy. It is on the small side. At 12.5L x 9W x 83H cm, the line doesn’t extend out too far, which is handy if you’re looking to fill a small space to hang up a few bits and bobs.

It’s a handy one to hang up outside for a few pieces – would be a great one for hanging up swimmings things outside if you’re visiting a pool or even have a pool. Would also be a great one for if you’re outside space is limited or if you have a small balcony.

Some of our customers have used this one inside as well to hang up on the back of doors – this one is a good idea as you can still open the door without any issues.

Either way, the washing line feels very sturdy. It definitely does the job if you’re not expecting this line to hang up too much washing.

Also, for a tight budget, it’s a decent price for what it is.

So this one is on the pricier end of the washing lines with options ranging from £110 and up depending on the extras you want and I’ve heard a lot of buzz surrounding this one. I’ve gone for the top retractable Wallfix and Protective Box which is stainless steel.

This one measures 109 x 179.5 x 182 cm, which is obviously much bigger than the previous one, and also different in shape as this one extends out into a diamond shape so you can fit a lot more on it – lots of room.

It was pretty easy to assemble (does require some strength though), but I would say don’t tighten the screws too much when you’re still fixing it up and be a bit careful when you’re first retracting the washing line. The line comes all ready put together so you’re just attaching the fixings into the wall. But the instructions are pretty straightforward so no worries there!

I tested it with a bit of a wiggle and shake and it’s very sturdy and strong. Can confirm it holds a good couple of washes, including heavier items without any sagging so I’m impressed with the weight it can hold.

As long as you’re not being too forceful, the washing line is pretty easy to fold and unfold.

Similar to the first product from the same brand, the Leifheit Teleclip Wall Dryer 74 Extendable Wall Fix Washing Line retracts outwards into a rectangular line. But this one comes in two different sizes: 4.2m and 7.4m (the latter being more expensive). It doesn’t take long to install.

The main difference I’d note between the two sizes (apart from size), is that the larger the size, the more flimsy the washing line will be in terms of the weight put on further away from the wall and I have noticed this from the big. But I’ve heard from our customers that the smaller version feels very sturdy. I feel like this is understandable just because, physics-wise, you would expect that. So I wouldn’t be put off by that.

When you try it, I’d say the wobble or slight flimsiness you can feel is more from side to side. So I wouldn’t feel nervous trying heavy weights on it as it held up when I applied pressure.

I’d say this one is another good space saver because of the way it folds in a concertina. Like the other one, this one fits nicely at the back of the door and is another great one for an outside space if you don’t have too much room.

This is cheapest out of the selection, and currently on sale, if you want to save yourself that extra 50p! Every little helps 🙂 This is very understandable given the dimensions as the Vileda 159760 Rewind 4 Retractable Washing Line Airer measures at 6.5L x 6.5W x 32.2H cm.

Because of the measurements and price, I wasn’t expecting anything great and I can confirm that. You wouldn’t want to hang anything too much or too heavy, but that seems like common sense – if you’re looking for a heavy duty washing line, then this clearly wouldn’t be the choice.

I thought this one was worth mentioning though if you are looking for a cheap (and cheerful) type washing line because it’s an easy one to install and doesn’t fill too much space. Also retracts in a winding motion so pretty easy to use. I’ve heard it’s a good one for hanging over a bath or, again, on a balcony space.

What you see is what you get – so if you’re after a cheap option for a couple of bits and pieces either inside or outside, then this isn’t a bad option.

So, we’re back up the price chain with the Hills FD45696 Supa Fold Mini Wall Mounted Folding Frame Washing Line. At 1.2m x 0.6m, this one gives you up to 7m of drying space.

This one seems to fit the price as it is very sturdy and neat. It’s not huge, but definitely suitable for a couple of washes/two people to share. I’ve found it a handy one outside for tea towels etc.

It’s nice and neat, and folds away very easily so that it’s out the way. The style of it is nice though and doesn’t look cheap or anything so it’s definitely one you can keep in the upright position happily and it wouldn’t look obtrusive.

Considering this one retracts out into a diamond shape, the ASAB Retractable Wall Mounted Washing Line is on the much cheaper end of the scale, so it’s definitely one to consider if you’re looking for more space but not too expensive.

Saying that, this is still one for small spaces. It was an easy one to put up as there’s only 4 screws – I’ve seen a couple of customers using bigger screws to hold up more so maybe that’s something to consider.

Even with the normal screws, the dryer holds a couple of good washes so it’s suitable for small family/household or another good one for any quick outside washes.

It folds away pretty easily when you don’t want to use it as well. I just would say this one’s maybe not the one to leave out on windy days – not sure it would hold up too well, especially compared to some of the more expensive options. But this is a decent one to look at if you don’t want to spend too much money on your next washing line.

Buyer’s Guide To Wall Mounted Washing Lines

Here’s a few things to look out for when you’re buying your wall mounted washing lines.

Stability & size

So, I think these two do tend to come hand in hand depending on the shape of your washing line. I’ve found that the ones that retract out into a rectangle (so just lengthways away from the wall) would struggle slightly if you’re putting any heavy items on the part away from the wall. Not sure that’s all too surprising, though.

With the more expensive, diamond-shaped ones, they seem to hold a bit more weight on them evenly.

It also depends where you’re looking to fix up your washing line – if you’re only looking to fill a small inside or outside space, then a small washing line would be perfect and the stability issue wouldn’t be there.

Alternatively, if you’re looking to hang the line up outside and to fit a fair few items, then maybe go for a diamond shaped one.

How easily wall mounted washing lines fit to a wall

Sounds obvious doesn’t it? But the the best wall mounted washing lines some with superb fixings that ensure you’ll be drying clothes in comfort for a long long time to come.

You could always negate this by using some serious heavy duty Fisher hooks that literally bolt into the wall and are so sturdy they are used for applications such as electrical cabling from building to building. You’ll need a quality cordless power drill with a masonry bit to fit the size fisher you choose as well as an impact driver or suitably sized spanner / adjustable spanner to tighten the bolt on the fisher.

Use a spirit level, just a short little one to ensure that you get the levels right and it doesn’t look all wonky. There’s nothing worse than staring at your handy work to find that it looks rubbish even from a distance 🙂 A cheap little spirit level costs peanuts, a decent 3 footer is only a tenner so there’s no excuse for rubbish diy work 😀

It’s probably a two man job for a DIY enthusiast as you’l want your mate to pass you up the wall mounted washing line – you will be up a step ladder balancing and the last thing you want is to come own once you’ve got yourself set and made your marks. I am certain tthe wifer is going to be more than happy to help considering the huge benefits that ensue for drying your clothes easily!


About Terry Smith

I’m Terry Smith from gardentoolbox.co.uk, a professional landscape designer, hobbyist gardener, and barbecue fanatic with 20 years experience building and restoring. So as you go through my site you'll watch me document some of the professional garden installs I make as well as the major projects I take on at home. While sharing those experiences and guiding you, I'll be recommending some great tools I use to enable this along the way so you can really buy in confidence. Always feel free to pop me a message: info@gardentoolbox.co.uk

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