Next In Line
Since the now-iconic Hills Hoist was developed in 1945, the humble domestic clothes line has evolved almost beyond recognition. Pamela Hale speaks with Ken Rogers, the sales manager for TopLine Clothes Lines, about the evolution of air-drying methods and technology in Australia, and the modern intelligent options on the market today.
We live in a society where time and space come at a premium, and everyday chores such as laundry need to be completed in the most convenient and unobtrusive manner possible. While popping your clothes into a tumble-dryer and avoiding the task of hanging everything out may seem like the easier option, now, more than ever, making environmentally conscious decisions and minimising energy usage where possible is of the utmost importance. Here, Western Australia Home Design + Living investigates how clothes-drying technology is changing, and the latest options that are available for your home.
Both rotary-style clothes hoists and electric tumble dryers proliferated in the Australian market in the 1940s, and since that time alternative options for clothes drying have been negligible, until quite recently.
Now, products such as TopLine’s Clothes Line offer an alternative option, which truly provides the best of both worlds in one convenient design. Offering dual capabilities, the TopLine Clothes Line can either be utilised as a static clothes line that is located inside, away from temperamental and potentially damaging weather, or with the inbuilt heater or cold-air fan options switched on to efficiently assist with speedy drying and minimise wrinkles.
Rogers explains that there were multiple factors that motivated the development of the TopLine system including “decreasing amounts of space in homes and units; smaller block sizes with little or no outside hanging areas; and a move towards saving space in the home, with an emphasis on organisation”. The result: an intelligent clothes line that can replace both traditional air-drying and tumble-drying technology within your home, in one aesthetically unobtrusive package.
“The TopLine Clothes Line is an alternative drying source for those days when you can’t get your washing dried,” Rogers says. “It could be too wet or too hot to put your clothes outside. Instead, you can do your washing and leave it hanging on the TopLine Clothes Line, as they belong inside. With a TopLine Clothes Line, you will no longer have to worry about leaving washing on the line in the sun and at risk of theft.”
The TopLine range has been thoughtfully designed, and factors in the diverse spaces and lifestyles of homeowners who may wish to implement the technology within their homes. “The smallest model needs a space from 90cm to 160cm in length and 60cm in width, and if it can’t fit in a laundry, it can be installed in a garage, alfresco area, or any undercover area that is protected from the weather,” Rogers says. “For people with disabilities, the TopLine Clothes Line will extend down by 1.3m so it can be easily accessed, even by someone in a wheelchair.”
A unique offering on the market, the TopLine range has truly been designed with modern users in mind. A host of in-built features, ease of use, and technologically-driven functions combine to provide a near-effortless drying experience.
The entire TopLine range can be operated via remote control, and the TL80 and TL120 models can also be operated remotely via a smartphone app. Rogers comments that “other clothes lines on the market are generally manually operated, and do not have features such as LED lights, a heater, fan or UV for sanitation”.
Rotary-style clothes lines and typical tumble dryers have been household staples within the Australian market for more than three quarters of a century, and while these designs will likely hang around homes for years to come, new technology and alternative designs are emerging with the express intention of catering to contemporary lifestyles. “TopLine Clothes Lines suit the smallest apartments through to the largest of homes, from a single-person household to a large family,” Rogers says, adding that we’ve entered “a new era for drying.”
The clothes-drying facilities you utilise within your home may not seem like a primary place to invest, but choosing the right option could end up saving you valuable time and money. While the market is still saturated with the same types of drying options that have been around for decades, the unassuming clothes line is being quietly revolutionised by modern technology, and deliberate design features are now available, and well worth consideration.
