Etendoir suspendu/en

Introduction

Do you live in a small apartment? Do you lack space for drying your clothes? Is your accommodation a bit too damp and your laundry therefore doesn't dry properly? An accessible solution that optimises on space + the heat that rises towards the ceiling: the overhead drying rack! If your ceiling is high enough (at least 2.50m), this clothes rack will save you space and time. For those of us who have a small home who might use tumble dryers because of the lack of space, this suspended clothes rack also helps to reduce the use of the dryer + reduce energy consumption as a result.

Description

Overhead drying rack, adjustable height system

Preparation of attachments

Cut 4 pieces of rope measuring: 2x the width of the rack. E.g. : our clothes rack measures 28cm in width, so cut rope legnths measuring 56 cm.' NB: the ends of each rope can be carefully burnt with a lighter to prevent it from fraying (not essential but recommended to prolong the life of the clothes rack).

Preparation of traction lines

Cut a piece of rope with the following length: Length of drying rack + distance between end of rack and the wall + 2x distance from the ceiling to the hanging area + 30 cm surplus (for knots). In simpler terms, the calculation is: L + P + 2xM + 30 cm → See notations on the diagram Cut a second piece of rope: Repeat the same calculation by removing this time the length of the clothes rack, which is not necessary (the string will not have to travel that length when being used). 'This gives two lengths of traction lines: *L + P + 2xM + 30 cm *P + 2xM + 30 cm NB: to visualise this better, see diagram of the previous step.

Fix the attachments

Attach rope measuring 56cm (alter length depending on your materials: see step 1) at each corner of the rack with a solid knot.

(see photos from step 3)

NB: use whatever knot you consider strongest.

Connecting the attachments

Pour l'un des côtés de l’étendoir, relier les 2 "attaches" ensemble avec un nœud en boucle. → When connecting the 2 "attachments," try to keep symmetrical (might need to decrease the length if too long) Do the same with the other side of the rack.

(see photos for step 5)

Connecting the attachments - traction lines

For one side of the rack, fix the link of the two "attachments" one of the two traction lines with a simple knot. Repeat for the other side of the rack.

Attaching the pulleys

Attach 3 pulleys to the ceiling with screws; e.g. the first 2 are spaced 1m apart if the rack measures 1m. → Make sure you choose a position for the clothes rack that is close to the wall that you want to attach the clothes rack stopper system The 3rd pulley (corner pulley) must be aligned with the other 2 and must be fixed to the ceiling, very close to the wall (a few cm away). These pulleys can be replaced with metal hooks, as detailed in the Materials section.

Attaching the stopper mechanism

Fix the stopper hook onto the wall (with the opening facing downwards), at an easily accessible height that allows you to raise the rack to a suitable height (depending on the height of your ceiling).

Traction line movement

Pass the largest traction line through the pulley furthest from the wall, then through the middle pulley, then through the corner pulley. Pass the second traction line through the middle pulley and then into the corner pulley.

Balance + attaching the system to the hook

After balancing the rack: lower it to a height suitable for use (e.g. chest level or lower), balance the strings by pulling/releasing them, then tie the two strings together e.g. with a reef knot.

(see photos for step 11)

Lastly, raise the clothes rack to the desired height and tie the end of the strings on the stopper hook with a solid knot.