The Best Clothespin

Buying Guide

A clothespin is a useful product in a small package. Sometimes referred to as a clothes peg, a clothespin is a type of fastener used to affix wet laundry to a clothesline to dry. While many people use a clothes dryer to get their clothes free of water, others still rely on outdoor clotheslines hung up in the backyard. A clothespin ensures that the clean laundry does not blow away in the wind.

The design of a clothespin is quite simple. Two interlocking wooden, or sometimes plastic or steel, prongs are held together by a small metallic spring. When you pinch the two prongs close together at the top, the bottom of the prongs open up with a lever action. When the prongs are open, you can slip them over the clothes on the clothesline. If you release the prongs at the top, they will then close up at the bottom, holding the clothes and clotheslines together. This creates a strong grip that’s necessary for the task at hand.

While clothespins come in handy when you’re doing your laundry, that is not the only use for them around the house. In the kitchen, clothespins can be used to securely close bags of chips, crackers, flour, sugar and other dry goods so that the food doesn’t spill out, and excess air doesn’t get in. If your trash bags often fall into the bin, you can use clothespins to pin them to the sides of the can.

Clothespins also come in handy in your garden. Use them to weigh down tablecloths on your patio table so they don’t blow up with the wind. If you want to get the new branches of your young trees to spread out, you can wedge a clothespin into the fork of the branch and trunk. This will help the branches grow farther apart.

• When you’re looking for clothespins, be sure to check for durability, as that is one of the most important qualities. You don’t want to end up with a package of clothespins that fall apart whenever you need them. Wooden clothespins are long-lasting, and you can also find sturdy plastic and metal ones.
• When it comes to the metal spring in the middle of the clothespin, opt for a galvanized metal one that is non-rusting. That way, your clothespins will not fall apart due to rust. Check for clothespins that have heavy-duty springs so they can be used for any task you have around the home.
• The last thing you want with your clothespins is for them to slip off the materials they are holding together. Check to see if the clothespins have no-slip grip or no-slip construction. This helps ensure they stay put when closed so that the items you’ve pinned together don’t move around.
• Clothespins come in packages of varying quantities. Consider what you need to use them for around the house, and how many will do the trick. For example, if you use them for laundry, you’ll need at least a couple of dozen pins for a small load. If you’re also using them in your garden or around the house, you’ll need to add some more. Many people also make crafts out of clothespins, in which case you’ll want to opt for a large package. You can find clothespins packages of as small as 25 to as big as a couple hundred.