How to Install a Wall-Mounted Washing Line: A Step-by-Step Guide

Learning how to install a washing line pole or a wall-mounted line is far simpler than most people expect. With two wall brackets, a few screws and roughly 20 minutes, you can fix a tidy, fold-flat drying line to a solid wall and reclaim your garden, balcony or courtyard the moment the washing comes down. This guide walks you through the whole job: where to mount it, how to drill safely into South African brick, and how to thread, tension and tie the line so it stays taut for years. No builder required.

A wall-mounted washing line suits SA homes beautifully. Our walls are mostly solid masonry, our sun does the drying for free, and a foldaway unit folds flat against the wall when the load is in. Let us get you set up.

What you'll need

Before you pick up a drill, lay everything out. A 20-minute job becomes a frustrating afternoon when you stop halfway to hunt for a wall plug.

Here is the full checklist for a standard install into brick or masonry:

• The wall-mounted foldaway unit (frame, two wall brackets, fixings if supplied)
• Cordless drill or hammer drill
• Masonry drill bit, sized to match your wall plugs
• Wall plugs (nylon or expansion plugs rated for masonry)
• Screws to suit the brackets and plugs
• Spirit level
• Tape measure
• Pencil
• Cable and pipe detector
• Safety glasses and a dust mask

For a cavity, drywall or stud wall, swap the standard plugs for the right anchors (we cover this below) or fix straight into a timber stud.

Why the checklist matters: every Easy Washline frame is powder-coated aluminium that is rust-resistant and built to outlast the wall it hangs on. The only weak point in any install is the fixing. Get the plug and screw right for your wall type and the rest looks after itself.

Where to mount it: height, span and clearance

Position is the one decision you cannot easily undo, so spend a minute on it.

Mount the unit at a comfortable working height. Aim for the lower line to sit at around shoulder height, roughly 1.4 to 1.6 metres off the ground, so you can peg and unpeg without a stretch or a stoop. Taller households go higher; if a wheelchair user does the washing, drop it lower.

How far apart should the brackets go? On a wall-mounted foldaway, you do not guess the span: the two brackets are fixed by the unit's own dimensions. The standard Easy Washline frame is 2,300mm wide by 800mm deep, so your bracket centres are set by the frame, and you simply mark them level and plumb against the wall.

Leave clearance for the frame to swing out and fold back flat. Check that nothing fouls the arc: a downpipe, a tap, a window that opens outward. And give the washing room to breathe. Good airflow is what dries it.

Pick a sunny, breezy wall and you will dry a full load on a Cape summer's day with zero electricity.

Step-by-step: installing a wall-mounted foldaway line

Here is the install, start to finish. Take it in order and you will be pegging out washing within the half hour.

1. Choose your wall. Pick solid masonry where possible. Scan it with a cable and pipe detector before you mark anything. Never drill blind near a kitchen, bathroom or where a plug socket sits on the other side.
2. Mark the bracket holes. Hold the unit (or the first bracket) against the wall at your chosen height. Use the spirit level to get it dead level, then mark each hole with a pencil.
3. Drill the pilot holes. Fit the masonry bit, set the drill to hammer mode for brick, and drill to the depth of your wall plug. Keep the bit square to the wall.
4. Insert the wall plugs. Tap each plug in flush with the surface. They should sit snug, not loose.
5. Mount the first bracket. Offer it up, drive the screws home, and check it is firm. A wall bracket that wobbles now will sag under a wet load later.
6. Level and mount the second bracket. Use the frame and your spirit level to set the second bracket level with the first, then fix it the same way.
7. Fold it out and test. Swing the foldaway unit open. It should sit firm and level. Done? Fold it flat against the wall to confirm the action is smooth.

"The single biggest install mistake we see is skipping the level and the detector. Two extra minutes there saves you a crooked line and, worse, a drill bit through a water pipe." (Installer, Easy Washline)

How to thread, tension and tie the line

Most foldaway units arrive with the UV-protected drying line already strung across the frame, which is one of the quiet joys of buying a complete unit. Each Easy Washline gives you 13 metres of line per unit, ready to use.

If you are threading or restringing from scratch, here is the method that covers how to thread a washing line, how to tighten a washing line and how to tie the knot at the end.

01 Thread: Run the line back and forth across the frame, passing it through each eyelet or guide in turn. Keep the runs parallel and evenly spaced so the load sits balanced.

02 Tighten: Pull each run firm as you go. The line should be taut enough not to sag under a heavy towel, but not so tight it strains the frame. A little give is correct.

03 Tie: Finish with a knot that holds under tension and unties when you need it. A round turn and two half hitches is ideal for how to tie a washing line knot: take a full turn around the anchor, then two looping hitches over the standing line. It grips hard and releases clean.

Why tension matters: a slack line lets washing sag, touch the wall and pick up dirt. A taut line keeps every garment in the airflow.

Installing into brick vs cavity walls (SA homes)

Not all walls are equal, and the fixing must match what you are drilling into.

Myth: you need a builder to fix a washing line to a wall. Reality: you need the right plug for your wall and a steady hand. The wall type does the deciding for you.

For solid brick or masonry, the most common SA exterior wall, use a masonry bit on hammer setting, push in a nylon or expansion plug, and drive a screw rated for the load. This is the strongest, simplest fix, and it is why we always recommend mounting into solid masonry where you can.

For a cavity, drywall or partition wall, a standard plug has nothing solid to grip. Either fix into a timber stud or noggin behind the board (find it, mark it, screw into it), or use a proper cavity anchor designed to spread the load behind the surface. Do not hang a wet washing load off plasterboard alone.

Whatever the wall, scan for pipes and cables first. Coastal homeowners around Cape Town have one extra reason to choose this product: salt-laden air rusts ordinary steel fast, and a powder-coated aluminium frame simply shrugs it off.

How to restring or re-tension over time

Sun, wind and the weight of years will eventually take the edge off any line's tension. Re-tensioning is a five-minute job.

Untie the finishing knot, take up the slack run by run, and retie. If the line itself has aged, restring it with fresh UV-protected cord using the thread, tighten, tie sequence above. The same logic answers how to restring a rotary washing line: collapse the arms, unthread the old line from the outer to the inner points, then thread fresh line back through each arm in turn and tension evenly so the rotary sits balanced.

Worth saying plainly: the foldaway has far fewer moving parts than a rotary, so there is far less to maintain. If you have ever wrestled a tangled rotary head, you will appreciate the simplicity. Our full washing lines buyer's guide compares the types fairly if you are still weighing options.

"People restring once and assume they will do it yearly. With UV-protected line on a foldaway, most of our customers never restring at all. They just re-tension." (Founder, Easy Washline)

Prefer fold-flat with no fiddly cable?

There is a real case for line-drying beyond the install itself. According to the Energy Saving Trust, the tumble dryer is one of the most energy-hungry appliances in a typical home, and with Eskom tariffs climbing year on year, every load you hang out is money kept in your pocket. Sunlight also has a mild natural bleaching and freshening effect on whites and linen.

If you would rather skip the threading and tensioning altogether, our complete wall-mounted foldaway washing line arrives pre-strung and ready to mount, from R1,600 including VAT. Choose white, charcoal or bronze to suit your wall, fix it in around 20 minutes, and fold it flat the moment the washing is dry. We are based in Diep River, Cape Town, and deliver nationwide.

Want the full background before you buy? Read our guide to wall-mounted foldaway washing lines.

Resources

1. Energy Saving Trust, guidance on household appliance energy use and the cost of tumble drying.
2. Eskom, residential electricity tariff information for South African households.

FAQ

How do you install a washing line pole or wall-mounted line? Choose a solid wall, scan it for pipes and cables, mark the bracket holes level with a spirit level, drill pilot holes with a masonry bit, insert wall plugs, and screw the brackets home. Fold the unit out to test, then fold it flat. Most installs take around 20 minutes.

How do you attach a washing line to a wall? Fix two wall brackets into solid masonry using the correct plug and screw for the wall, set them level and plumb, and mount the frame to them. On brick, use a masonry bit on hammer setting with nylon or expansion plugs. Always check for hidden services before drilling.

How do you tighten and tie a washing line? Thread the line back and forth across the frame, pulling each run firm so it does not sag under a heavy towel but is not over-strained. Finish with a round turn and two half hitches: a full turn around the anchor, then two hitches over the standing line. It grips under tension and releases cleanly.

How do you restring a rotary washing line? Collapse the arms, unthread the old line from the outer point inward, then thread fresh UV-protected line back through each arm in turn. Tension each run evenly so the rotary sits balanced, and finish with a secure knot.

What tools and fixings do you need for brick vs cavity walls? For brick or masonry: a hammer drill, a masonry bit, nylon or expansion wall plugs, and matching screws. For cavity or drywall: fix into a timber stud or noggin, or use purpose-made cavity anchors that spread the load behind the board. In both cases, scan for pipes and cables first.