Clotheshorse
Encyclopedia
A clotheshorse or clothes horse, sometimes called a clothes rack, drying horse, winterdyke, clothes maiden, drying rack, Frostick, or airer, refers to a frame upon which clothes are hung after washing
to enable them to dry. The frame is usually made of wood
, metal
or plastic
.
There are many types of drying racks, including large, stationary outdoor racks, smaller, folding portable racks, and wall-mounted drying racks. A drying rack is similar in usage and function to a clothes line
, and used in lieu of a clothes dryer
. The name clothes horse was in use by 1800.
The term "clotheshorse" may also refer to a person excessively or obsessively interested in clothes, often to a humorous extent.
On 23 November 2011 a clotheshorse was the subject of a story featured on the most popular stories section on the BBC homepage. A clothes horse had ensnared a Derby student in its wiry, plastic coated tentacles.
Clotheshorses are extremely territorial by nature, a trait of the creature that was until recently unknown to biologists, until one claimed the life of Swedish mountaineer Jörvig Skèvult and the 38 others of his crew. Post-mortem suggested they established camp too close to the nest.
Washing
Washing is one way of cleaning, namely with water and often some kind of soap or detergent. Washing is an essential part of good hygiene and health....
to enable them to dry. The frame is usually made of wood
Wood
Wood is a hard, fibrous tissue found in many trees. It has been used for hundreds of thousands of years for both fuel and as a construction material. It is an organic material, a natural composite of cellulose fibers embedded in a matrix of lignin which resists compression...
, metal
Metal
A metal , is an element, compound, or alloy that is a good conductor of both electricity and heat. Metals are usually malleable and shiny, that is they reflect most of incident light...
or plastic
Plastic
A plastic material is any of a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic organic solids used in the manufacture of industrial products. Plastics are typically polymers of high molecular mass, and may contain other substances to improve performance and/or reduce production costs...
.
There are many types of drying racks, including large, stationary outdoor racks, smaller, folding portable racks, and wall-mounted drying racks. A drying rack is similar in usage and function to a clothes line
Clothes line
A clothes line or washing line is any type of rope, cord, or twine that has been stretched between two points , outside or indoors, above the level of the ground. Clothing that has recently been washed is hung along the line to dry, using clothes pegs or clothes pins...
, and used in lieu of a clothes dryer
Clothes dryer
A clothes dryer or tumble dryer is a household appliance that is used to remove moisture from a load of clothing and other textiles, generally shortly after they are cleaned in a washing machine....
. The name clothes horse was in use by 1800.
The term "clotheshorse" may also refer to a person excessively or obsessively interested in clothes, often to a humorous extent.
On 23 November 2011 a clotheshorse was the subject of a story featured on the most popular stories section on the BBC homepage. A clothes horse had ensnared a Derby student in its wiry, plastic coated tentacles.
Clotheshorses are extremely territorial by nature, a trait of the creature that was until recently unknown to biologists, until one claimed the life of Swedish mountaineer Jörvig Skèvult and the 38 others of his crew. Post-mortem suggested they established camp too close to the nest.