Frozen Clothes Breaking - Is It A Myth?

[hc4361]

I have heard many times about clothes that have frozen on the washing line snapping, usually jeans and shirts.
I don't believe it. I think the ice would break but not the clothing. Does anyone know for sure?

[wolf63]

it is true - my mum said it was and she was NEVER wrong

[davebro]

[Ken4155]

Remember watching a Youtube vid some time back where a guy freezes his T-shirt then, after several attempts, manages to 'break' it.

[Ken4155]

Ha, that's the one, davebro :-)

[hc4361]

That video is a bit extreme. Very different to a pair of jeans accidentally snapping when took off the line during a cold December in the West Midlands, don't you think?

That shirt would not have survived that beating had it not been frozen to start with :)

[Ken4155]

True, that t-shirt sort of ripped before 'breaking and was subjected to some quite rough treatment.I would hazard a guess that, unless you live at the North Pole, your washing would not snap as you took it off the washing line. Though the question has to be asked, who puts their washing out on freezing cold days?

[hc4361]

I remember fetching frozen washing off the line, Ken, probably left out overnight by mistake. No parts snapped off, though :) Then it would be dripping from the ceiling drier hanger rail thingiemebob and end up stinking of boiled cabbage and fags. Happy days :|

[davebro]

Rather than smashing it about I would been interested to see what happened if he tried to fold the T shirt or maybe bend it over the railing.

[davebro]

"ceiling drier hanger rail thingiemebob"

It's called a Sheila Maid I think - we had one in the kitchen.

[hc4361]

Good point, dave. I think the ice would have broken up but not the shirt.

[hc4361]

Thinking about it, I have 'smashed' bags of frozen peas against the worktop trying to seperate them but the bags have never been damaged.
I'll put an old duster in my freezer and see what happens when I try to fold it. Of course that will be much colder than any washing on a line in the UK.

[hc4361]

Sheila maid - never heard it called that.

[hc4361]

I've remembered that we called it 'the pulley'.

[davebro]

Your pea bag is waterproof whereas cotton etc. will absorb water into the fibres.

https://sheilamaid.com/products/the-iconic-sheila-maid-clothes-airer-ceiling-airer-supreme?variant=8167169097816&currency=GBP&;utm_campaign=gs-2018-10-12&utm_source=google&utm_medium=smart_campaign

[ummmm]

When I was a kid we went swimming at the local pool. By the time we got home my hair was frozen :-)

My mother wasn't happy.

[hc4361]

Are you American, dave? The Sheila Maid is a trade name in the US, so it's like calling the vacuum cleaner a hoover.

[hc4361]

Did it snap off, ummm? :D

[Patsy33]

I remember getting washing off the line, for my Mum, that was frozen stiff, especially dad's jeans. I can't remember any of it snapping..

[ummmm]

No, lol, I was made to get in the bath.

[tamborine]

Iron loops in my ceiling for ex Sheila maid ;)

https://imgshare.io/image/UmwLp