Prevailing Salty Winds & the Perfect Beach Clothesline
The majority of the population in Australia live on the fringing coast and require a tough beach clothesline for laundry drying. Living by the coast means living with prevailing seasonal winds so what can you expect? Corrosion and prevailing wind go hand in hand and the seasons play a major role in the yearly wind cycle. Let’s dive in and work out these seasonal patterns and the best way to combat corrosion for washing lines.
Winter Winds
Typically in Winter the south wind prevails and is most prevalent along Tasmania, Victoria and South Australia’s south eastern and south western coastlines. The Great Southern region of Western Australia is also affected.
Large populations living with the effects of corrosion from southerly winds in Victoria include Phillip Island to Cape Patterson in the south east. The Great Ocean Road beginning at Ocean Grove, Barwon Heads, Lorne, Torquay, Aireys Inlet and Port Fairy experience salty winter southerlies. So does the Mornington Peninsula along the Port Philip Bay suburbs including Black Rock, Brighton and St Kilda. Melbourne clotheslines need to be robust and narrow for both coastal and city living.
Tasmanian towns that suffer salty winds are the suburbs along the Derwent in Hobart including the South Arm, Clifton Beach to Bruny Island. Many towns along the Huon River including Cygnet & Geeveston experience signs of corrosion.
Adelaide suburbs of Henley Beach, Glenelg, Hallet Cove, Noarlunga and Aldinga Beach face west and are in the direct line for corrosion. Even down to Port Elliot and Victor Harbour in the southerly direction, stainless steel clotheslines would be the smartest choice for laundry days.
WA towns of Albany, Walpole, Denmark and Augusta bunker down over the winter as the southern bite winds blow.
Natural Wash of Salty Layers
However during this salty build up from winds over winter, the rain also arrives and tends to wash off any residue on wall mounted clotheslines, balustrades, decks, windows and eaves. So if there is a dry winter rolling out over the 4 months then a hose blast and scrub with a broom is recommended on all outdoor utilities and the exterior of the home. Stainless steel clotheslines are exceptional performers in these areas and surpass any powder-coated clotheslines for longevity.
Spring Winds Cause East Coast Corrosion
The first of the spring winds tend to blow from mid August and prevail until late October into November carrying with them salt loads and all night blows.
So it is normal for NSW and Queensland to experience incessant winds over a period of about 8 weeks. If the wind is not accompanied with rain then some tea-staining maintenance is required for any stainless steel utilities around the home including balustrading, hose reels, posts and bannisters. Spring cleaning can be simply a broom brush and hose down. Stainless steel cleaner will also create a clean surface and a barrier against salt build up. Always a good idea to create a barrier against salt in the spring time to clean stainless steel brackets on clothes lines. Do not put any cleaner on any cables!
The Fremantle Doctor Delivers on the West Coast
November to February sees the sou-wester blow up the WA coastline from mid-morning until the late afternoon. Large populated areas live with corrosion and a stainless steel clothes line is the choice for withstanding the salty load. Clothes lines with plastic corners, nylon cords & powder-coating will not last the distance in these environments. Augusta, Margaret River, Yallingup, Bunbury, Busselton and Mandurah on the southern coastal region of Perth experience corrosive winds all summer. The beach side and Swan River suburbs of Perth are in the firing line for salty deposits around the home. These suburbs include Fremantle, Cottesloe, Applecross, Dalkeith, Ardross, Mosman Park, City Beach, Trigg and many more further north. Once again Spring maintenance to wash away salty residue is a must.
Summer Maintenance for Tea-staining
A cooling summer breeze can be a double-edged sword carrying with it the ability to drop temperatures and increase salty deposits around your home. It’s generally a sou-easter to Nor-easter on the New South Wales and Queensland coastlines. It’s the ‘Fremantle Doctor’ from the sou-west in Perth and it’s north and southern coastlines. A southerly buster can cool summer days in Victoria, Tasmania and Adelaide but brings a salty blast. Installing a wall mounted stainless steel clothesline in a northerly aspect will keep it away from the direct summer winds. A cleanser like Marine Stainless 2 in 1 is a great product that cleans away tea-stain on all stainless steel surfaces and seals with a barrier.
The Seasonal Routine Wrapped Up
So the smartest routines for coastal living are dependent on seasonal winds & rainfall. A dry winter means hosing off windows, decks, balustrades and utilities. A barrier cream cleanser for stainless steel is needed in early Spring. Another water blast towards the end of a dry summer will wash away salt residue. A buff for any tea-staining on stainless steel clotheslines is required mid Autumn. Therefore durable utilities are a must to combat landfill so stainless steel is a perfect choice for water tanks, clotheslines, balustrades and fixtures. Invest in a Coastal Clothesline and shop the range here to experience the durability you can trust along Australia’s stunning coast line.
