My clothesline has gone through three different sets of plastic pins in the last two years. Every single time, the same thing happens — a hot summer, some UV exposure, and suddenly they’re snapping in half or leaving that ugly orange rust mark on my shirts. So when a friend recommended I just switch to wood, I was honestly a bit skeptical. Turns out she was right.
This is a 100-pack of 3.5-inch wooden clothespins, and after using them for a few weeks now, I can say they hold up in ways plastic never did.
What’s actually in the box
You get 100 pins, solid wood, each about 3.5 inches long. The spring inside is metal but treated to resist rust, which matters more than people think — a rusty spring is usually what ruins a light-colored shirt, not the wood itself. The finish on these is smooth too; no rough edges digging into your fingers after pin number 40.
Where I’ve actually used them
Laundry was the obvious first use, but that’s not where it ended for me:
- Hanging heavier stuff like towels and bedsheets — the bigger size actually grips them instead of slipping off
- My daughter used a dozen of these for a school art project, clipping her drawings to a string across her room
- I keep a few in the kitchen drawer now just for sealing half-open chip bags
- One or two ended up on my desk holding cables together, which wasn’t the plan but works fine
None of that was really the point of buying them, but it’s the kind of thing that happens once you have sturdy wooden clips lying around the house.
Wood vs. plastic — is it actually better?
I’d say yes, at least for anyone who dries clothes outside regularly. Plastic pins get brittle in the sun a lot faster than people expect, and once the spring inside starts to rust, you’re one wash away from a stained shirt. Wood doesn’t solve every problem — you still shouldn’t leave these out in the rain for weeks — but the grip stays stronger for longer, especially on thicker fabric.
A couple of things I’d mention before you buy
- Bring them inside when you’re not using the line. Sun and moisture will wear down any wood eventually, rust-resistant spring or not.
- A few pins felt a little stiff right out of the bag — nothing serious, just work the spring a couple times and they loosen right up.
- Don’t expect these to handle something like a heavy wet blanket on their own; they’re strong, not miracle workers.
Questions people usually ask
How many clothespins come in the pack?
100 pins, each 3.5 inches long.
Will these rust and stain my clothes?
The spring is built to resist rust, so it’s far less likely than with cheaper plastic pins that use weaker metal springs.
Can I use these for something other than laundry?
Yes — a lot of people use them for crafts, hanging photos, or sealing food bags. Mine ended up doing all three.
Are wooden clothespins really better than plastic ones?
In my experience, yes, mainly in grip strength and how well they hold up under sun exposure over time.
Would I buy these again?
Honestly, probably. For the price, 100 pins is a lot, and so far they’ve outlasted every plastic set I’ve tried. If you hang laundry often, or just want reliable clips around the house for crafts and odd jobs, this set does the job without any fuss.