Vileda Cordomatic Retractable Washing line 15m | 1 x 15m clothes line holds up to 15kg | Extendable Clothes Line | Automatic retraction | Strong and durable | Wall Mounted for Indoor & Outdoor Use

So brand names don't always mean as much as they used to, quality of a lot of things has dropped over time so paying £8 for a Vileda washing line I was a little sceptical. It's a good product though, I like the metal end which is more robust than it's plastic counterparts. The fixings make it feel good and sturdy when mounted, the housing for the line feels pretty strong and the line, though thin, is good enough for the price. The two slight negatives are that it definitely needs a prop as the line sags/stretches a lot especially with towels etc. Also the plastic 'foot' under the housing which you wrap the line around to keep it taut looks like it will not last. I can see from the reviews that many have found it breaks easily. But if it lasts the summer it only takes a couple of turns of the screws to unmount the whole line and pop it indoors for the winter to hopefully make it last longer. All in all how can you complain for such a cheap price!

UPDATE: Far from disappointed: Almost 3 years to the day (uncanny) since I originally purchased this item - and a repeat order is being placed. My family's washing has finally taken their toll; the thick plastic holding the unit to the metal bracket on the wall has snapped under the stress of some high winds and a heavy load on the line. BUT I am buying the same one again & I would still recommend this product. I have had no issues over the 3 years - the retract mechanism has never failed, and the line itself has worn well. May 2012: I was pleased with the quality of the product when I took it out of the packaging, and my other half had no problems installing it to the outside wall. The hook which it came with has rusted, and did so in a matter of a week or so, which is disappointing. A note to make with the installation is that we used are own wall plugs, simply because my other half doesn't trust "the cheap ones supplied with products". A minor disappointment was the need to purchase a clothes line prop, and without it the line (when ladened with drying clothing) sagged significantly. I would also recommend winding the line around the cleat underneath the unit twice, as with quite strong winds the line gradually pulls out, if you only do it once, and you end up with washing trailling on the floor. Overall though it is a nice product, and it is far easier to retract the line to keep it clean than to have to take a cloth out to wipe the line down everytime(when we get nice enough weather to put washing out that is). It also means there isn't a washing line spoiling the line of sight in the garden or affecting the children when they are playing.

We’ve used this all summer to dry clothes outdoors, and it’s been really impressive. The 15 metre length is more than enough in length for most people. The retractable function and locking system work well, and it holds a good amount of laundry. The line feels strong, though installation requires some drilling and planning for the hook placement. No other issues, a solid product. Highly recommended for anyone looking to dry clothes outside efficiently and great value for money.

Great, does the job, easy to install, we attached it to the side of the house and it feels strong. I like that it's easy to retract and hide away when not in use

This is a good product that works well for me and I have more than one of them. However, there is a flaw in the product for the way I want to use it in that it won't work with a conventional clothes post because the eyelet on the end of the line is designed for the hook that the product comes with. I have overcome this by using a key ring loop on the eyelet and I can now hook it over the bar on my clothes line post. I have another line fixed to a rope around a tree and for that line used a carabiner. The cleat works ok for myself and my family members. What I most like about having a retractable line (or 3) is that when no washing is on the line the view of my garden from my patio doors or lounge windows isn't spoiled. Likewise if I am having a BBQ no-one has to dodge the line . So, a good product that works for me, albeit with a minor addition.

This is our third Cordomatic, we have used them for years to dry clothes over our back patio and the basic principle and design is simple and effective. I think our previous two must have been made in Germany or at least in a different factory; this one is made in China. The mounting arm and rivets are relatively flimsy and do not quite line up with the holes from the previous one. Kind of surprised that something so basic has been fluffed. I see from other reviews that the plastic is also more brittle if the tensioning lug is breaking. China doesn't mean low quality any more, quite the opposite in many cases, so I blame this on the manufacturer cutting one corner too many to shave a few pence off the cost. Shame, as we have always trusted this brand in the past. Update October 2025: I normally wind these up in Autumn so I tried to do that. The spring seems to have gone even though this is barely a few months old. Of course it's well past the return window. Very disappointing.

Does what it is supposed to. Cheap and cheerful but works well. The line itself is very thin guage, but seems to be strong depsite this. At anything over 5 or 6 metres extension you will probably need a line prop as it does sag quite a lot, but in my experience this is the case with any clothes line. The supplied fixings are my only issue and are, in my humble opinion junk, especially the wall plugs. I was sceptical of their quality when initially fitting and sure enough they failed after a couple of weeks. Dump them and use some decent screws and wall plugs (I used 50mm x 4mm screws and cheap red wall plugs form one of the "catalogue" tool suppliers) and you should be very happy indeed. Overall, definitely recommended.

Great purchase easy to install and use