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What Are the Two Holes in Clothespins For? The Evidence, Explained

The small-hole-for-the-line explanation is plausible for some designs, but evidence does not establish it as a universal rule for ordinary spring clothespins.
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The familiar explanation is that the smaller opening near a spring clothespin’s coil grips the clothesline, while the larger opening toward the tips holds fabric. A recent article makes that claim, but the sources available do not establish it as a universal design rule for ordinary spring clothespins. The openings’ purpose can depend on the pin’s construction.

What the two-hole explanation claims

A September 30, 2026 article says to use the small opening near the spring to grip a clothesline or drying-rack rail, and the larger opening near the tips to hold clothing. It also suggests this arrangement distributes pressure more appropriately and can reduce marks. However, the article does not identify a manufacturer, design authority, or test supporting those claims, so treat them as a reported explanation rather than settled guidance for every clothespin. Read the article.

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No attributable statement from a clothespin manufacturer, inventor, standards body, or regulator establishing those two functions for ordinary spring pins is identified in the available sources. Nor is test evidence provided for the claimed fabric-care benefit.

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A documented design that separates line attachment from garment grip

A patent describes a particular dual-clip clothespin with a through-hole and ramped guide near one end. Those features can catch a line, cord, rod, or hanger, while a closure at the other end holds a garment. This documents a design that separates attachment and garment-gripping functions, but it is a distinct patented construction—not proof that the openings on common spring clothespins are designed the same way. See the patent.

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Why holes and grooves do not prove a universal rule

An older spring-clothespin patent describes two members with longitudinal slots, transverse grooves, a coiled spring, and a disk. In that design, the grooves support the pin on a clothesline, and the disk aligns the members. It does not set out a general rule that the two visible openings on ordinary spring pins have separate line-holding and fabric-holding jobs. See the 1950 patent.

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How to use the explanation with your own clothespins

  • Look at the pin’s actual shape and construction: a purpose-built line-catching feature may be evident, but not every opening is necessarily a dedicated line grip.
  • If a small opening seems to fit your line or rack rail, you can try it, but do not assume that position or use is universal.
  • Choose the gripping surface and placement that hold the fabric securely without stretching or crushing it. Reduced marking from using the smaller opening has not been demonstrated by the cited sources.

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

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