Your guide to using stainless steel clothes pegs

It's Plastic Free July 2025 and stainless steel pegs are commonplace now. They are a long lasting solution to plastic pegs that break, fade, crack and then get thrown out in a short amount of time. They are step back to the way our grandparents used to live but with a modern twist. The timber dolly pegs are now replaced by something made from one continuous piece of stainless steel. Buy the right metal pegs and learn how to take care of them and they will last you a life time. There is an initial investment, but this will pay for itself over time, and can help stop waste going to landfill.

What are the different grades of pegs?

Stainless steel pegs are often available in 3 different stainless steel grades and various sizes & strengths, so there is a peg to suit every household. The grades refer to the quality of the stainless steel.

• 201 grade stainless steel - is for regular use. Use them, bring them inside when they're not in use. Take care of them and they will last you a lifetime
• 304 grade stainless steel - are for salty conditions and those who live near the beach. We still suggest you bring them inside when not in use so they last you a lifetime
• 316 grade stainless steel - marine grade, for people who leave right on the ocean or are subjected to extreme weather conditions on a regular basis

What grade should I buy? 201 grade are adequate if you use them and bring them back inside. Leave them outside and over time they will rust. The next step up is 304 grade, which is food grade stainless steel. It's the same grade your stainless steel water bottle is made from, probably your cutlery and your saucepans too. The best grade to buy is 316 grade, or marine grade. Fast forward to 2025 and most brands only offer a marine grade peg, which is the case with both Ever Eco and That Red House which we sell in store.

Can I leave them outside all the time?

Even if you don't live near the ocean there can still be streams of salty air inland, and as a result we do recommend that you bring your normal grade pegs (201 and 304) inside after each use. If you get into the habit of bringing them in you should be fine and the occasional 'I forgot to get the washing in off the line' incident will be fine. If you prefer to leave them outside on the line shop our 316 grade pegs and you shouldn't have any issues.

Will the wire pegs rust?

As per above, they shouldn't if you buy the right pegs for your conditions and don't leave them outside all the time. Those who live closer to the ocean, we recommend you buy the pegs for salty conditions and for those lucky enough to have the beach in their back yard, or to live on a houseboat then we have marine grade pegs made from 316 grade stainless steel.

Stainless steel is not immune to rusting. If you leave them sitting in a bucket of water for weeks on end, they will cause you issues. Use them, bring them in and they will last you a lifetime. You can pass them down to your kids with your cast iron fry pans.

"I purchased these pegs as a gift for my sister. She is very happy with them. I have the 316 grade peg as I live near the sea. They are great. Work well in windy conditions. No more rebuilding broken plastic pegs to try and reduce plastic waste!!! 🙂 "

Will they get too hot to touch?

No. We have customers in far North Queensland who have used these pegs on 40 degree days and do not find them too hot to touch. Because the pegs are made from a thin piece of wire, there is not a large surface area to absorb the heat - you should be fine!

Will the pegs snap or break?

No. The entire wire peg is made from just one piece of stainless steel wire, so they're not going to snap at a join anywhere or fall apart.

"Great pegs, no more cracked plastic ones. Plenty of grip and a great design."

Will the pegs leave indentations on the clothes?

All pegs leave a mark on clothes when they have been hanging on the line. Wire pegs leave a minimal mark. It is still a good idea to pick and choose where you place the pegs to minimise the issue. Click on the photo below and you'll see a light peg mark just near our watermark. We specifically pegged right in the middle of the fabric to clearly show you and also enhanced the image to make it as prominent as possible. That's the worst you'll get. Place your pegs better, quick iron and they'll be gone.

Do the pegs have sharp edges that will rip my clothes?

The wire that makes up the pegs is smooth without any rough edges to catch on your clothes. Because they are made from one continuous piece of stainless steel there are no joins and the two end pieces are tucked in so they should not touch your clothes in any way. However if you have something extremely delicate, please take care, as you would with any other type of peg or hanging device.

The ends of the continuous piece of wire are not in the bottom half that touch your clothes. They are at the top, closing off the loop you handle and sit just above the coil in the middle.

I have arthritis. How strong are the pegs - will I be able to open them?

As a general rule the pegs are fairly easy to open and although some in the packet may seem stiffer than others, they will ease up a little bit with continued use. We will be honest, if you have bad arthritis, you are going to have difficulties. They are smaller and a little more delicate to handle than regular pegs, but customers report getting to used to that after a few uses.