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Original poster

I dry my laundry in my garden and my neighbour is really unhappy about it

703 replies

WashingWoes · 20/06/2025 13:33

I really don’t think I’m in the wrong here but keen for opinions which I will take onboard if I come off as unreasonable.
I live in an end-terrace house. Neighbour is attached to me. I peg my washing out to dry on good days. We are a family of four, lots of laundry and I much prefer to peg out than use the (expensive and environmentally unfriendly) drier. My neighbour HATES me for drying my laundry in my garden. Relentless comments about how she can’t enjoy looking at her garden from her bedroom window because she can see my (clean) laundry. About how it’s spoiling her enjoyment of her garden. Why can’t I just use the drier, for everyone’s benefit (not mine, see: bills; climate change…). It’s bad manners to dry ‘smalls’ outside - her husband might see my ‘undergarments’ … honestly it’s relentless. I recently received a birthday card from them (very kind, and appreciated) which said ‘Happy Birthday WashingWoes, we really love seeing your washing on the line, have a lovely birthday’. Please reassure me that I’m normal and neighbours are barmy?

OP posts:
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BlueandPinkSwan · 20/06/2025 13:52

WashingWoes · 20/06/2025 13:38

Thanks guys - just wanted to check that drying laundry was still acceptable. I’ve discussed this with a friend who suggested going to Anne Summers and buying some filthy/delicious crotchless articles to peg out…

I'm not going to stop hanging out any of my laundry, if the neighbours are worrying about my smalls, then the women might jealous because of the size or the men are are just pervy.

LillyPJ · 20/06/2025 13:52

She sounds bonkers. I'd be tempted to wind her up by pegging out some 'inappropriate' or jokey items of clothing...

ThisIsMyYearToFindMyself · 20/06/2025 13:51

I peg my washing out to dry on good days

Well this is where you’ve let the team down. Peg things out on all days.

Don’t have enough clothes to keep things out for weeks on end? Don’t despair! Charity shops are your friend 😆.

eqpi4t2hbsnktd · 20/06/2025 13:51

I had a neighbour like this when I lived in a small flat with a communal garden. I would just pop the laundry rack outside with all the baby bits on.
She would moan like crazy at me! I explained that I didn't have a drier.. she admitted that neither did she. When I asked her how she dried her laundry she said 'on the backs of chairs'.... So I suggested we put in a communal line and share it... she was happy with that!
People are mental.

coxesorangepippin · 20/06/2025 13:50

Tell her to join the Facebook washing line appreciation group

Panterusblackish · 20/06/2025 13:49

Burntlemon · 20/06/2025 13:42

Ignore her.
Stop being polite.
✋️up next time.
"I will use my garden how I see fit and will not discuss this with you again."

Stop being polite.
She is really rude and inappropriate.
She thinks you have to listen to her.
You don't.

I live in a salubrious neighbourhood and admittedly the houses are bordered by high hedges and trees, but there absolutely is washig hanging out.

Everyone knows nothing beats that fresh smell of wind dried laundry.

The smell is up there with baking bread and babies heads.

CornflowerDusk · 20/06/2025 13:49

Front garden or back garden?

Brefugee · 20/06/2025 13:49

II'd be telling her that i will use the drier if she pays for the electricity consumption, in fact just to make it easy "I'll bring it round to yours and you can text me when it's done"

And then i would laugh at her and carry on.

CrepuscularCritter · 20/06/2025 13:48

SuperTrooper14 · 20/06/2025 13:46

Spell out what you really think of her...

Well found! I was searching for that very image.

GrannyAchingsShepherdsHut · 20/06/2025 13:48

Omg x post with everyone! 😂

InfoSecInTheCity · 20/06/2025 13:48

I’d be very very tempted to buy a few packs of cheapest knickers I can find and make bunting out of them to hang year round directly in her eyeline.

Gettingbysomehow · 20/06/2025 13:48

murasaki · 20/06/2025 13:42

My aunt in Canada isn't allowed to despite having at least an acre of garden. Town rules apparently. Madness.

Show quote history

When my parents lived in the USA this wasn't allowed either, but then everyone has washer dryers in the states so they don't need to.

GrannyAchingsShepherdsHut · 20/06/2025 13:48

She sounds a sandwich short of a picnic. Hierarchy of the terrace? Is she Hyacinth Bucket?!

Next time she mentions it I'd say that if she's going to spend her time staring at other people's knickers it's probably best not to tell them!

Then I'd hang my washing out like this:

I dry my laundry in my garden and my neighbour is really unhappy about it
Lakeyloo · 20/06/2025 13:47

Try this....

I dry my laundry in my garden and my neighbour is really unhappy about it
YoureMyWifeNowDave · 20/06/2025 13:46

Hang it out like this

I dry my laundry in my garden and my neighbour is really unhappy about it
WaltzingWaters · 20/06/2025 13:46

“Sorry, I won’t stop, I actually care about the environment”.

Gettingbysomehow · 20/06/2025 13:46

I don't like the look of it either but really it's none of my business and I wouldn't dream of interfering with what the neighbours do unless they were burning tyres or something 😀
Nobody does it in my street it's considered not "naice", and I'm not sure I'd have the courage to defy the dragons so I just take my wet laundry to the laundrette to dry it after its washed.
But if you have children that isn't always an option. I live on my own.

SuperTrooper14 · 20/06/2025 13:46

Spell out what you really think of her...

I dry my laundry in my garden and my neighbour is really unhappy about it
thismummydrinksgin · 20/06/2025 13:45

Absolutely shut this woman down before she tries to control anything else about your garden. I have no advice how but I’d be furious if someone tried to dictate how I used my garden.

Mylovelygreendress · 20/06/2025 13:45

DD2 used to have a neighbour who complained about DD hanging out underwear etc . Apparently her husband was making comments and neighbour was upset .
DD told her she would continue to hang out anything she wanted and her husband needed to get a grip !

LadyLucyWells · 20/06/2025 13:44

I LOVE seeing my neighbours washing line out. They have 2 young children and the line runs all the way down their garden, all the little clothes neatly pegged up It feels so beautifully neat and a little bit old-fashioned.

I think your neighbour is ridiculous, OP.

ChequerToRed · 20/06/2025 13:44

Your neighbour is a total nut job.
Be subtle, peg something completely out of place in amongst the washing every time it goes out. One day a spring onion, next time a single wellie, after that a packet of crisps, then maybe a book, a spoon, a rubber chicken…

nomas · 20/06/2025 13:44

murasaki · 20/06/2025 13:42

My aunt in Canada isn't allowed to despite having at least an acre of garden. Town rules apparently. Madness.

Show quote history

Would anyone know if she did it anyway? In a corner perhaps?

BeachPossum · 20/06/2025 13:43

She is mental, ignore

Original poster
WashingWoes · 20/06/2025 13:43

Cosyblankets · 20/06/2025 13:36

When she pays your mortgage or rent she can decide what you do with your garden
Until then she can butt out

See, this might be the crooks of it. She behaves like she’s our landlord, has done since we moved in. She once told me that there was a hierarchy on the terrace and that we are at the bottom because we are the most recent to move in and the youngest. We’ve lived here 10 years. Not that that matters, if we’d been here 10 minutes there is still no hierarchy! Ridiculous

OP posts: