Suggestions about my washing line!

[Zaphodsotherhead]

I've just massively downsized and moved to a tiny house with a long, narrow garden. I love drying my washing outside, don't have anywhere now to put a tumble drier and have just put a washing line running the length of my garden.

Unfortunately, all the washing is catching on the bushes that line the garden. I've just ruined a couple of things because they blew straight into the rose thorns (and I was out there disentangling like someone unpicking knitting before I could fetch it in!).

I can run the line across the garden, because I'd have to have half a dozen lines up and there's nothing to attach it to (garden is about nine feet wide). So does anyone have any brilliant ways to stop my washing blowing straight into the snatchy branched embrace of my (necessary) hedging plants? I already use clothes props but they just lean straight over, even when firmly planted into the lawn!

*can't. I CAN'T run the line across the garden.

Rotary line or clothes horse outside any good?

A rotary line?

If you have wall space away from the bushes or even on your house, you could consider a Brabantia wall fix dryer. I love mine.

www.amazon.co.uk/Brabantia-WallFix-Retractable-Washing-Fabric/dp/B000NTDDL6/ref=sr_1_1?crid=15O0X7GKP8H3G&keywords=brabantia+wall+fix+washing+line&sprefix=Brabantia+wall+fix%2Caps%2C182&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&qid=1581519910&sr=8-1

We just take our clothes horses outside when it’s dry and use them inside when it’s wet.

A pulley style line with posts tall enough to lift the clothes above the level of your shrubbery.

rotary line should fit in that, and it is worth the £50-odd on a Brabantia. They also fold down easily so you can take it inside when there's a storm, which seems to be most weekends at the moment!

I'm ridiculously happy at drying washing outside today!

We had a very narrow very long garden, we had a very tall washing line and also had to keep on pruning the bushes.

No space for a rotary line, the garden is so narrow it would just be the same. Clothes horse or other unattached item no good as I'm on the top of a hill and an unexpected gust just blows them over.

Pulley style could work though - good call Tubby. I love the look of FrogFairy's retractable line but unfortunately the only suitable wall is part of a right of way and I don't think the neighbours want my smalls in their faces as they drag their bins out!

I love my long retractable line, but if I hang anything bigger than a hanky out, it's tangled in the bushes in seconds! Thanks, all for the suggestions.

I'd find a home for a tumble drier tbh. Wouldn't be without one in the UK as the weather is so unreliable and drying indoors can cause condensation problems.

Absolutely nowhere for one to fit, wowfudge, and I prefer stuff dried outside. I can air stuff once it's practically dry, but I just can't hang it out! I think I just need to raise the line above the hedge.

Can you not sink a couple of clothes poles in the garden to string the washing line between

Unfortunately that wouldn't help, demented. The garden is so narrow that even if I sink posts right in the centre, washing can still blow up against the bushes. The bushes are necessary to help with the dogproofing, so they have to stay. Issue has been made worse because of the windiness we've had lately - shouldn't be so bad on still days!

Could you put up posts on each of the corners then run two lines diagonally, cris-crossing in the middle.

Pulley line would be brilliant. Can you swap the rose bushes for something lower and spiky?

You can get compact rotary lines as well as the standard ones. They should fit within the space you have. You may have to do a little pruning perhaps?

It’s my dream to have a pulley style washing line one day! My Nan used to have one, washing dries in no time up there!

No room for more posts - I'm currently running the line diagonally across the garden but the bushes are still in the way. I think a combination of some pruning (but the clothes are blowing onto the main bushes and I don't want to take them out) and maybe a smaller line. I could try a compact rotary, but I have an irrational hatred of rotary lines having gone through one a year for the last few years (it really is very windy where I live).

Thanks again everyone for the creative ideas. My mum had a pulley style line too Cadbury!