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Original poster

Attitudes to line drying clothes in the UK

365 replies

Notcontent · 28/08/2021 23:27

But of a boring topic but…. I have been thinking about this because I grew up in a country where everyone line dries their clothes whenever possible. The climate makes it easier to do this than in the UK but I think there is more to it than that. Where I live in London very few people seem to dry their clothes outside even on hot days. I almost feel like maybe it’s seen as being inappropriate and unsightly…

Is it a London thing? A class thing? In any case, I have decided to put my clothes drying racks outside whenever it’s not raining even if it offends my neighbours’ eyes!

OP posts:

QueenAdreena · 28/08/2021 23:49

I used to line dry everything outside as much as possible in our old property. Our current house backs onto someone’s orchard and there are bushes and bushes of soft fruits and berries everywhere, which is wonderful for the birds and animals, but not so great for any washing that I put outside as it usually ends up covered with either red or purple berry stained shit on everything. So now it all stays on hangers in the conservatory, would much prefer to dry it outside though!

NoWordForFluffy · 28/08/2021 23:50

We line dry all year round as do many people living near us (from what we can see). I'm not sure how you can assess the whole of the UK population's attitude to line drying by looking at only your closest neighbours in London!

TheChosenTwo · 28/08/2021 23:50

I use my tumble dryer all year round. I don’t wfh and tbh I can’t be arsed. Plus, I absolutely HATE the smell of clothes dried outdoors.
I grew up without a garden, all my clothes were washed and dried in machines with a 2 hour turnaround time. I do the same now even though I have a garden.

Travielkapelka · 28/08/2021 23:50

Never line dry. Everything that can be is tumbled or if not it goes on a line in the utility room. Cannot be bothered with the faff of having washing on a line. I don’t think I can remember seeing anyone hanging their clothes out in the last 20 years. Certainly never been to anyone’s house and see clothes in the garden

PumpkinKlNG · 28/08/2021 23:51

Where do you live?! I use to live in a London flat where people literally dried their washing on lines hanging up outside their front door, it was so bad you had to literally walk through people’s laundry to get through because no one had a private balcony, one particular neighbour use to hang all her underwear up outside her front door.

Ive moved now but there’s still flats near me now that do it

Attitudes to line drying clothes in the UK

Travielkapelka · 28/08/2021 23:52

@TheChosenTwo I totally agree. I like to wash and dry and back in the cupboards nice and quickly. I also hate the smell of like dried clothes. Much prefer them soft and warm from the drier and they feel cleaner that way too

PandoraP · 28/08/2021 23:52

I line dry as much as possible from April and out September. One of the things which has made me happy in the pandemic. WFH and being able to hang out my washing

Danikm151 · 28/08/2021 23:54

I lived in a flat for 4.5 years and wasn’t able to have a washing line outside. I eventually got a tumble dryer.
When I moved into my house last year the first thing I did was buy a washing line and some pegs. I was so excited haha
Love saving on the leccy and the stain removing benefits of the sun!

Hellotoallmyfans · 28/08/2021 23:54

I think it's a damp thing! We only get about six weeks a year where you could reliably line dry your clothes in this country!
I dont even put clothes out on warm days, everything is shoved in the dryer. I can't be bothered with pegging stuff out and bringing it in it's just another chore. Plus I hate ironing and the dryer gets rid of the creases.

Crystal90567 · 28/08/2021 23:55

Few things I hate more than pegging out wet washing. It's so very very labour intensive and nasty. Then it usually doesn't even work (to dry the clothes) after all the effort. And I spent years, when young and as young adult, with all radiators covered in wet towels and jumpers and jeans. Good god it was awful. Unsightly, never ending and bad for health.

I love hot, warm, smooth, virtually ironed, bonedry clothes from the tumble dryer. It's a joy in itself but compared to the above it's a triple joy.

Also outside makes clothes dirty IMHO but that's a side issue.

Mrsfrumble · 28/08/2021 23:57

We don’t have a line, but we have a large drying rack which I put up outside. If it starts to rain I just carry the whole thing inside, clothes and all, and plonk it in whichever room is being used least. We do a have a washer / drier, but the drying cycle takes forever and makes everything really crumpled, and I hate ironing. If I hang stuff neatly it dries without creases which is much better.

Hercisback · 28/08/2021 23:57

Where do you live that you can only dry outside 6 weeks per year?

A quick look at the forecast and a bit of planning from Feb/Nov and you can get most of it outside.

Mintjulia · 28/08/2021 23:58

I live rurally and always line-dry if possible, I don't own a tumble dryer but do have an airing cupboard for cold damp days.

I lived in London for a few years and the air smelt horrible which is part of the reason I left.

Icedteaplease · 28/08/2021 23:58

I live in Scotland (notoriously rainy) and I've had a wee porch thing installed outside my back door so I can line dry even on days it rains as the rain doesn't get to the clothes. It has, at times, taken 2 days to dry but it always does dry! Honestly it's the best thing ever!

VanishingAct · 28/08/2021 23:59

@Crystal90567

I love hot, warm, smooth, virtually ironed, bonedry clothes from the tumble dryer. It's a joy in itself but compared to the above it's a triple joy.

Also outside makes clothes dirty IMHO but that's a side issue.

nasty and dirty

okey-doke.

daisypond · 29/08/2021 00:01

I live in London. I line dry. I don’t have a tumble drier.

Divebar2021 · 29/08/2021 00:01

We only get about six weeks a year where you could reliably line dry your clothes in this country!

You must live in an exceptionally rainy part of the country. In the south east I would say April to October is probably do-able. Clothes from the drier tend to smell stronger of washing powder or fabric conditioner… that’s not cleaner that’s faker. And I do use a dryer but not if I can avoid it.

LindyLou2020 · 29/08/2021 00:01

I'm lucky to have the time and garden space to hang out my (machine-washed and spun) laundry on a rotary dryer, And I love the outdoorsy smell of it when dry. In bad weather I have indoor dryers/airers.
Tumble dryers are expensive to run and absolutely appalling for the environment, (other than those operated by heat pumps, so I've read).
But I can easily see and understand that people without the time and space that I have would need or prefer to use a tumble dryer.
My daughter lives in the US, where, despite their mostly superior summer weather, it is just Not The Done Thing to dry your laundry outside. I don't know why.
But tumble dryers are the absolute norm there.

Flubber88 · 29/08/2021 00:04

Put clothes in tumble for a little while then put on airer in garden to dry - best for those who do not want to iron (like me) to be honest people appear to be very lazy now seriously putting clothes on an airer isn't that difficult.

daisypond · 29/08/2021 00:07

I actually don’t know anyone who has a tumble dryer, as far as I know.

TatianaBis · 29/08/2021 00:08

Yes it’s a London thing. Nothing to do with space. Large gardens round here, no-one lines dries, it’s very suburban.

saraclara · 29/08/2021 00:09

I love getting my bedlinen in off the line. It smells amazing. So yep, line drying whenever possible.
I can imagine that the effect isn't quite the same in a city though.

NoWordForFluffy · 29/08/2021 00:09

I think it's a damp thing! We only get about six weeks a year where you could reliably line dry your clothes in this country!

God knows where you live, but it's possible to get washing out and dry (or mostly dry) all year round where I am (NW coast).

Thighdentitycrisis · 29/08/2021 00:14

We live in converted houses and neighbours have a pulley from top floor window down to a post in the garden so they don’t have to go downstairs to peg out the washing- genius!

I use my garden line so do lots of our terrace

Cynderella · 29/08/2021 00:15

I used to line dry whenever possible to save money. Now I do it because it feels irresponsible to use the tumble dryer when you don't need to.

My adult kids tumble dry - they can't be arsed to hang out washing and get it in. I prefer line drying, but I do tumble dry most of the time between Oct-Mar. This time of year, I time my washing to take advantage of the weather whenever I can.

I used to have a friend who would only hang out towels. The thought of hanging out her knickers where her neighbours could see them was too much.

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