Attitudes to line drying clothes in the UK

[Notcontent]

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!

We can’t dry out because of pollen, but I would imagine in cities clothes wouldn’t smell great due to air pollution.

My neighbours are in their 70’s and retired, hang washing out but they hang out one load a week 😳 I know this because she mentioned it once - I’ve never forgotten it!
There are 5 often 6 of us here, along with regular clothes, gym clothes/sports kit, towels, bedding, pyjamas, dish cloths and tea towels and whatever else I’ve left out - I can’t imagine how long I’d spend pegging things out to bring them in and hang damp on airers to run back out when it’s sunny again, oh no, it’s raining again, bring them in, it’s dried up again, get it back out only for it to remain damp and still outside…
Nope. Washed and dried indoors. Do not have the time or inclination!

It’s not a London thing I’m now in a ground floor maisonette and upstairs neighbours have a “device” attached to the bottom of their window and use it to hang washing on, it’s super annoying as it hangs down past my window 😒

I love putting my clothes up on my rotary washing line. Smells so much fresher.

Best all during the heatwave I could bung some stuff on a quick wash where the water isn't spun out as much and they would dry within 20 mins of was so hot!

For winter I have indoor rackp and a dehumidifier but it does out money so reserved only for bad weather days where they can't go outside

OP- I've been wondering the same thing myself!

I also grew up overseas where majority of things were line dried. I then lived in central London for many years in a flat with no garden. Having recently moved out, I've realised that me drying clothes and bedding on doors and furniture in the flat for years, has left several doors warped!

Now in a house with a large garden, I'm planning on a clothes line, despite not seeing others in nearby gardens.

I line dry my washing when I can. I love the sight of clean clothes billowing in the breeze. However, when I lived in London, I once had a rather snooty neighbour who requested that I didn't line-dry my washing (in my own back garden!) because she felt that it lowered the tone of our street and looked a bit council estate!

I ignored her.

Not being able to put my washing out on the line because of disability really pisses me off. I have a tumble dryer but I really prefer to put whites out for sun bleaching.

Definitely not a London thing. I’m in zone 2 and most of my neighbours with a garden or back yard hang out their laundry - at least some of the time.

@TheChosenTwo if my stuff is out and needs to come in before it's dry it goes in the dryer. I can't be bother with clothes horses or doing the hokey cokey with clothes. It gets one go on the line and only if Alexa gives low chance of rain.

I’m about to move to a place with space to hang washing out and can’t wait. I always tumble towels and pants, vests and socks though because it gets them softer and I don’t like them to feel stiff and scratchy

@WaltzingToWalsingham

I line dry my washing when I can. I love the sight of clean clothes billowing in the breeze. However, when I lived in London, I once had a rather snooty neighbour who requested that I didn't line-dry my washing (in my own back garden!) because she felt that it lowered the tone of our street and looked a bit council estate!

I ignored her.

Just the kind of comment that would have me suddenly needing to hang a line full of washing out every day.

I check the week's weather forecast on BBC and plan my washing loads for each day according to the weather. The pale wash goes first, dark wash is done second, as it absorbs heat better. I save a space at the top end of the line for towels or jeans. I feel really satisfied when it's all in without needing the drier

I get really excited when it's going to be sunny and windy

And deeply offended if it rains when it wasn't meant to.

I must be tumble drying all wrong because whenever I tumble dry my clothes they come out terrible crumpled. Like they’ve been sat on by an elephant. Not to mention the shrinkage issue. I much prefer line drying. Really doesn’t take very long to peg everything out and it’s a nice excuse to grab a bit of sunshine during the day!

I was born in the UK but now live in a US city in a historic district. Line drying is not allowed here, because of the historic district codes (strange, as I would think that, historically, people did exactly that!).
But you also don't see people line-drying outside anywhere. It makes me sad - nothing quite as lovely as a full line on a windy day.

Dh and I both peg washing out.
It has rubbed off on Ds2 because he also does it!
We have a drier and an electric maiden for when the weather is really bad though.

Everyone line dries where I live in Scotland

My ex sought to stop me using the washing line because it was 'common'. Yet another reason why he is my ex.

Line drying is normal here but doesn't alwsys get things dry (today yes, yesterday no, for me) so often people will go straight to other means eg dryer or indoor airer if they're time poor.

@Lockdownbear the Hokey Cokey
It’s exactly that! Well good on my neighbours, they’ve got one load to dry over the course of a whole week and they’re both retired - I don’t have that kind of patience to be doing multiple dances with 14 loads of washing a week!

@Hercisback

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.

Not where I live. Hung some stuff out late morning, Thursday and shoved it in the dryer after dinner as it was still rather wet.

I just don’t have time for it. Need stuff done at maximum efficiency. Dryer is next to washer so it takes seconds to switch over.

@NaToth

My ex sought to stop me using the washing line because it was 'common'. Yet another reason why he is my ex.

no one wants to sleep with a man who's channeling Hyacinth Bucket. Most unsexy.

And yes, that was one of 4 loads, that day 2 yesterday and 3 today. Wonderful life with an incontinent teen. It smells nicer for a, spell, even an hour, outside, but I need it dry quickly.

I line dry where possible, I have 2-3 loads a day. If it’s a hot day lots more!
I have a washer dryer, whenever I use the dryer it never smells of fabric conditioner anymore, just a ‘dryer’ smell and I hate it!
What am I doing wrong?!

Absolutely @Pendhxa - my washing machine and dryer are side by side in the utility room - open one door, transport to the next machine along and press go. Swift and enables me to carry on with the next thing to do.