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!

I do it whenever the weather is dry otherwise it’s on the airer indoors

@Peoniesandpeaches

The dickhead neighbor who shares our garden let’s his dog piss on our sheets so we don’t line dry

I really need a picture here of your clothesline and the size of the dog...

To the poster who says they don't have time to hang out washing that might just get wet again in the rain, our ex-neighbour used to claim that was a bonus - an extra rinse.

Hanging out washing and bringing it in dry is less of a chore than, say, vacuuming to me. I try to get as many loads on the line as possible when I'm home and weather is good. Even though I know spiders can't be trusted after dark, I'd rather leave my washing on the line overnight and bring it in dry the next day than bring it in wet the same day.

This possibly makes me one of the most boring people on Earth, but...

One of the things I've loved about working from home in lockdown for the best part of 18 months, has been the ability to get more stuff line dried, even throughout winter. Just getting them out for a couple of hours then finishing on the airer/drier is so much better than nothing.

I line dry where possible. We don’t have a tumble dryer and the house is too damp for things to dry inside.

I love line drying, it was what I was brought up with. However I can't line dry where I live due to the insane number of birds. I love the wildlife but having to wash your clothes 3/4 times because birds keep pooing on them gets tedious.
I use a dryer partly because we get mould and partly because it's so hard to dry anything in my house even in summer and then it's stiff and rough.
I remember sitting in the nicu, rubbing my sons clothes to soften them so they wouldn't hurt his delicate skin.
We've just upgraded to a larger more efficient dryer so we can do fewer, larger loads in less time- game changer

I love to line dry, but it is more time- consuming than tumble drying or using an indoor airer, and the changeable weather can be an issue if you work, so I understand why people don't. Or areas of high pollution where it comes in stinky.

Love a line dried wash! We’re in Scotland so it’s pretty weather limited, but even in winter I try to put the clothes horse outside if I can. We do have a tumbler but try not to use it if possible.

I find this time of year the worst for washing, often too wet to hang out but not cold enough to have the heating on for drying indoors.

The title of this makes it sound like an academic study...

In London here and we NEVER line dry. It all gets put on airers around the house. None of the neighbours do it either, whether they are in flats with balconies or houses with gardens. If you saw the amount of dirt that settles on our window sills each time we open the windows 😷. Plus our 'garden' is the size of a box room anyway.

Life's too short to hang out washing and that is all I have to say on the subject. How many men ever hang out washing?

Some of us are afraid it’ll get forgotten on the line and get darked on.

@MagpieCastle

Some of us are afraid it’ll get forgotten on the line and get darked on.

Rip to all the washing that got darked on.

Never heard of such a thing , as in people might have issues hanging the washing out, if they live in certain areas. I suppose lots of people don't have washing lines in certain types of homes, like flats etc though. And maybe some types of people send all their stuff to a laundry, as they are too busy to do their own.

@Dotoallasyouwouldbedoneby

Life's too short to hang out washing and that is all I have to say on the subject. How many men ever hang out washing?

'how many men dry their clothes?'

drying clothes is a feminist issue.

ok.

It seems we’re not very good at much in the UK we aren’t child friendly, we don’t hang washing out. Anything else?

@MissDollyMix

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!

Same here. I don't understand why people use a tumble dryer when they have the space to line dry and it's not raining. It's awful for your clothes, not to mention the unnecessary energy use.

We primarily line dry from about March to November and DP does as much pegging out and probably more bringing in than I do.

Places that don't allow line drying on balconies are ridiculous and surely no-one actually takes any notice of such a stupid rule?

I live in London and all my neighbours line dry. I think it’s very common in the UK, it’s just your sample size isn’t big enough to take in a true reflection of the state of line drying in the uk!

I'd say it's normal in UK. My neighbour does. I have in the past.
I don't do it now as the weather is too unpredictable and I don't want to take up space in the garden with a washing line and pole that only gets used a couple of times a year.
Plus I prefer the fluffy feeling of towels from the dryer. Line drying makes everything hard and crispy.

@Pixxie7

It seems we’re not very good at much in the UK we aren’t child friendly, we don’t hang washing out. Anything else?

I think I've been reading the same threads as you. Must do better!

I put the laundry on clothes airer and pop outside, if it’s wet I pop in the utility and prop door open. Finish of in tumble dryer if needed

Love being able to peg out washing. Makes things smell nice.

We hang out or washing in the summer and the neighbours do too. I use the tumble dryer though mainly from October to March so we have soft towels in the winter and harder ones in the summer

We try only to use the dryer where absolutely necessary. Clothes rack and line drying here whenever possible. It is a great kids job too.

I actually think it’s one of those reverse class things if anything (although I think culturally line drying is very much the norm in the uk). I can understand why it’s less popular in London where there’s higher air pollution.

Definitely not a U.K. thing. Line drying is common everywhere I have lived, apart from one London flat where it was against the lease to have washing on balconies. However this summer I have hardly managed to get washing out as my weather app has shown a chance of showers most days. It has been a rubbish summer for weather in the south.

The US attitude to drying clothes appals me. So much wasted power tumble drying clothes when there is perfectly good wind outside to do the job without harming the environment.