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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be appalled at the length of time my neighbour leaves her washing on the line

328 replies

Perriwinkle · 14/10/2011 17:47

A whole lineful will appear and then it'll be out for up to two weeks at a time. It can dry, get wet and dry again several times over and be slapped against a concrete wall in the wind. Items only seems to get picked in as and when they're needed and by the end of it's time out there it'll be hanging on by one peg, with longer items dragging on the grass or hitched up against the fence/wall.

There's no real reason I should care - it's not my family's washing after all - but I just can't bear to see washing (something which by definition is supposed to be clean!) being treated like that.

What are some people like?

OP posts:
Maryz · 22/10/2011 00:05

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

LadyEvilEyes · 22/10/2011 00:06

Really Perriwinkle? Really?
You're still going on about this?
I read threads like this and want to cry troll, and then I think, maybe there are people in this world that think that way.
And that seriously worries me.
It's none of your business.

lydiamama · 22/10/2011 00:08

well I have not read the threat, but come on, the poster has a lot of time on her hands, hasn;t her? I know I do not care at all about what others have in their washing line, FGS

Original poster
Perriwinkle · 22/10/2011 16:01

Maybe it's none of my business - but if you're going to say that, then nor are about 80% of the issues that people find to discuss in real life and on this internet forum. Is it anyone's business how people feed their babies? Of course not, yet there seems to be a whole board on this website dedicated to people judging others based on their choices around that issue.

I have noticed that my neighbour does what she does and commented on it. So shoot me. I have also commented that, based on her other slovernly ways that I'd imagine she's not a particularly clean person or tidy person. So shoot me again.

Wake up to life - lots of people judge other people for all sorts of reasons. It's perfectly natural human behaviour. If you didn't realise that already, you only have to have the briefest of glances around the various boards on this website to confirm that it's true.

Some of you have clearly led very sheltered lives or live a very twee existence where everyone lives by the mantra "if you haven't got anything nice to say don't say anything at all".

Wake up to real life where, like it or not, agree with it or not, people judge other people.

And yes, naturally I will respond when people make comments to and about me and ask me questions. I don't see that as having the last word.

OP posts:
belgo · 22/10/2011 17:07

Yes you're right, mumsnet would be very boring if we all kept to our own business.

But it's just a little bit pathetic isn't it, noticing how long a neighbour keeps her washing on the line. And of course giving the woman all of the blame, even though there is another adult in the house.

Original poster
Perriwinkle · 22/10/2011 17:44

OK then read it as my neighbours. They're obviously both as bad as one another in the cleanliness and hygiene department! Good job they found one another!

OP posts:
Maryz · 22/10/2011 18:11

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

GeorgeEliot · 22/10/2011 19:18

YANBU

haven't read the thread - 11 pages about the neighbours laundry is way beyond my attention span.

But i found the OP interesting and quite surprised that people do that!

Original poster
Perriwinkle · 22/10/2011 20:39

Yes GeorgeEliot, it did get way more responses than I ever thought it would have.

What has astounded me is that most of the posts have offered staunch support for the practice of leaving washing out for a period of weeks. And there was me thinking that it was the norm for people to want to have decent standards of hygiene and cleanliness!! Clearly I was wrong. It beggars belief and this thread has been a real eye opener for me. Shock

OP posts:
Lemonylemon · 22/10/2011 20:50

Periwinkle I think you must live next door but one to me... My neighbour leaves her washing out in all weathers for weeks at a time. Her house is a tip too, and in the summer, her kids flick the maggots from their wheely bin at her. When the bins get emptied, her ones stay out there for about 3 days.

Fifis25StottieCakes · 22/10/2011 21:41

Lenor spritzer anyone

worraliberty · 22/10/2011 21:47

You know what? I saw this thread when it was started and thought the OP was a cross between someone having a laugh and a wind up.

I just clicked on it now because I was curious as to why over a week later this thread is still running...and I can honestly say OP you do appear to have some sort of issues going on with yourself.

Take up a hobby, chill out, get drunk, have wild sex....but for the love of sweet baby cheeses get yourself some sort of life before it passes you by.

Maryz · 22/10/2011 22:31

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

munkeychops · 22/10/2011 22:52

"Some of you have clearly led very sheltered lives or live a very twee existence" - coming from a person who appears genuinely shocked by washing being left out too long, I find this hard to take seriously.

... Back in so-called "real life" as you put it, I would imagine most people reserve feelings of being appauled for more pressing/serious matters.

Do you honestly think people are living more sheltered/twee lives than you when you are appauled by something so inane and pointless??

oksonowwhat · 22/10/2011 23:27

Do you work fulltime perriwinkle?

MrBloomsNursery · 22/10/2011 23:31

Perriwinkle - does your neighbour still leave the washing out in the winter? Does she have frozen underwear on the line? I am intrigued.

MrBloomsNursery · 22/10/2011 23:33

Also, I never use a washing basket to take my washing out and take a whole pile of wet clothes and go and dump them on the trampoline before putting them on the airer...would you judge me for that? I never use pegs either Blush

worraliberty · 22/10/2011 23:35

MrBloom I dump them on the neighbour's fence Grin

I have to use pegs because I live in a semi and I've had to retrieve a pillow case from the top of a Lorry with a broom before Blush

Original poster
Perriwinkle · 22/10/2011 23:36

munkeychops please get with the programme. I said some while ago on this thread that the word "appalled" was used solely for literary effect here.

You are right, it was far too strong to say this neighbour's attitude to her washing appalls me - that's not true - but I do think it's very slack and up until a week ago I thought it was odd and unusual. I now find that I, and the few posters here who are of the same mind as me, are the odd ones out.

OP posts:
Original poster
Perriwinkle · 22/10/2011 23:39

MrBloomsNursery Sat 22-Oct-11 23:33:46

Also, I never use a washing basket to take my washing out and take a whole pile of wet clothes and go and dump them on the trampoline before putting them on the airer...would you judge me for that? I never use pegs either

I wouldn't judge you for that, no.

If it was still there two or even three weeks later, having dried and been soaked again several times over, possibly bird shat on, bonfire smeeched all over and maybe blown to the furtherest extremeties of your garden area I just might though...Wink

OP posts:
oksonowwhat · 22/10/2011 23:39

Sorry, do you work full time perriwinkle? I actually would not leave my washing out for that length of time, i also like to keep a clean and tidy house, but my car is a nightmare!!! I like to think of myself as clean and i do not agree that to be clean and tidy everything in your life would be the same....house/garden/car etc., etc., I work long hours and simply do not have time to keep on top of everything to that extent.

How many hours a week do you work outside the home?

Fifis25StottieCakes · 22/10/2011 23:44

i am appauled at people who use the word appalled when their not appalled.

Op i think people who have disagreed with you dont leave their washing out for two weeks thay just dont care if their neighbour does. Half of them wouldnt even notice. I dont think i have ever looked in my neighbours car either. I wouldnt have a clue what they have in it and walk past it at least 3 times a day.

I think you posted this thinking everyone would agree with you but your righteous attitude got in the way.

Original poster
Perriwinkle · 22/10/2011 23:45

So is having a full time job now one of the criteria for having a "life"?

When I say "life" I'm talking about the sort of "life" that people around here are urging me to get.

OP posts:
oksonowwhat · 22/10/2011 23:49

No perriwinkle, not at all. My point is that, to have a tidy house/car/garden etc., etc., takes time. I would dearly love to have everything like that in hand but i work long long hours and there are just not enough hours in the day. You are actually talking rubbish about clean tidy people having everything in their life clean and tidy!!!!
I'm abit ocd about cleanliness but eventually something has to slip when working becomes a priority as someone has to pay to keep that clean/tidy roof over your head!!
I'd love to see you keep on top of everything if you were working 21hr shifts !

electra · 22/10/2011 23:52

YABU - it doesn't affect you after all.