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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to hang my washing out directly above neighbours'?

39 replies

Zorion · 22/01/2016 14:14

I've had a call from our LL who has received a complaint from a downstairs neighbour. I will go and chat to her, but as it isn't my first language I need to prepare a little mentally!

We live on the 6th floor of an apartment block. There are old fashioned washing lines joining up balconies that go the whole way up the building. They are directly on top of each other, so above my washing is the 7th floor washing line, and below us are 5 floors of washing.

The neighbour has complained to my LL that my washing is dripping on hers...

I am quite annoyed she has gone directly to the LL - it makes me feel a bit like a teacher talking to my parents - but that is another issue! I've not met her before and we are new to the building.

WIBU to hang out my washing when there was drying washing on the floors below? Thing is, there are 10 households below us drying washing (2 per storey) so it would be very tricky trying to do my washing when they haven't done theirs....

OP posts:
DeAtHnOtE · 22/01/2016 14:18

Did the landlord not just tell her to get to fuck?

Put a note through the door saying you're aware your washing has been dripping on hers and as a result she owes you £17 in fabric softener so far.

youngestisapsycho · 22/01/2016 14:18

Are you using a washing machine? It should not be wet enough to drip... but then you may be hand washing?

BarbaraofSeville · 22/01/2016 14:19

Are you doing your washing in a washing machine? Spun washing doesn't drip.

BarbaraofSeville · 22/01/2016 14:20

Ah, cross post psycho.

Wineandrosesagain · 22/01/2016 14:21

YANBU. You can't wait for every apartment below you to take their washing in before you put yours out. Unless someone wants to draw up a rota, but I wouldn't volunteer! The people above you will hang out washing above yours. Has the LL said you can't do this? If so, what's their solution? If not, carry on.

Oysterbabe · 22/01/2016 14:24

It shouldn't be dripping surely?

Lucked · 22/01/2016 14:25

I hang mine on a pulley in my utility room and drips would make my floor wet. I get it sometimes from jumpers or hand washing but standard machine spun washing doesn't really drip.

Original poster
Zorion · 22/01/2016 14:28

The LL was just calling to let me know he had had the call. He didn't ask me to do anything.

I don't have a great machine but it came with the rented house and the LL doesn't want to replace it as it does clean things, and I do a mixture of handwashing and machine washing. On my line at the moment is both - the machine has a spin at 900 and the handwashing I wrung out as best i could and hung it in the shower first to get any drips off, I've been to watch it and seen 2 drips in the 10 minutes I was looking so it isn't exactly a waterfall... but there were drips there.

OP posts:
SmallGreenBouncyBall · 22/01/2016 14:31

can you not use the spin of the mashine for handwashing? or get one of those spinner mashines.
sorry but I think yab (a tiny bit) u. washing shouldn't be so wet that it drips.

LottieDoubtie · 22/01/2016 14:31

I'd tell the LL if it is a problem you will need a new washing machine. I would ignore the issue with the downstairs neighbour unless they bring it up first and then i would probably attempt to laugh it off as if they are joking being so ridiculous. Because, frankly they are. With a set up such as you have got wet washing above your own is inevitable unless you live on the top floor.

abbsismyhero · 22/01/2016 14:37

does your machine have a separate spin cycle? my washing machine has a 1400 spin cycle but i have to put it on separately after the was cycle has finished or it just swishes it a bit and leaves it

Original poster
Zorion · 22/01/2016 14:37

I'm happy to be U, it makes it easier to apologise for being wrong than apologise despite being right IYSWIM.

I'm not buying a machine. I don't have the money or space for things like that.

The dress was dryclean only, I was taking a huge risk handwashing it so I don't think I'd have the guts to put it in to spin!

OP posts:
amarmai · 22/01/2016 14:37

if you are handwashing the colors that run , then the dye drips will cause stains.

Original poster
Zorion · 22/01/2016 14:42

Argh grabbed it and its now drying flat!!!

Still not sure what to do about machine stuff. Its still out there.. no drips now though!

OP posts:
iPost · 22/01/2016 14:43

Protocol in the country I live in, place drippy washing on clothes horse on actual balcony floor with old towel underneath. Or on clothes horsey thingie attached to the wall over bath. Once washing is in post drip state then, and only then, can it be hung on the balcony washing lines.

This also applies to people in flats on the first floor, despite no washing lines beneath their own, because pedestrians don't like random drips either. I discovered. Belatedly.

CeciliaMiddleton · 22/01/2016 14:45

Poor you! If you're ringing the clothes out then you're doing everything you can do. You could say that, like her, don't have the space for a tumble drier. The only thing to do is to suggest agreeing to 'washing days' with the neighbour - she could hang her washing on a Monday, you on a Tuesday, her on a Wednesday etc etc. But that's quite a lot of hard work.

Original poster
Zorion · 22/01/2016 14:45

DH wants to go and talk to the neighbour to keep good relations..

abbs don't think so, the highest number on the machine is 900 but there could be another way.

If IABU I can just dry on the balcony on a drying rack thing, but its against town law to have visible washing on a balcony, hence the special washing lines which are blocked from street view by an ornamental trellis wall...

OP posts:
expatinscotland · 22/01/2016 14:47

Tell your LL you need a new machine.

Melonaire · 22/01/2016 14:48

Put the washing on for a second spin before you hang it out.

Original poster
Zorion · 22/01/2016 14:48

ipost that would be ideal but not allowed here! You can get fined if your washing can be seen from the street (even if on balcony) there's a bylaw!

OP posts:
SaucyJack · 22/01/2016 14:55

If you are regularly putting out washing that is so wet it is dripping down onto the washing below then yes, I do think that YABU.

Not the crime of the century, and I don't know what you can do about it- but the blame is on your side nonetheless.

iPost · 22/01/2016 14:57

OP Well if balcony is out, then I think you need to quickly get your hands on a skinny clothes horse you can stand in the bath or shower.

Leave stuff there till non drippy, and then transfer to the line.

Worst case scenario get one of those "hang off the radiator" clothes hangers and stick a few old towels underneath.

Although... if you roll your hand washing in old towels and squish vigorously that might make them non drippy even quicker. And the towels can be hung as well so they are ready for the next batch.

KP86 · 22/01/2016 14:59

If the neighbour is so worried she can get a piece of tarp to put over the top of her washing line to protect from drops or rain. Or not leave hers out when it's dry and it won't be affected.

So childish to go to the landlord.

Original poster
Zorion · 22/01/2016 15:09

The going straight to the landlord is what has riled me most, I agree.

ll won't buy us a washing machine he wouldn't even pay to have plugs updated to modern fittings (meaning we couldn't plug anything in that was newer than the early 90s!)

I want to tell her that he took a month to turn the electricity on leaving us more or less camping at home with a toddler so he isn't goi to be overly concerned about her washing, but that would start an argument and I can't speak the language well enough to debate yet!

I don't do it regularly, washing machine maybe 2/3x a week, hand washing.... I think this is the first since we've been here! Blush

OP posts:
SmallGreenBouncyBall · 22/01/2016 15:19

whereabouts are you?
not in a country with good tennant protection I suppose. is there an expat forum where you can get legal advice regarding this shit landlord?

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