To be frustrated by MIL hanging damp washing over furniture?

[Pineapplepiepie]

Our MIL lives with us for months every year. We are lucky to have a tumble dryer and a laundry room where we can open the window and dry clothes on a rack.

Everyday I see random rugs hanging on the bannister, sheets draped on the back of our sofa, these then stopped since I mentioned it.

But in her room, while I appreciate is her space, she has clothes drying directly on the radiator and she hangs damp clothes on her chair and wardrobe handles.

I am sick of my own voice asking these to stop but they keep happening. I feel petty if I keep pointing it out each time, but I am so annoyed both in terms of potential damp but also it looks... not pleasant.

AIBU??? Am I the only one annoyed by this?

If she's doing her clothes to dry in her room I don't see why it's a concern of yours, just close the door. Seems like a non issue

If it's just in her own room does it matter what it looks like? You could get her an airer to use in her room instead of hanging things on the furniture? I get what you mean about damp though as I once had tenants that used the spare room for all their washing and the walls were covered in mould which was never a problem before. Just need to have the window open to keep it aired.

All this washing.. from one person. Sounds like it's made up

Seriously? Wet clothes on the radiator might burn down the house just for starters. Not to mention more mundane concerns such as mould, damage to furniture etc. All of which arguably of legitimate concern to OP.

She dries our rugs, our kid's bedsheets in her room - hanging these on hangers on doorknobs or on the back of her chair.

This is not even her private stuff - easily things that can be in the laundry room

It's not doing any harm, just close the door. You could learn from her, tumble driers are terrible for the environment.

Wet clothes on the radiator might burn down the house just for starters.

How?

Why is she doing all your laundry?

I prefer to do them, but I know she means well - she strips our bedsheets for washing too (this annoys me... but another topic...) and comes in to open our windows (then doesn't close them when it is raining and I didn't know they were open)

Is your MIL doing your family laundry? If so, you need to lay some ground rules down about how that happens, to prevent the hanging on furniture (which I would not like personally), otherwise do your own laundry and offer her a heated drying rack or the like, for her room.
Communication is the key.

This.

I often dry clothes this way. I did tonight actually - had to turn the heating on to dry school uniform as it’s been raining here.

No fires yet: the worst that can happen is mould from too much moisture in the air, unless you ventilate at the same time.

Just ask her not to do your laundry.

Do you have a clothes line she can use instead of drying inside the house?

Tell your husband to deal with his mother and lay down some house rules. She doesn't do your laundry, she doesn't strip your beds, and she doesn't open the fucking windows. Your bedroom should be off limits. Your husband needs to rein her in. There is absolutely nothing wrong with you having boundaries and rules when it comes to your own home.

😂

This would absolutely piss me off too OP. I’d probably buy a new airer and make a point of giving it to her and saying something along the lines of “I thought I’d buy us this, save you hanging all the wet laundry on furniture in your room as it’s not very pleasant for you I’m sure”. The window/your bedsheets thing might have to be another conversation on another day - probably from your DP about boundaries etc. Good luck!

This drives me insane. I HATE the whole clothes drying over furniture thing! It looks so Victorian, like a raggedy wash house!

You have a tumble dryer! And a rack!

Wet clothes on furniture will damage it so I'd be annoyed about that, but other than that, in her room, she can do what she likes. Not great for her health to sleep in the same room as wet clothes though.

I must admit I dry my clothes on the rack, bannister and radiators in the top hallway unless the weather is good enough to hang outside.

She will destroy the finish on all the wood where she leaves wet clothes.

She needs to stop stripping the beds. She shouldn't be going into your room.

Sit her down and tell her you are going to tell her something she won't want to hear, but you are going to say it anyway.
Then tell her to stop doing everything you want her to stop doing. Disregard tears or her getting the hump because she only wants to help, etc..

If she won't stop, then you're going to have to unplug the washing machine.

Sounds super annoying - it would totally wind me up.

But is this really a symptom of the actual problem - which is the fact that she lIves with you for months at a time?