I dry my laundry in my garden and my neighbour is really unhappy about it

[WashingWoes]

I really don’t think I’m in the wrong here but keen for opinions which I will take onboard if I come off as unreasonable.
I live in an end-terrace house. Neighbour is attached to me. I peg my washing out to dry on good days. We are a family of four, lots of laundry and I much prefer to peg out than use the (expensive and environmentally unfriendly) drier. My neighbour HATES me for drying my laundry in my garden. Relentless comments about how she can’t enjoy looking at her garden from her bedroom window because she can see my (clean) laundry. About how it’s spoiling her enjoyment of her garden. Why can’t I just use the drier, for everyone’s benefit (not mine, see: bills; climate change…). It’s bad manners to dry ‘smalls’ outside - her husband might see my ‘undergarments’ … honestly it’s relentless. I recently received a birthday card from them (very kind, and appreciated) which said ‘Happy Birthday WashingWoes, we really love seeing your washing on the line, have a lovely birthday’. Please reassure me that I’m normal and neighbours are barmy?

Not being at all unreasonable. I had a ground floor flat - patio doors opened on to communal 'garden' . Lease stated that washing could not be hung outside. I put mine on airer inside with French doors open and full confession - sometimes outside. My strip of communal garden was bordered by a hedge. For me always best to hang washing outside (grew up in Antipodes) but YANBU! ps, now have semi with garden and hang washing out whenever possible

I wholeheartedly agree with you. Succinct and effective. Love it👍 … hope OP follows your advice.

She is off her head ... everyone dries there washing outside when they can..tell her where to go.

This thread gave me a good laugh.

Looking out the back of my house, most people in my naice suburb have got a washing line out.

I love hanging out the laundry. Probably the one genuinely nice household job. Reminds me of doing it with my mum, and my nan as a kid, having a chat as we did so. My five year old does it with me. As a PP said, it's one of the few jobs that hasn't changed, and it's good for the planet.

I wonder if she is working class by birth and upbringing and has done well for herself, like a lot of boomers (my own mother included). So anything her mother did when she was a child is common and therefore should be avoided as she isnt "common" anymore.

one of the most utterly bonkers thing I've ever read on here. There's nothing like the smell of laundry when you bring it in off the rope - my favourite scent ever - totally different to when dried indoors/in a drier. Only ever use tumble drier in dead of winter if absolutely forced to - like if I can't get sheets dried or something. Thought hanging washing out was perfectly normal!

Tell her that the good thing about the situation is that when the washing’s dry you can always take it in, but unfortunately for her, whether she’s inside the house or outside, she’ll always be an irritating twat.

Well I never… I can’t believe that this post had made it to 20 pages of ‘WTAF - peg you’re washing out, along with a gimp suit, tell her to fuck off, they are deranged’ etc etc - I’m feeling very validated, thanks all! Every Monday when I arrive at work, my colleagues are waiting with baiting breathe for the run-down of the weekends neighbourly bat-shittery - the laundry is just the beginning. I’m considering writing a memoir of all the absolutely nuts conversations I’ve had with them!

End terrace dweller here. Your neighbour is fucking ridiculous and I say that as person who usually leans on the Victor Meldrew side of the fence.

Ignore and continue to dry your washing outside, there's nothing better.

I LOVE hanging my washing out. Climbing into bed with fresh bedding that’s been out on the line is in my top 10 favourite places to be

I never dry pants on the line it's horrid and my neighbours can't even see in!

Please ping a couple of pairs of crotchless knickers onto her lawn 👍🏽

Ergh, what a pain in your arse.
You can dry your clothes in your garden, shock horror! What a passive aggressive birthday card!
I once had a next door neighbour in her 20s who told me that she didn't think it was appropriate to dry underwear on the line. I literally did it all the time and it was the first time I ever stopped to think whether it was inappropriate or not. Needless to say, I don't dry my crotchless panties on the line, only my m&s comfies and boring bras so fuck her! (Joking!) It sounds like your neighbour needs the stick removing from her a hole.

I love the sight of washing blowing in the breeze and even more so when there are washable nappies in the mix! Do they have grandkids? If so, just say you are saving the planet for them!!

Would love to hear more tales of their batshittery.

Why don't you put the towels and bedding on the line out side for a while and then when they are almost dry finish them off in the dryer. That works. Also with towels do not use fabric conditioner.

What the blue blazes is she on about? If that’s the worst her neighbour does, she’s a lucky woman!

Express your thoughts through the medium of topiary

I'd be inclined to buy and hang out more and more unhinged items of clothing... culminating in a body stocking and a gimp mask. Maybe an absolutely massive pair of y fronts.. an edible bikini, scuba diving gear.. full victorian crinoline
Have a right laugh with these nutcases who are so obsessed with your washing! They really are unhinged and they deserve to be wound up

Hahahaha! oh my God, I'd be hanging laundry out 3 times a day after hearing that. Especially in warm weather. Bedding, towels, whites, maybe a wash just for all my undies and peg them out in a row, dig in the cupboard and find some winter blankets... I'd wash every single I could get my hands on.

Next time she says something about your washing, in your best faux innocent voice say "but, in your birthday card you said you loved seeing my washing on the line..."

Team line dry here. I don't own a clothes dryer at all - Australia, hot. My neighbour clutches pearls puts her washing on an airer outside her front door in winter due to how her yard gets shaded. Quelle horreur per some of the posts on here! The normal people amongst us really don't care.

Oh do fuck off.

Thanks! I'll try both methods (a pp suggested putting them in the drier after bringing them in from the line) and see which I like best. 😊

My nutty neighbour moans when I put out my washing!
she looks out the window and shouts you can’t put that there 🤣
well yes I can 👍🏻👍🏻
when we haven’t got washing we hang up husband’s stinky rags 🤣🤣🤣

<contented sigh>

Been a while since we had a good batshit neighbour thread, thanks @WashingWoes

I do and I'm not IG11 (Barking😉) but nor do I tell my neighbours how to dry their washing.
I don't like towels that feel like sandpaper (which is how they feel when line dried) but a couple of PPs have suggested line drying them and putting them in the drier for a much shorter time to soften them, so I'm going to give it a go.