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?

Give over! If they came round and said ‘we’re selling up and have a viewing later, please can you not put your washing out in case it puts the buyer off’, I would of course not peg out! But drying washing outside really doesn’t affect house prices. Come on.

Your neighbour would hate me then! Family of 5 adults here so we always have washing to dry! Today has been glorious (& my day off as a shift/weekend worker) so several loads done! Love hot weather for getting the laundry done! And no tumble dryer can beat laundry! Your neighbour is certifiably crazy 🤣 Agree with pp saying get some racey undies to hang out !

I was on a train in UK and 2 American gentlemen (on a golfing tour of Scotland) got and sat next to us. It was a glorious, sunny, breezy day - a perfect drying day (rare in these parts).

The men couldn't believe it as we passed through towns and villages and there were sheets and t-shirtsand all-sorts hanging on the line and dancing in the sunlight. My train companion and I were waxing lyrical about the fresh smell of laundry dried outside... One man turned to the other and said: Can you imagine if I said to Darlene "Hey honey, can you hang the washing outside, I love the fresh smell" at which his pal guffawed. My friend gave him a steely look and said: "You'd ask HER to do it? Just get outside and do it yourself - my husband does."

What with the drying washing outside, and the husband doing such a domestic task - those two Americans were completely confused

They're a bit pricey, but I reckon a couple of pairs of these hung on the line would shut her up -

https://www.u-buy.co.uk/product/IK59NVCKW-tighty-whities-pre-stained-men-x27-s-briefs-underwear-gag-gift-underwear-1-pair-reek-not-included

I BEGGGG you buy some super sexy underwear and hang it out 😂

My mum once showed me a rent book that had tenancy rules which included no washing to be hung out on Sundays! This was from the 70s-80s!

Your neighbour is crazy !

I would be asking why she's looking into my garden the whole time and telling her I found it intrusive.

Nah! To me it says that the people who live here are principled, protect the environment, actually give a shit.

I don't know many places where people put a clothes horse at the front door 😂

No you are right, it's a GREAT look. With a sofa in the front garden as well? To watch the world go by 😂😂

I would casually say - it’s so unreasonable having an uptight judgmental neighbour.

you can protect the environment by putting the laundry in the back garden, not at the front door - how do you feel we all manage?

Hi so I recently found out I was pregnant. I have one of the little one and I found out quite late into this pregnancy. I’m 10 weeks and five days just wanted a few guesses of what people think the gender may be. The scan is not the clearest the sonographer said baby is embedded quite deep into the uterus.

OT a bit but PLEASE tell me you dont run it when you are in bed?

There have been a couple of really bad dryer fires in the village in recent years and one was overnight. House destroyed and one child almost died.

Dryers are really not good to run without someone awake and on the same level to spot if there is an issue.

In fact I seem to recall that "unattended" electrical appliances that cause a fire may mean that a claim wouldnt be paid out by insurance. I remember reading something about clauses a while back.

Entirely depends on the availability of space and sun in the back garden. If these are only available on the front, how other people with different gardens manage is immaterial.

But what's being missed here is that behaving in a way that deters the sort of buyer who dislikes washing in the front garden is useful. I don't want those people in the vicinity, they can live somewhere else.

So instead of explaining your pov you have gone on the attack by implying that I am the sort of the person who would have a front garden looking like a municipal tip?

I asked you to explain why you think it looks cheap. And you havent, so I ask again. Please explain.

Yes, including suspenders ...🤣

Your neighbour is off their rocker. I dry clothes in my garden every day at this time of year and so do most of my neighbours. I haven't had any complaints and AFAIK neither have any other people. As long as it is in the back garden or yard I don't see the problem. There are some odd people around if this is all they have to worry about. First world problems.

I do have a tumble dryer and use it a lot, as I have an incontinent adult in the household but I've had the washer going all day, freshening up throws, cushion covers etc as they've been drying in the time it takes for the next load to wash, even a thick patchwork quilt.

I've put some regular laundry out, this evening, to get darked on. So satisfying.

The houses behind are quite expensive for the area and on a day like this, most gardens have laundry out. Far from rough.

Put your own link pleeeeease OP

I want to see the batshit neighbours pad 🙃

Have you an old glove?
On a day when you’re not hanging any laundry out, hang out that glove, posed in the international sign of f-ck you.
That should send her your greetings and save you the cost of a card and postage.

because no one wants to see that, and no one wants to live near people who have no self respect.

Do you see rubbish bins outside, laundry on the front lawn or kids toys in most areas? No. There's a reason for that. Have a bit of self respect.

You can try to be as argumentative as you want, the weather is absolutely glorious here, and has been for a few days. Number of houses in the neighbourhood and around town with laundry drying at the front? None. I have not seen one, ever.

People could, they chose not to.

There is a very odd street in the village where one side is built with the front garden veeeerrrrry long and the back garden being an alleyway Houses are over 150 years old.

That is literally the only garden these houses have. They are massive but ....on the front! So most people now have a parking area then a large garden that they use as if it was a back garden, they have no choice. Not seen any petitions to get the washing put somewhere else in case a rogue pair of pants devalues the entire street! There are even.....clutches pearls.....swings and TRAMPOLINES!!

I think people imagine a slightly unkempt look of the property, then the washing has the ‘I’ve only got my concrete balcony to string this lot across’ look about it (IN THEIR HEAD)
However a clothes horse outside most houses, would be just that… a clothes horse! My house price wouldn’t be going anywhere on that basis 😂

Snobbery at its finest

The HORROR!

But I bet it keeps the front garden pearl clutching weirdos away.