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?

I peg my washing out to dry on good days

Well this is where you’ve let the team down. Peg things out on all days.

Don’t have enough clothes to keep things out for weeks on end? Don’t despair! Charity shops are your friend 😆.

She sounds bonkers. I'd be tempted to wind her up by pegging out some 'inappropriate' or jokey items of clothing...

I'm not going to stop hanging out any of my laundry, if the neighbours are worrying about my smalls, then the women might jealous because of the size or the men are are just pervy.

I will admit that I specifically planted to try to block out the sight of one neighbour’s washing line. I would never dream of saying anything, as they have a perfect right to do whatever they like in their own garden and are very nice into the bargain, but they seem to do laundry literally all the time, and they have one of those clotheslines stretched between the house and a post where you let it down to hang clothes and then hoist it using a sort of prop in the middle to raise it very high in the air.

This, and the difference in height between the ground level, means that despite all my planting, there’s still a daily view of y fronts, floral sheets and novelty teatowels flying 20 feet in the air and dominating one side of the garden and visible from all windows on that side.

(I use a Sheila Maid indoors.)

Oh come on! Why does at last one poster try to make out the OP is the U one 🙄

You need to have a little fun with this. Suspender belts? Crotchless panties? Corsets? On the line they go.

You'd think, it wouldn't be visible from the street or a neighbour, but she's a rule follower, so that's on her.

Baffled that something so environmentally friendly is not considered naice. If you were really old fashioned or prudish perhaps not putting out lots of underwear or putting on first so less overlooked would be the max I would do.
I love the idea of pegging out random things.

Back garden

Your neighbours are crackers. Ignore that nasty birthday card. I’d be tempted to tell them to fuck off next time they complain about it.

Why does it bother you so much?
Is just laundry.

Good God, she's nuts.

I think I might be your neighbour!
I love washing on the line and have 2 sticks to hoist it high.
I love the look of it blowing around, makes me feel productive, while I sit in the sun with a book and a magnum😎

This is one of the strangest AIBUs I've ever seen on MN... and the competition is high! Drying laundry is maybe the most normal, unremarkable thing people do. Literally every family has done it, on every continent, since the beginning of time... and 99% of it, would have been dried outside.

It's like if she were complaining that you drank water or cooked hot food.

Your neighbour needs to move to a gated community in the US and become chairman of the Busybody Board. She can walk around with a clipboard and a ruler and measure the height of her neighbours' lawns.

I do peg out all year round. I love it. It’s possibly an obsession. Perhaps I get a buzz from irritating her even in December. Both my kids were in washable nappies so the laundry has always been pretty immense.

Laundry catching the breeze, drying with the elements, warms the soul.
Your neighbour needs to find some zen.
The smell and feel of line dried washing is a joy.
Think I may need to get out more 😂

Can you take up naturism and hang your washing out in the altogether? That'll give her something more interesting to look at.

Funniest thing about this whole thread is all the TWAT pictures one straight after each other 🤣

i would challenge her and ask why her husband cannot control himself around your laundry. I would also make a point of hanging all my underwear outside every day - whether it had been washed or was clean and dry and in a drawer.

Reminds me of when Nanna stays in the Royle family and Barb peg’s out Nanna’s knickers because she didn’t want Jim to see them….
And I am an outside pegger and proud 😂
Her view of her garden? Unless your knickers are suspended 10 foot in the air, what’s the issue?
My mum was very particular about how she put out her washing. Very neat.
I would get them some ‘pegging’ themed birthday cards in reply.

It would generate a lot less laundry, though…😀

Tell her to fuck off. To piss her off more I would be hanging out my suspenders and crotchless knickers on full view.

Not if it’s drenched in vile fabric conditioner.

I have a dryer but I prefer to use it only when I have to - I shudder to think about the amount of energy that's wasted in the States