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Housekeeping

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Original poster

Washing on line overnight-slovenly?

76 replies

lucamom · 07/06/2013 10:49

When the weather is kind-of reliable like now, I tend to put my washing out in the evening ready for the next day (3 young children, 2 of which I need to get ready for and take to school).

This saves me time and my sanity in the mornings, but I remember in the past my mom saying it used to be frowned upon. I know the washing will get damp overnight but on a hot day will then just dry throughout the day, so is there a reason why this might be frowned upon (I'm not going to stop, unless it's in some way harmful to the clothes. I don't mind if the neighbours think I'm a slattern!).

OP posts:
DoTheBestThingsInLifeHaveFleas · 07/06/2013 22:10

Oh my! I have actually never ever wiped my line (and I do mean never) and I always put washing out over night. I never seem to have bugs in my pants, although occasionally I find a bird poo, but I just pop said item back in wash. This happens in daytime anyway... Oh well I live in the sticks and no one can see my washing so I am slatternly only to the birds and bees. Just as well Wink

SirChenjin · 07/06/2013 23:51

My line gets an annual wipe to wash away the green algae build up after the winter. Other than that I rely on the squirrels to give it a good lick Grin

VerySmallSqueak · 07/06/2013 23:54

I put mine out on Wednesday night and it's still out there now.

The only trouble is that we have a huge sycamore dropping loads of stuff everywhere at the moment so now it'll all be covered in green sticky stuff.

I will pay for my slovenly ways by having to re-wash it. Bugger.

CrystalQueen · 07/06/2013 23:56

Overnight - just being organised. Over a week like neighbour's sheets - slatternly.

CoolaSchmoola · 07/06/2013 23:58

I pegged out overnight all the time when we lived in Cyprus - it was the only way to prevent serious sun fade on darks. I pegged whites out in the day and they'd be bone dry in under an hour. Happy days.

Mutt · 07/06/2013 23:59

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

LaChaiseVerte · 08/06/2013 00:01

I alwsys do this, have just put out today's swimming stuff, hoping it'll be dry in time for a trip to the beach in the afternoon. I can't get washing pegged out when dc are awake, I'd have to stop after each sock to see to them!

usualsuspect · 08/06/2013 00:01

The day I give a fuck what my neighbours think, is the day its all over.

Bvlgari · 08/06/2013 00:01

Best tip I ever got from MN
Think the older generation wouldn't like it though, my gran would have disapproved

WandaDoff · 08/06/2013 00:05

I miss my pulley Sad

KeatsiePie · 08/06/2013 00:05

I do it. Have never had bugs or anything else. But I don't get up early, so by the time I bring it in, it's had hours in the sun and is quite dry and clean.

Of course right now it's disgusting here (90% humidity and above) so I would only hang washing out if I was actively trying to make it mildew. I miss my clothesline.

Monty27 · 08/06/2013 00:07

It depends where you washing line is.

Can judgey neighbours see it?
Are there animals around that would mess with it?
How much space has it got to blow in a fresh breeze?

And most of all is, can I see it? Grin

I'm lucky enough to have a sun trap away from the main thrust of the garden, and the neighbours can't see it either Grin

Apart from that, as long as its still fresh (like next day) and bone dry, I do it all the time :)

It is a pain in the arse when I've misjudged the weather and have to run down there to get it in before its stormed on, mind

loopydoo · 08/06/2013 00:10

I do it when it doesn't look like rain. Whites get really white (not sure why) and then you can take them in in the morning whilst slightly damp so better to iron than crispy baked daytime washing. It also means you can do extra loads.

Mutt · 08/06/2013 00:10

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

KeatsiePie · 08/06/2013 00:33

Mutt ha! You're right, I don't mean that not a single bug ever brushed by the washing all night, just that there is no sign of anything on it the next day, so I tend to think that if the clothes have had hours to flap in the sun afterward then whatever microscopic debris left by bugs has fallen off.

Do bugs actually poo?? I know that's a silly thing to ask but have never thought about it. Around here there are a lot of gnats and flies out during the day but they vanish at night. Presumably not into my sock toes ...

Mutt · 08/06/2013 01:10

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

KeatsiePie · 08/06/2013 01:25

Ewwww

madasa · 08/06/2013 07:07

Mine has been out since Wednesday as washing machine refused to drain /spin and it was absolutely sodden.

Am looking forward to a creature in my pants tho....

tourdefrance · 08/06/2013 07:11

Absolutely fine. If I don't hang out in the evening on a weekday, it won't get hung out until after work the following day or will go in tumble drier as no time in morning before work.

StealthPolarBear · 08/06/2013 07:11

So far today I have taken in the washing that went out yesterday afternoon
Hung out the washing I put on yesterday before bed
Put the kids' bedding in the machine to be hung out at 9.30 on the dot :o

WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeGoes · 08/06/2013 07:23

I do it too, never had any problems with bugs. It's just called being organised and getting the most out of your washing line IMO.

educatingarti · 10/06/2013 11:08

Well - my mother even queried me leaving washing out while I went shopping as her mother would never have done it and would have called it slovenly!

I'd just do what suits you - if it works and you don't find your undies infested with creepy-crawlies then why not!

I've done it before on occasion when things have gone out late in the day or it has got to 11pm and I couldn't be bothered to go and get it!

primallass · 10/06/2013 11:19

I used to hang it out at 10pm just as the sun was going down. It was up again at 4am and could be dry by the time I got up at 7. It is good time management IMO Smile

SquidgyMummy · 10/06/2013 11:24

better than using a tumble dryer.
I leave mine out for a couple of days if i can't be bothered to bring it in

IwishIwasmoreorganised · 10/06/2013 13:06

I do this during the odd spells of reliable weather that we get.

I've never had any problems with squirrels, cats, spiders etc. occasionally a bird has poo'd on it, but that's more likely to have happened in the day.

I don't care if my (elderly, retired) neighbours think I'm a slattern. It's a system that works for me and takes one job off the list of things to do in the morning.