Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Housekeeping

Find cleaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Housekeeping forum.

Original poster

Curious about how you hang your washing out

65 replies

saltire · 15/08/2006 09:17

My MIL was here the other day, and was in the garden whilst i was hanging washing. She told me i was hanging it wrong.
I hang trousers by the waist, inside out. She says they should be hung by the ankles.
I hang shirts,t-shirts etc, byt the waistband, upside down. She says they should be hung by the shoulders. How foolish of me not to realise i'd been hanging my washing wrong for the past 15 years (sarcastic emotion).
Then i got thinking about my mums washing. She only hangs things on the outside lines of her rotarty drier- then moans cos she has loads of damp washing waiting to be dried. She also hangs pants by the waist, with 2 pegs, so everyone passing by can see them! Also everything is inside out when she hangs it to dry

So now i'm curious (and nosey), how does everyone else hang their washing

OP posts:
CrocodileKate · 15/08/2006 09:19

Same way as you do. MIL sounds weird.

peanutbutter · 15/08/2006 09:22

i'm actually quite interested in this; i hang most things inside-out, trousers by their waistbands and shirts/t-shirts whichever way i fancy at that moment.

my knickers i hang right at the end of the line near the garage after dh made a silly joke about our teenage neighbour who i sometimes see looking down from his bedroom when i'm in the garden and now i can't face hanging my bras and underwear anywhere in sight

alligator · 15/08/2006 09:24

whatever way involves the least amount of creasing . anything to save on the ironing

stevie74 · 15/08/2006 09:25

I hang trousers by the ankles T's etc by the waist. Guess I just copied the way my mum hung her washing out.

FioFio · 15/08/2006 09:25

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Bucketsofdinosaurs · 15/08/2006 09:26

Same as you.
If you peg shoulders they get funny crease marks or points, nobody looks at the hem.
If you hang trousers upside down you have to have the ankles far apart or they'll fold in on themselves and make a damp little chamber iyswim. Pegging at the waist (leaving it open, not pegging both sides together) means it takes up a minimum amount of space on the line and lets a little air inside the trousers.

Bucketsofdinosaurs · 15/08/2006 09:26

Same as you.
If you peg shoulders they get funny crease marks or points, nobody looks at the hem.
If you hang trousers upside down you have to have the ankles far apart or they'll fold in on themselves and make a damp little chamber iyswim. Pegging at the waist (leaving it open, not pegging both sides together) means it takes up a minimum amount of space on the line and lets a little air inside the trousers.

zaphod · 15/08/2006 09:26

I hang trousers by the ankles, but t-shirts by the bottom. My dh drives me mad, because he sorts the clothes by item before bringing them to the line to hang up. So all the t-shirts are together, the socks are ready to hang in pairs, and this takes an extra 10 mins before he even gets to the line. Don't get me started on how he loads the dishwasher, and rants about the way everyone else does it!

tortoise · 15/08/2006 09:27

Trousers by the bottom of the legs.T-shirts by the bottom.All in the right way out,not inside out.

LemonTart · 15/08/2006 09:28

I always hang shirts, T shirts tops etc by the waist band to avoid peg marks and pulled out of shape shoulders, easier to iron out of the bottom. Also, is the way my mum did it! I used to hang pants out with 2 pegs like my mum. Modesty and teenage boy next door neighbours put a stop to that Their mum happily hangs her out for all to see but can?t bring myself to air them outside now. Tumbledry/inside airer for all my pants.
Think your mil is wierd too. Is she just commenting to be awkward and feel like she knows best by any chance a la typical mil?? [grn]

Bozza · 15/08/2006 09:28

I am the same as you saltire. Don't get the t-shirts by the shoulders - think that is unusual. I know some people hang trousers by the ankles because the waistband is thicker but I don't. Also t-shirts I hang doubled over the line a bit to avoid them going out of shape. Socks by the toes. Mine and the kids pants with one peg. DH's boxers with two pegs. No-one passes by. I have a line but I thought most people with rotary driers hung the pants on the inside so they were shielded by larger items.

LemonTart · 15/08/2006 09:29

Forgot to say - I do trousers inside out as the pockets seem to dry better flapping away.

kid · 15/08/2006 09:30

I hang trousers by the ankle, t shirts by the bottom. I only turn dark colours inside out to dry so the sun doesn't bleach them.

ledodgyrobespierre · 15/08/2006 09:32

I hang shirts and t shirts etc by the waistband, upside down and I also hang trousers upside down too.

PandaG · 15/08/2006 09:32

Same as you Saltire, although I often double a t-shirt over the line, and peg in the armhole, so no obvious peg mark when worn.

MrsBadger · 15/08/2006 09:36

I peg trousers by the waist like Buckets (once again we converge!) as they take up less space on the line. Inside out if they have pockets so the pocket liners flap around but combats right way in else the pocket flaps take ages to dry.

I realise the one exception is my evil linen trous with a crease front which I peg with the ankles together so the creases stay - makes for easier ironing.

I must be weird because I hang all t-shirts shirts etc on hangers on the line - takes up much less space, saves pegging and shirts get hung straight back in wardrobe.

heavenis · 15/08/2006 09:36

Same as you saltire. My mum hangs pants out with two pegs. I put all underwear and socks in the tumble drier,I can't be bothered to stand hanging all those socks out.

Bozza · 15/08/2006 09:37

I have special "soft" pegs for t-shirts etc.

ledodgyrobespierre · 15/08/2006 09:37

Ahh Mrs Badger if you hang the trousers upside down you can hang socks, underwear or children's clothes in the gap in the middle thus using the space wisely.

Clary · 15/08/2006 09:43

I hang trousers and T shirts like you saltire.

Tho I agree with yr MIL it takes longer to get the waistband dry that way. So sometimes I hang DH's jeans upside down. everything the right way out tho as otherwise the sun bleach effect doesn't work.

The kids' clothes I hang by one peg unless it's a big fleece of DS1's (7), as otherwise I wouldn't get them all on the line.

My mum once told me I had to really stretch the towels out on the line - why???

BTW if you are worried about peg crease marks in clothes (I am) you can get non-creasing pegs from lakeland (as recommended by another MN-er - was it you bozza?). They are harder to hold in your hand tho grrrr

Bozza · 15/08/2006 09:48

Think it might have been clary. They are expensive though so I have ordinary ones too for socks, jeans etc.

Polgara2 · 15/08/2006 09:48

Ooh Bozza where do you get 'soft' pegs from then? Am fed up with peg marks on expensive (ish) t-shirts no matter where I put the pegs. If I hang tshirts by the bottom they go out of shape btw so tend to peg at top but get said peg marks!!!

Polgara2 · 15/08/2006 09:49

oops didnt type fast enough!!

Bozza · 15/08/2006 09:53

You can get them from other places as well. They are expensive though. Think I picked some up in Asda once.

Polgara2 · 15/08/2006 09:54

Asda? Oh I can look there (and afford them probably ).