Drying washing outside: what am I doing wrong?

[CautiousOptimist]

I do one, occasionally two, loads of washing per day, and generally shove everything that can be tumbled in the tumble and hang a few bits in the airing cupboard which can't be tumbled.

The last couple of days I decided to hang everything outside on the rotary, as I've heard people say washing dried outside smells amazing. I just put it all away and it does smell good, but it's also kind of crispy and creased. Is that just what happens if you dry outside? Or am I missing something? TIA

You need to shake each item before hanging it up to get the washing creases out, and to stop different parts of the same garment sticking to each other.

Then hang bottoms ( pants, trousers, tights) from their tops ( waistband).

Hang tops ( t shirts, shirts, blouses) from their bottoms ( waist).

Onesies and socks come in the centre of the venn diagram.

Don't overload your machine and don't leave the laundry in it for too long after the cycle has finished.
I always shake each item as I take it out of the machine.
I also like a crispy towel , it's like my whole body exfoliator.

I dry my washing on the line. Take it off and put it on the tumble dryer for 5 or 10 minutes. It softens it all up. Plus then it doesn't need ironing.

I wipe the line too - thought I was the only one. Also prefer crispy sand paper towels

I love a good laundry thread.

In not on

In not on

Wow, I'm learning so much! Love this board. My mum isn't an outside-drier, and clearly I've been paying the price as I was never taught any of this!

Oh yes, wipe the line to get the muck off it.
Pegs must go in a peg bag and not be left on the line.
A clothes prop is handy to get the washing high up in the air and blowing nicely. That helps to get the creases out too.

Hee hee I colour coordinate my pegs too!

I only use tumble dryer for bedding and towels in winter/rain. Everything else goes out on the line or on the radiators to dry. I do pop towels in for 10 mins to soften them after drying on line tho 😂

Also: Hang tops from the bottom, and bottoms from the top.

(My DMum's wisdom)

"it is like drying yourself with a Brillo pad otherwise."

Free exfoliation!
I don't actually rub myself with my towels anyway so not a problem for me to have naturally dried towels.
Tumble driers consume a lot of energy so shouldn't be used unless necessary.

I was discussing coloured clothes peg coordination with some friends recently; 3 of the 4 of us do it. I also take the washing line down every time I've used it..

I really miss my washing line and prop. I've had a rotary line since the tree to which the line was secured died, but nothing dries bedding as well as a brisk blow on a line (even if on windy days I did need to retrieve them from next door's garden )

So pleased I am not the only peg co-ordinator,
I have found my people! Zoflorababe your washing line sounds amazing!

Clothes do dry stiffer outside. Do you use softener? I don’t as I have eczema and my clothes are always really stiff after drying outside but I do iron clothes so they don’t look too bad before I put away!