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Housekeeping

Find cleaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Housekeeping forum.

Original poster

Hanging washing out to dry

14 replies

TinyCake · 07/02/2021 18:59

If I hang the washing out on a day it is below -0°c will it dry as long as there is no precipitation or will it just freeze?

OP posts:
Topseyt · 07/02/2021 19:06

Minus temperatures here. I’ve tried it before years ago in same conditions and given up. It just froze and didn’t dry, as I expected.

I use a clothes horse indoors, and the tumble dryer when necessary.

Original poster
TinyCake · 07/02/2021 19:53

Thank you! I don't have a tumble dryer Sad I've got a massive backlog of washing to get through and am running out of places to put it. At one point I considered using the oven on it's lowest temperature!

OP posts:
cautiouscovidity · 07/02/2021 19:57

My granny always said that if the path / pavement dries, the washing will dry.

I managed to dry a load of towels today (cold (3°) and sunny but also quite windy.

Put the washing out as early as it is light and make sure you bring it in as soon as the sun starts getting lower in the sky. Where I am (south of England) that's about 3pm at the moment.

Unescorted · 07/02/2021 19:58

If it is windy it will. Get it as dry as possible on the spin cycle and leave plenty of room between things when pegging out. Synthetics dry better than cottons.

LetItGoGo · 07/02/2021 20:01

Yes it can dry.

TierFourTears · 07/02/2021 20:03

If there is a breeze, you can get it partially dry. When you bring it in, it feels like pegging it out has done nothing, but once it warms up it dries pretty quickly.

Crakeandoryx · 07/02/2021 20:04

If the ground is dry it'll dry. If it's wet then it won't dry. It's about the moisture levels, it's not all temperature related BUT if it below freezing it may freeze rather than dry.

busface999 · 08/02/2021 09:37

Do you have an extra spin cycle? My machine has a 7 min spin so I put that on after every wash has finished. Sometimes twice! Amazing how much extra water is removed, helps speed up the drying process

helpIhateclothesshopping · 09/02/2021 17:02

I lived in a place where it was belonging freezing for several months of the year and yet people still put their washing out to dry, yes it froze but it took enough water out to stop it dripping before the next load needed hanging. Nobody I knew had a dryer and I didn't even have a washing machine for the first 6 months I was there.

andrewflintoff · 10/02/2021 09:59

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Original poster
TinyCake · 10/02/2021 10:50

@busface999

Do you have an extra spin cycle? My machine has a 7 min spin so I put that on after every wash has finished. Sometimes twice! Amazing how much extra water is removed, helps speed up the drying process
I do! Thanks I usually give it an extra spin but might try two extra spins then hang it out with lots of space in between.
OP posts:
Original poster
TinyCake · 10/02/2021 10:52

Thanks so much for all the hints

OP posts:
LetItGoGo · 10/02/2021 10:54

If it's dry weather, below freezing with a slight breeze it's excellent drying weather I find.

caringcarer · 10/02/2021 11:00

If a breeze it will dry slowly, but need airing well.

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