Outdoor laundry drying tips/tricks/techniques?

[Teaandsleep]

I’ve recently bought a house with a lovely big garden and want to make good use of drying clothes outdoors whenever I can…

Any tips/tricks or products you recommend?

I’m looking for gadgets or nice quality pegs!

I prefer a good long line, rather than one of the rotary ones. Things dry much quicker on a single line, and the sun can get at them to help with stain removal. A decent prop or two to help keep the line up nice and high are also useful.

Use a long line and line props.
Peg up the washing in the sunniest area. Our garden is west facing so if I want to hang washing out first thing in the morning I go to the bottom of the garden and hang the 1st load there. By the time the second load is done more of the garden is sunny.
If the pavement/patio is dry then it's dry enough to hang out washing.

There is something very satisfying about getting a line of washing out before going to work and coming back to it smelling all fresh.

Make sure that your pegs are tight and don't slide down the line.

Crispy line dried towels are the best.

I use plastic pegs and always bring them in with the laundry.
I find wooden can mark clothes if they get damp or dirty
Wipe the actual line regularly with a damp cloth.
If doing large amounts of laundry put shirts etc on hangers and peg the hook bit to the line

Move things round to dry evenly especially thick items. Thick items with pockets dry inside out. Don’t leave dark, bright or delicate items in the baking sun for hours.

If short of time or rain is likely consider putting small things onto an airer - quicker to pull the whole thing in if it rains

Lakeland pegs (the ones with the flower design) are so much better than any cheaper pegs.
Turn brightly coloured things inside out to prevent them fading on very sunny days.
Sunlight will lift most stains out of white clothes.

If you do fancy a rotary one get the brabantia one (www.brabantia.com/uk/wallfix-24-metres-with-protection-cover-foldable-laundry-basket-35-litre/)

You can dry laundry outside all year if you have a laundry Mac (www.chimneysheep.co.uk/product/large-laundry-mac-outdoor-laundry-protector/) but I think a tarp would do the same for way less than £50. (And it would take forever to dry in the winter)

Always bring your pegs in.

When I was a student someone stole all my underwear off the line so I don't dry underwear outside anymore. If I did I would use the IKEA soctopuses as they're great and save lots of line space.

If short of time or rain is likely consider putting small things onto an airer - quicker to pull the whole thing in if it rains

If I did that my washing would blow over in the wind.

I also like a proper washing line and get my pegs from Lakeland. I keep them in a peg bag that my Mam made me. She made sure that the coat hanger was one that was able to swing round.

My prop is lethal. I'd like a wooden one that doesn't go up and down.

Don't buy a Minky washing line. They are rubbish.

Never leave your pegs on the line. Or leave your line out when you aren't using it. You will be the talk of the wash house if you do!

I swear by the Minky all weather pegs. If you are lazy (like me) and leave them on the line, they don't snap as a result.

A long line is best. Small items like bras, pants and socks go on a 'soctopus' - I have several, none from ikea.

Wash clothes inside out.
Hang t-shirts with the back facing the sun otherwise you get a little faded bit where the front neck is lower than the back.

Hang tops from the bottom and bottoms from the top. You want to maximise the surface area

Clothes will dry to some extent most of the year but it's a bit of a struggle Nov-Jan

A long line, with a line post and pulley for pulling it right to the top, I have never used a prop, seems archaic to me.

Minky sure grip pegs are the best pegs ever and I won’t use any different ones. I use a brabantia rotary Airer and leave it in the ground year round with a cover on when not it use and it’s going strong after years of abuse! The one I had before was a cheap argos one and didn’t last one season. As for placement, the outside of the dryer is in line with my patio so I can stand on the patio to peg out. However I have a south facing garden so get sun the whole day - if you don’t you need to watch where the brightest part of the garden is, especially for winter drying! Enjoy it - the smell of outdoor dried clothes is addictive! (Plus £££ saved on the electric bill!)

I also have a couple of the ikea octopus mentioned - they are great for socks and pants!

I have a retractable line with 2 lines. Means I can unfurl one or both when needed and retract them if we have people over for BBQ etc so it's tidy and nobody garrottes themselves after a few beers.

I have a retractable line. Best line I’ve ever had because I no longer have spiders/bugs moving in to the line over night. It all curls up in its little washing line keeping box. Definitely bring your pegs in after each use/end of day because they’ll last so much longer. Find the sunniest spot in the garden for the line. Seconding the IKEA soctopus I have a few, they’re brilliant for socks/bras/pants.
I can’t wait for better weather to make crispy line dried towels.

If it’s windy double peg everything or you’ll be chasing it round the fields. My washing line is very exposed.
A good prop and strong line is essential
Turn the washing half way through the day if it’s not the best drying weather.
I dry everything outside except for November December and January
Either iron it when it comes in or put it in the airing cupboard.
I have different types of pegs for different items but my favourite are strong wooden clip pegs and dolly pegs
Always keep your pegs inside. I don’t wipe the line but we live in the middle of nowhere so it doesn’t get dirty.

Get a white or coloured washing line not a grey one. It helps if it can be see easily

Def. use the Lakeland pegs with the flower on them, really good strong pegs, and my lines are electric cable so no danger of snapping!! Love outdoor drying!!
I also pop out occasionally and turn towels, jeans etc round towards the sun, helps them dry evenly (and quicker!) love popping a load of washing on the line before work and coming home to it all dried and aired… bliss!

I dry things in my tiny London garden, so I use large airers instead of a line. I agree that plastic pegs are best. The wooden ones may look very aesthetically pleasing at first but they tend to become discoloured from contact with moisture and then can leave marks on clothes.

I have -
A rotary airer which a twisty handle to raise it ( not the push up umberella type that I would never manage )
I had to get ot re-strung but so worth it , cannot get one as good

Lakeland flower pegs
Loads of the hangers for socks and underwear
These hangers - hold about 12 coathangers each so good for Tshirts and shirts . I use the flocky non slip hangers .
Much easier to bring in and if I have to , I can hang up indoors

Check the weather forecast too!

So my only tip would be not to get nice quality pegs and just random plastic ones from Wilko, leave them on the line and replace yearly. Too much faff bringing them in and out x

My best bit of advice would be to not live in Cumbria. Then you might get to dry your washing outside more than 6 days a year .

I am not an expert

But DH has

Underwear and socks on an airer to bring in quickly

Hangs all clothes on the hanger they go in the wardrobe on

Stuff that goes in a drawer he hangs from the bottom not the top to reduce peg marks

If you have those items of clothing that need lots of ironing, hang them on hangers then put the hanger on the line and a peg on the metal hanger-y bit to hold it still. Dries much less creased.