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Housekeeping

Find cleaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Housekeeping forum.

Do you hang washing out in winter?

63 replies

TheGander · 17/12/2022 11:16

Just wondering- I’m in London and it’s cold but sunny today. Any point in hanging the washing out- will some of the humidity dispel or will it just cling to the clothes? It would be e nice to get that fresh smell. Thanks for any advice.

OP posts:
dementedpixie · 17/12/2022 11:17

No I don't
It's too much effort for it not to dry

Whatevergetsyouthroughthenight · 17/12/2022 11:20

If the patio/pavement/concrete looks damp, then your washing probably won’t dry as it’s a sign of high humidity/lack of breeze.

If those surfaces looks dry, then there’s a good chance your washing will dry.

Dontfuckingsaycheese · 17/12/2022 11:23

Yes definitely. As long as humidity (which I obsessively track) is less than 100% then washing pegged out will come in dryer than it went out. I always wait for dry day to peg out by 10am hopefully but then in again by 3 to finish off inside. I have no desire for a tumble drier and want them at least started off outside. I love seeing my washing outside. I love seeing it steam in the cold!

Dontfuckingsaycheese · 17/12/2022 11:24

And yes, as above, I pay a lot of attention to the patio!

SirSamVimesCityWatch · 17/12/2022 11:29

Nope. Far too much effort just to get it back in later, cold and still wet.

TheGander · 17/12/2022 11:33

Ok I’m going to do an experiment and hang out, will report back after 3 pm 😀

OP posts:
Lunamom · 17/12/2022 11:36

Mine is out. Humidity here is 86 percent.

Dodecaheidyin · 17/12/2022 11:38

If it's dry and cold enough for the washing to freeze on the line it will come in drier than it went out.

SpinningFloppa · 17/12/2022 11:38

No

megletthesecond · 17/12/2022 11:38

Yes, especially if sunny and the ground is dry.
At worst it will still be damp but the creases will have fallen out and it'll be fresh.

gliiterryballs · 17/12/2022 11:39

Yes in winter but not if it's damp or 0 degrees.

Tricyrtis2022 · 17/12/2022 11:40

No. The washing line area gets no sunlight in winter and there's no breeze, so it will just hang there. 94% humidity outside so that wouldn't help either.

Roundandnour · 17/12/2022 11:44

Was watching some documentary not long ago. Will try and remember its name. Filming in Russia were it was minus an insane number, proper deep snow and the washing was still hung outside. Frozen solid yet dry 😂 So yup if I could I would hang out the washing.

TheGander · 17/12/2022 17:20

So the humidity was 86% today. I left the clothes on the line about 4 hours and they were appreciably dryer than straight out of the machine, and smelt fresher than dried indoors, so I think it was worth it.

OP posts:
Floralnomad · 17/12/2022 17:22

Nope , I’m strictly a summer hanger . I never hang it out unless it’s 99% likely to dry .

Yarrawonga · 17/12/2022 17:24

Some things, but I have somewhere undercover to do it.

Knockagain · 17/12/2022 17:26

TheGander · 17/12/2022 17:20

So the humidity was 86% today. I left the clothes on the line about 4 hours and they were appreciably dryer than straight out of the machine, and smelt fresher than dried indoors, so I think it was worth it.

And you’ll be surprised at how quick they dry inside now - definitely worth it, even just to get the excess damp out of them.

notacooldad · 17/12/2022 17:27

Yes, as often as possible.
I used the dryer last Saturday and today but if there is a breeze and it's not damp I can get most things dry.

zen1 · 17/12/2022 17:29

I hang my washing out in any weathers bar torrential rain. Most of the time, it’s dryer than when it came out the machine.

Oblomov22 · 17/12/2022 17:34

No. Not in the cold or rain.

Whatevergetsyouthroughthenight · 17/12/2022 20:45

TheGander · 17/12/2022 17:20

So the humidity was 86% today. I left the clothes on the line about 4 hours and they were appreciably dryer than straight out of the machine, and smelt fresher than dried indoors, so I think it was worth it.

Well done OP, glad it worked out. Thanks for the update.

user1471508872 · 21/12/2022 15:27

I don’t even usually hang my washing out in the summer but my dryer has just broke so this thread was handy so that I possibly don’t have to have wet washing all over my house for the next two weeks until my dryer gets fixed.

yaflouloci · 11/01/2023 12:07

There's an app

HangWashing?

TheGander · 12/01/2023 17:46

Gosh there really is an app for everything nowadays!

OP posts:
SirChenjins · 12/01/2023 17:48

If it’s dry I do - but it’s rained here every day for over a month, so no chance.