Is hanging washing on the line not a thing anymore?

[Savvyshopper81]

Interesting conversation with neighbour recently:

Him: ‘I see you like hanging your washing out to dry.’
Me: ‘Er, yeah. Doesn’t everyone?’
Him: ‘Well no, we think it’s a bit common.’

Now this was said tongue in cheek but I’ve come to realise that NONE of my neighbours have washing lines (only us!) and we all have big enough gardens. Plus a local friend recently said that they tumble dry everything because they can’t stand seeing washing hanging around.

Is this no longer a thing? Has the world gone mad?? I live on top of a very windy hill in a sunny part of the UK - unless it’s raining washing usually dries in a couple of hours. I’m baffled as to why people wouldn’t take advantage of that!

I think that using a tumble dryer, unless due to very wet weather, is common as muck. The nimby types that are obsessed with gardens being ornamental is very Hyacinth Bouquet, naice, social aspiration-y.

I've got a few neighbours like this. Over emphasising their Ts and borderline overdoing the H (haitch). It just makes me want to over emphasise my glottal stop, put on a fake cockney accent and swig from a can of White Lightening while hanging up my knickers, crotch facing out.

I hang washing out ....

If it’s dry, it goes out. If not, it hangs indoors. That’s not common - it’s just normal. I’ve even been known to check my weather app to try and work out the best day to wash clothes. You living next to Hyacinth Bucket, OP? 😂

If anyone makes derogatory remarks about hanging out washing. Merely say you are protecting the planet "it's the green thing to do".

I’ve got 2 loads of washing hanging out to dry just now.Lovely sunny day here.
All my immediate neighbours dry their washing outdoors too if the weather permits it.

Brings me huge middle aged joy when the weathers good enough to hang outside! We’re all pretty well heeled round here and everyone has a washing line.

I really don't like seeing my neighbours' old underwear flapping in the wind right outside my dining room window. But that's what happens when you live in terraced housing.

its pollen allergy

implies pollen allergy

In my previous house we had a line that went down the garden and it kept falling and was too low to the ground once stuff had been put on it ( we didn’t have anywhere high enough to rope it to and it was a very small garden. Anyway when it broke for the umpteenth time I gave up and used to use the dryer and the clothes horse inside. We have since moved and I now have a whirly one as well as a dryer. So now clothes go out from about April to Mid November then inside drying over the winter. I feel like I have the best of both worlds. One of our neighbours has a line and uses it the other side doesn’t. But we can’t really see each others washing anyway as we have high hedges between us. We do get on tho! lol

I am v WC but DD at the local independent. Pretty sure the fancier mums are horrified that I hang my washing out, and in fact that I keep on top of my washing and housework myself 😂

Hanging washing outside to dry is SO much quicker than having it dry in the house.

The only thing that is ‘common’ about line washing is where it’s drenched in vile smelling fabric conditioner. Smelling that wafting on the breeze is a bit gag-inducing but otherwise line drying is what we should all be doing when we can.

it is common sense
it is common to do it ie ordinary, normal, popular

My tumble dryer is the very last resort. Our washing line runs the whole length of the garden and the prop, like my ironing board is a family heirloom
I would be offended if anyone complained about my washing blowing in the wind - I only ever use matching coloured pegs on an each item and where possible items are hung according to size. To my eyes it’s a thing of beauty.

I don’t even own a tumble dryer.

i like to see if i have beat my neighbour in hanging the washing out in the morning!
i have failed today, it is still not ready to go out

me neither

I use stainless steel pegs. They are strong, don't rust or break and they hold firm on skinny washing lines.

my dh is more common than me, he left it out in the rain and said leave it overnight!
i did agree as it was too wet to bring in by then, but it did dry by the next day

One of the joys of my life is having a big load of washing blowing on the line.

Sometimes when I've had miserable stressful times I have wished I could peg myself out on the line and have a good blow about in the sun and fresh air.

Love to see clean washing on the line moving with the breeze

I have 4 clothes poles and and a washing line…I have 4 lines of washing out this morning. I love hanging it out, I love the fresh smell afterwards and I love watching it blow on a windy day, makes ironing a lot quicker too! I have a tumble dryer but it’s rarely used, maybe occasionally to ‘fluff’ the towels up…

In answer to your question: yes the world has gone mad!!!! I will admit I haven’t put my washing out in a while, is on a clothes horse or am using the dryer, because of working hours and random rain, but never hanging washing out if you have a garden seems mad to me!!!

I haven't got space for a tumble drier so my washing goes out at every opportunity. Same with our neighbours (both sides).

We're dead common here (even though my next door neighbour always shops at Waitrose 😁).

Eh? I live in a pretty expensive area. All my neighbours hang out washing when we can! Maybe your neighbours would call us rich but "common".