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!

When we installed whirligig thingies in the communal space in our building it was the two youngest women who kicked up a fuss. One of them went totally tonto about it and the other protested and then turned her tumble dryer on constantly whenever there was laundry hung out (dryer was on her balcony). So we had the crazy situation where it was red hot outside, laundry was drying on the line in no time for free and she was running up electric bills to make a point.
Tried to explain about sustainability etc but she was having none of it. Said it made her want to cry having to look down on other people’s clothes and bedding.
On the flip side, older widowed lady moved in and said one of the things that made her buy her property was being able to put the washing out.
So it seems that for some folk it most definitely isn’t a thing anymore.

is he George?

I love hanging my washing out. Today I haven’t got any washing so I’ve washed some fluffy blankets, as I don’t want to waste a good drying day

My daughter lives in a flat with a baby. When she comes over on a Sunday she brings a basket of wet bedding to line dry!

Only one neighbour along our row hangs their washing out.

People on here judging others for using their tumble driers are as bad as the OPs “neighbours”. You do you, live and let live. There’s no right or wrong way, it’s whatever suits the home.

You are talking about your personal health circumstances and you do what's best for your health.

Read the OP's original post again. It doesn't apply to you.

i haven’t thought about this, but realise we are probably the odd ones out using a washing line (rotary). The majority of our neighbours are not from the uk, some put out the airer with clothes on, but most don’t use the gardens much at all and don’t have a permanent line.

we dry bits and pieces in the tumble dryer but most stuff goes on the line for the majority of the year.

It’s quicker on the line than in my heat pump tumble dryer at this time of year, and it’s free, and they smell nicer.

These anti washing line folk are complete freaks

You could point out to your snobby neighbour how bad tumble dryers are for the environment. I always hang washing out, even during autumn and winter if I think it will dry, you can’t beat the smell of line dried washing, especially bed linen.

I feel really silly but it had never occured to me that pollen gets on line-dried clothes and sheets. That explains a lot to me 😅

I tumble dry when I have to, otherwise it’s washing line in the back garden, or Airer if I must, in the utility room

Total waste of energy using tumble dryers if you’ve got sun and breeze. Madness!

I love hanging the washing out, one of life’s great pleasures having great fresh washing 😅 I also worry though that if I have it all inside it’s gonna make my house damp!

In parts of Western Scotland where Presbyterianism is a big thing hanging it out on a Sunday was not done. There's a scene in the Lewis set soap opera Machair where somebody's wife, a mainlander, hangs it out on Sunday with a load of besuited locals tutting away.

People who’d refer to anything as common are, in fact, common themselves

Do you want me to rewrite it with exclusions and disclaimers? I'm sorry you have hayfever and I do sympathise. I'm asthmatic so wet washing hanging indoors affects my breathing.

i currently have two loads out on the line, including mine and DHs underwear. Both my neighbours have full lines of washing too. I much prefer to line dry my clothes and use an indoor airer and dehumidifier if the weather isn’t good enough.

Fairly affluent neighbourhood, mid terrace houses costing in excess of 500k. Certainly not common! We recently got a new washer dryer but only use the dryer in emergency or for setting the proofing on outdoor gear.

Brill. Thanks a lot, I’ll give them a go. Anything that stops the pants landing on the roof are a winner 😂

Exactly. Anyone with any class would refrain.
I love hanging washing out. It smells so much nicer.

I'd be hanging knickers out on the back of that comment.

Great. Thanks a lot. Picture isn’t showing yet but maybe waiting approval so will check back!

Great. Thanks a lot. Picture isn’t showing yet but maybe waiting approval so will check back!

Ridiculous thing for your neighbour to say. And the others who don’t hang clothes to dry don’t know what they’re missing, they smell so good. Some modern type people have lost their senses yes.

I don’t have room for a tumble drier and even if I had I’d use it minimally anyway. It’s much better for the fabric to dry outside. Tumble driers cause bobbling and extra wear.

Don't worry: soon someone (probably american) will come with a brilliant new method of mindfully sunbathing your clothes to achieve inner peace and be more prpductive... and your neighbours will join you again 😉

I have had to google "Sheila Maid" which has been used twice on this thread - not a phrase I have ever heard in my life although those sorts of pulleys were very common in Edinburgh tenements.

I love hanging washing out, our neighbours all do it too. I’ve just put a load out, and will have another ready to go soon. I love getting into bed with clean sheets that have been line dried. I won’t hang out pants though, my neighbours don’t need to see those! And never overnight. But otherwise, if it’s dry and I’m home I get a washing on the line.

I wouldn’t say we were common, solidly middle class area!