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!

The only reason to not hang your washing out to dry if you have space and it isn’t raining is that you have hay fever.

No wonder people can’t afford their energy bills.

I do have a tumble dryer but only use it when the weather is rubbish - if I have to use it all the time it adds over £25 per month to my electric bill!

Unless rain is forecast you can just leave the washing out all night and bring it in the next evening.

Also weekends are a thing, I’ve washed and line dried 3 9kg loads today. (I also work full time).

Wow this is a lot of rules to abide by! No way I’d be washing inside my windows every 4 weeks! Lucky if they get done once or twice a year lol

Line dried washing is wonderful.

I'd love to think its common, as I'm common and it would be nice to claim it for the team. But it seems to be a practice beloved of the sensible of all classes. Exceptions of course for those who can't due to space, health etc.

Everyone I know hangs their washing out at any opportunity. It's one of the things I look forward to after a long cold winter, line drying all of my washing!

I love hanging out the washing and so do all my friends. You do you OP

more passive aggressive than tongue in cheek

I don't line dry (asthma and hayfever which is better controlled when I don't). Probably as the house is surrounded by trees... Mostly we hang it up in the spare bedroom with the dehumidifier going. We do use the tumble dryer normally for towels (as they feel softer than hanging)....

Oh I definitely don’t do that, and they can fuck off with approved colours!

We happily use a rotary drier, so we can take it down and stick it out of sight when we aren't using it. But it really isn't your neighbour's business...

I use my washing line daily,obviously subject to weather conditions,as do 3 of my neighbours

I love hanging washing on line. I got rid of tumble dryer and never bothered replacing as only used it to fluff up
towels.

I live in a very posh area (not where I was born I'm not posh 🤣) myself and all my neighbours hang our washing out!

Totally a line drying fan! Clothes are always out on the line whenever the weather permits. Clothes smell fresher, less creasing and it saves money by not using the dryer. If it rains clothes go on a clothes maid on the upstairs landing and we use a dehumidifier.

I love hanging my washing out.
One of my neighbours never hangs hers out and doesn't have washing line.
Even on a lovely sunny and hot day I can hear her tumble dryer grinding away in her garage.

Not with this weather it isn’t :)

Nothing is more common than anxiety over appearing common. Especially by doing something free, traditional and environmentally friendly like hanging out washing.
There are lots of reasons you might not do it but looking common isn't a good one.

Love line drying
I use my mini dryer for socks and jocks 😀

Some newer estates have covenants in the deeds or service arrangements or leaseholds for flats that say no washing in gardens. It would rarely, if ever be enforced.

I agree that those furthest from ‘common’ are likely to hang laundry out or someone does it for them…..but no qualms about it being out in ‘public’ at all. No, that’s kept for the group who are overly houseproud, spend all the time cleaning, decorating and replacing their cushions and theming. Maybe there are more of this group on newer estates and washing being out turns from something homemakers do, along with baking, gardening etc which is seen as positive, into something to hide away and part of the ‘I don’t answer the door’ insular culture where everything must be tucked away and you’d never want to have to speak to a neighbour from 6 doors down, even if you’ve both lived there for 10 years???

Omg we put it out as much as we can! I only tumble dry sheets and towels really due to shrinking, so have to dry washing on the radiators otherwise.

Yes let’s all pay through the nose to dry our washing artificially, adding to the environmental catastrophe that is the modern world, then have the nerve to try to shame your neighbours for doing things naturally, what
a strange guy…

I line dry all the time weather permitting. It’s free and environmentally friendly. I don’t care who sees my (not so small) smalls.

My mil was visiting a relative in Canada, and was helping out around the house.
As you do.

Mil offered to put the washing out on the line, and her cousin was horrified at the idea.
She basically said only white trash do it, because they can’t afford to run the dryer.

The strong reaction really embarrassed my mil. She felt gauche and awkward.

I don’t have a washing line in the garden. It would spoil the aesthetic that I look out onto (yes seriously). We planned to move into a house with a garden for several years. When we got it, we spent a small fortune on it, then more money (from not being able to have holidays during the covid years) on converting a conservatory into a lovely garden room. I feel the need to add that we rarely use our tumble dryer. We put washing on airers near open windows (or a dehumidifier in winter) and it dries quickly.

That said, I have no negative thoughts about my neighbours who hang their washing out.

It would spoil the aesthetic that I look out onto (yes seriously).

Oh, for goodness sake. Give your head a wobble