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!

He's a STUPID man,

I genuinely get excited for a dry day, just so I can hang the washing out. I try not to use my tumble dryer, although in ireland I mainly have to use it 😂

I use clothes airers and my washing line all the time. Sounds like you have some weirdly snobby neighbours 😂

Love drying the washing on the line. Hate drying It in the house!! Not found of using the tumble dryer. But I am as common as muck!!

@StrikeForever and you don't think drying your clothes inside on airers "would spoil the aesthetic"

Sounds ridiculous.

It only spoils the aesthetics of your garden for a short time StrikeForever if you're able to put your washing out for a short time but I understand that you want to look out onto a pleasant landscape.

I would have thought having airers draped with wet or damp washing (which will take much longer to dry inside) in the house is a worse aesthetic than washing blowing in the garden.

I grew up with having the washing line strung across the garden, which was my dad’s pride and joy. It was usually clear by the afternoon and only there at the weekends.

I have mine down the side of the house.

I’ve been doing what looked like a relay race to and from the line because of the rain. 😀

who are all these manufacturers whose clothes shrink when tumbledried? I mean yes I have got a few bits of do not tumbledry clothing for everyday wear and sweaters have to be dried flat but barring accidents can be worn many times without being washed, and yes I have got a couple of pieces of dry clean only, but the vast majority of my clothing is natural fibre or mostly natural fibre and goes ion a tumble dryer. and no its not a high class expensive magic one, it is a condenser but neither posh nor expensive.

THIS lol

personally I don’t like the look or smell or dampness of clothes drying in the house. Plus if you leave them in the kitchen, they smell! Clothes belong in the line. That’s it. Issue solved. We have been doing it this way for centuries

It's hard to understand why anyone would choose the tumble drier in this day and age, when it's a 'good drying day' and they have a garden. (Health issues excepted obviously).

I find my towels don’t get fluffy on the washing line, the only way is in the TD.

just put today's dark wash on the line

They are out of the way

There's nothing nicer than watching laundry blowing on a line, I get genuine joy from it 😆. You don't need a permanent line in your garden. I use a retractable line and put it away when not in use.

Well it depends where they are in the house doesn’t it? 🙄

Agree - in the winter they’re straight in the drier, but in the summer I mainly line dry them and then give them 20 mins or so in the drier to fluff up a bit.

Ah right - I guess if you have a utility room big enough for all the laundry that would work. Lucky you!

I do feel faintly Victorian Working Class when I hang out my washing. This feeling has improved since my straight line with wooden prop was replaced by a rotary line. It's free and your clothes smell lovely.

I'd be replying "Don't you know it's FRIGHTFULLY bad for the ENVIRONMENT to TUMBLE DRY?"

I don't have a tumble drier... I did when all the kids were young and I had mountains of laundry to get through each day but even then I had two lines and a whirly on the go weather permitting. Now I just have the two washing lines and not so much washing and love to see it blowing... But I am common 😂 our " superior" neighbours rarely have anything on their line. They rarely open any of their windows either so maybe not keen on fresh air... Or their neighbours 😂 This gives me even more satisfaction when I hang up my leopard print pants 😄

I prefer crispy scratchy towels, I think they dry better and do a bit of exfoliation at the same time.

Tell your neighbour it is the latest Aeolian solar powered eco-technology.

agree, love the smell of line dried laundry. Funnily enough I think it reduces my allergies - maybe something to do with dampness indoors making allergies worse & not airing the house properly in the winter perhaps

These people probably also criticise you for not saving the planet

I don't understand - I am saving the planet by not using a tumble drier (I think I am one of "these people"). Unless I have misunderstood..........?