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've not hung the washing out once in my life, but my mum does every time.

I've always hung washing to dry in the house - on a clothes horse, and on hangers in a doorway. But there's only 2 of us so we don't generate a massive amount.

I certainly don't think it's common!

Nothing beats the smell of line-dried washing! When my DC were babies and had Terry nappies, (a while ago now - DS is 40 this year), my neighbour actually said to me that she loved to see a line full of nappies! And I love to have bed linen that has dried outside - even after iron8ng, it still has an “outdoor” smell. So I think your neighbour is very strange! Everyone I know has a washing line or whirligig. I hate it when winter comes and I have to put things on an airer to dry.

When the weather is fine, my washing is out! Most of my neighbours do the same, very normal here in Yorkshire. I feel like the type of person who thinks it’s common is just all about the appearances and absorbs too much American tik tok. It’s better for the environment, free and leaves laundry smelling amazing.

Do you not have an outside space?

It’s very common not to give a toss about the environment but care more what the neighbours might think.

I line dry as does my neighbour. I’m not in the least bit common 🤣.

Love hanging my washing out! Your neighbours are weird, frankly!

On my ‘row’ I’m the only one with a traditional ‘long line’ with a prop…everyone else has a ‘whirly thing’. My washing looks happier than theirs, blowing freely! 🤣

I love hanging clothes outside! It’s my favourite thing about the nice weather, as I hate having airers up in the house and whilst we have a tumble I don’t really like using it much.

Yes I’m sad!

I hang mine out wherever possible! I prefer air dried washing and it means the clothes last longer plus lower power bills.

i have photos of my washing hanging out in my camera roll haha, I kind of love the way it looks. The line posts are Victorian and match all our neighbours. I hate when it gets too generally damp or cold to hang out washing. This is my first house so maybe that’s why I’m so enthused. It smells sooo good.

Incidently, I came across this washing hanging expression (apparently Lancashire) on Reddit, my brain has adopted it— “If it'll dry the flags, it'll dry the rags.” flags being flagstones.

I hang out everything, pants, bras the lot! I don’t even hide them in the inner washing line!

My neighbour thinks I’m weird because I often hang stuff out in evening and leave it overnight .

If you line fry washing you can bring bits in and iron them when they are exactly right, which is far easier than battling with dried up linen out of the tumble drier.

I mean, I probably am common 😀 but I love line drying, it’s what marks the beginning of spring and summer for me. That first day of the year when you can get a wash out and dried on the line and it comes in smelling of sunshine and the breeze.

It’s the opposite of ‘common’. Using a machine and electricity to dry clothes in this day and age when there is a climate crisis looming is thoughtless and unsophisticated. The idea of it being ‘common’ is a hangover from the twentieth century and the idea of women no longer being tied to the kitchen sink as well as the even earlier idea that men looking at women’s ‘smalls’ was unseemly.

Hanging washing on the line is one of life's great pleasures! We have a retractable line and a portable washing rack thing - both used regularly. My neighbour one side has a rotary line, the 3 in a row on the other side all have proper lines going from house to end of garden.

Nobody here seems to think it's common (and we do have a tumble drier!)

We don’t hang anything in the house as we’ve had damp issues and have always been told it’s a really bad idea. Even wet towels on radiators can cause issues.

You mustn't leave it out overnight; it'll get darked on. 🤣

People are strange.

Sorry, you lost me with the ironing bit. 😄

Another one who hangs outside! I don’t have a tumble dryer. Occasionally in the autumn/ winter I might take bedding and towels to the laundrette to tumble dry after washing home but only when it’s really grim weather for an extended period!

And spider willies of course

I always hang washing outside unless it’s pouring with rain for days.

Another one who hangs their clothes out to dry. It’s better for your clothes, smells lovely, more environmentally friendly and cheap.Why wouldn’t you? One of the pleasures of the summer. Ignore the idiots.

I love hanging washing out. Unfortunately in the winter it just doesn’t dry outdoors so I take my line in then.

Yes, I still do - recently had to buy a new washing line thingy. My mum always did so its normal to me. Our garden isn't really overlooked that much due to trees etc but I wouldn't care if it was. I do have a tumble dryer but I only use it in an "emergency", or when my indoor dryers are laden in the winter and I've run out of hanging space.

We stalk the weather forecast for gaps in the weather to hang washing out when there's rain forecast, as even a short time outside is better than none.

It's preferable when it can go out and stay out, but we take our chances where we can!

I much prefer drying outside. The washing smells lovely and it's better for it too, as tumble drying can be quite damaging over time.