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!

A bit common? What an idiot. Although it is a common point of view in America, if you are hanging out your washing it's because you can't afford a tumble dryer.

Washing dried outside is so much better than tumble dried. And more environmentally friendly too.

one of my hobbies is judging the neighbours washing. One does a 'dirty wash' (mixes the colours) one hangs it wrong. One pegs clothes too close together so they all bunch up. One never pegs pants or knickers but socks are ok. One sometimes leaves it out for days. And the worst!!!! Leaving pegs on the line!!! I don't know how my heart copes tbh 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Really? Mine always smell way fresher!

Mine is lined dried and my neighbours also all line dry in summer.

I tumble in winter and the things that can’t be I hang in the house but hate having to do that as the house isn’t really big enough so it gets in the way. Much prefer line drying when weather allows.

My American friend lives on the plains of Montana and tumble dries. She said it’s because there is a lot of dust in the wind but I’d have probably lined dried if I lived there. However they do all seem to have utility areas in their houses so maybe it’s less annoying than running it in the kitchen like
i have to.

Surely it’s common to use radiatiors and clothes horses inside if anything is common with regards to hanging the washing up. I can’t imagine the King hanging his socks up in the spare room when they could be in the great outdoors.

Usually things that you can only do if you are privileged are posher. So having land to hang your washing, having time to hang it on days with good weather.

I don’t hang mine out due to severe allergies. My hayfever starts in February and runs until end of October and I have been advised not to hang stuff outside as it gets pollen on it.

I honestly never thought I might be judged common and / or irresponsible for this though 🤷🏼‍♀️ I didn’t think it was anyone else’s business.

Another line hanger here - definitely not common, I’d consider it more middle class these days. I can understand why busy people don’t have time. I ditched my tumble drier years ago and much prefer the freshness of line dried

No, you aren't going mad. I do use the dryer due to weather/timing reasons and wouldn't be without it with our current lifestyle but have washing out any time I'm at home and it's warm and dry enough. Also if time is not of the essence I hang some things indoors. And have lived in flats so find the garden and space a great boon and privilege.

I managed years of babies in cloth nappies without a tumble dryer. They all got hung outside for fresh air and sunlight to help keep them white.

Even my mother, who owns that she is a massive snob, always line dried everything until she got too frail to lift a basket outside. Admittedly she wouldn't have a whirligig because she thinks they are common, only an old fashioned line and pole.

The Elizabetheans used to have ‘drying grounds’ planted with rosemary and lavender so that their linen would not just dry but smell lovely. Perhaps you could tel your NDN that you are just following traditional Royal practice.

Everyone hangs washing out near me. I live in a very naice area.

If we’re going to talk common, l think it’s common not to hang it out!

I think it’s crazy not to dry outside when you can. Better for your clothes as well as environmental and cost reasons. Very boring question to add to the discussion. Does anyone recommend the pegs they use? I moved to a house that’s got a very open garden so when it’s windy, things fly off the the line 😂 I’ve tried 4 different peg types at this stage and often use all 4 on one item on a really windy day 😅

It's very environmentally friendly to hang out your washing, I do it all the time even on a sunny day in winter. I don't have a washing line but I have airers which I put outside to dry my washing on.

Hmm I'm a bit of the fence, I have rotary drier outside which I'm about to replace with a line as my garden is crap and I could not secure it deep enough so it's currently listing.

I like drying outdoors in theory, but I can with the faff of going in and out during autumn/winter/spring getting it in and out everytime there's a shower. May/June is rampant hayfever season for me so have to try indoors.

Realistically I only dry outside 3/4 months of the year.

I actually think it’s more common or chavvy to tumble dry everything. It’s brainless.

i think it’s more middle class to have a lovely long washing line going down the garden with white sheets blowing in the wind!

I don't, but only because of hayfever. I learnt the hard way that hanging sheets outside means bathing your face in allergens all night. Posh rotary line was regifted and now it's a combination of tumble dryer and indoor airer.

I do have one confession and I wonder how many fo this: i leave my pegs on the line! I just don't care that they have little spiders in them 😝

I would have had to reply that it's terribly "common" to call people "common". Laundry currently on the go here and it will be out on the whirligig thing very soon.

The only people who describe anything as common are those absolutely riddled with grasping class anxiety - and their opinions aren’t worth listening to!

hangjng clothes outside to dry is one of those things that you do a) if you have the time and space available to do it (because it’s objectively nicer) or b) becuase you can’t afford a tumble dryer. If you’re genuinely anxious that people might judge you for being unable to buy a dryer then perhaps you would feel snobby about it?

otherwise hang away! Fresh, sun dried sheets are one of life’s great pleasures

Same. Lots of Victorian semis/terraced and I can see a lot of gardens-almost all hang out washing.

I get a happy feeling when it's a good sunny day for washing.

There are def areas in America with the dreaded HMO that ban all sorts of ridiculous things like washing lines-I think in America it is considered trashy-whereas in UK is is desirable so completely opposite views.

Correct. The world has gone mad.

Personally I think it's far more "common" to use the energy of a tumble drier when you have a garden, space for a washing line and it's a dry day.

We live in a block of flats where everyone has a patio or balcony. We also have a batshit rule that we are not allowed to dry our clothes on our own balconies. We didn't realise this and dried our clothes outside on a clothes horse when the weather allowed.

Unfortunately, during Covid, one of our neighbours must have used the communal garden, spotted our clothes horse, and reported us to the management company who gave us a telling off. I told my immediate neighbour about it and she said the rule is because hanging washing outside looks 'common' and like we're a 'council block'.

We now have a baby and it really pisses me off that we can't dry his clothes outside and benefit from the sun bleaching stains away. I own my flat. I own my patio. But I can't use it to dry my own clothes in an environmentally friendly way.

Why is it brainless? I’m actually confused why you’d think that. I dry on a Sheila maid in the utility room because I have space now, but before, when I lived in a one bed flat, I tumbled because I hadn’t space for a drying rack to sit out inside and I couldn’t put stuff out on the balcony because it would get pollen on it and I’d been told not to do that.

sorry eta my quoting didn’t work

I think/hope the reason a lot of people don’t hang washing out is because you need to be at home and ready to take it in if it rains. If you’re not at home during the day it’s not so practical. Or often I forget to take the clothes in at night and they’re all damp in the morning.
I despair if it’s because it’s seen as common - how ridiculous. Maybe hanging your underwear out the window of a posh city apartment block is undesirable but in your own back garden?

I have a large indoor airer and I mostly dry stuff there with the windows open or a dehumidifier on. I only use the tumble dryer for some of the kid’s clothes and bedding and towels in winter. I find the labels on most adult clothes say not to tumble dry them anyway - even things made from cotton which you’d think should be ok.

It isn’t considered common though. Maybe it is by you but generally it is not.

There are plenty of things that my own dad would consider common, having grown up on a country estate with a nanny, chauffeur etc. Not serving food in serving dishes, saying pardon, owning a dog that jumps up, pouring milk from the bottle into a cup. Hanging your washing outside is definitely not amongst them.