Line drying virgin

[RambleOn]

To my shame I have only ever, in my nearly 40yrs, dried clothes in the tumble drier

I am now about to start line drying as much as poss (yes, bad timing as it is just turning autumnal I know)

So, can you help me buy the right 'stuff' to make it as easy as possible?

Do I want a rotary thingie, or a simple line across the garden? What else do I need?

Can anyone give me the benefit of their experience?

Oh, and how do I hang things to make them as crease free as possible, as I am an ironing virgin too

pegs

I had a line at my old house and a rotary drier at my current house, I like the rotary drier, but have to say that a line is easier to use, and then clothes dry faster

To be honest, if you have the room, get a line up across the garden. The clothes dry quicker and they don't tend to get damaged as easily. Also they are easier to fix if they do get a bit of a wigging in the wind.

Just make sure that it's up high enough that you don't garotte yourself if you walk into it...

You need a line.

And pegs.

Easy as that.

What sort of line would you like? I prefer a traditional long one. have you got space to put it?

I cannot advise on ironing though

i prefer a rotary in a windy climate. you can get more on it, for one.

shake out your clothes well before you peg them and you will find you may not need to iron much.

i peg nearly everything upside down.

jeans and towels i put in the dryer for about 20 minutes before pegging and they stay soft.

pmsl- excellent thread title!
I think it would be most uncomfortable for them to line dry your virgins!

I have a retractable line in the garden- its a small garden, so its nice to put the line away if DD wants to play football, or we want to entertain out there it looks better.

Indoors I have a fold out airer which holds loads, but am about to replace for a taller one which takes up less floor space, as I am pg, and need more room for my bump to get around the house!

You are joking?? Well on the off chance you're not...I use a rotary thingie. think of all the money you'll save on electricity!

I wouldn't have a rotary thingy (whirlygig up here, lol) they don't let the air about the clothes so much.

Just get a couple of clothes poles or put a line across the garden, buy some pegs and you're off!

I get little hanging things which are great for things like socks and underwear from poundland/woolies and these can be taken in quickly if it rains.

I like a line, nice to watch the washing blow on a line......
Get a clothes prop, you can get one in wilkinsons!
as for hanging up the clothes, everyone has their own way, hang tops and shirts from the bottom, trousers from the waist band! thats what I do!

yes, i have a smalls dryer.

also a couple of racks.

you can peg things on racks, too, i find this useful for small clothes, particularly if i have a lot of washing to peg out.

this house has a lllloooonnngg line, as the back garden is immense, but it gets full fast.

for stained clothes, you may find that if you stain treatment and washing powder haven't got the stain all out, the sunshine might, so peg facing the sun.

i like to peg out the insides of reusable nappies facing the sun.

Rotary drier, pegs, washing basket (to carry washing out to line in), eyes like a hawk's (to spot rain clouds before they drop their contents on your washing).

Did your mother never hang her washing on the line? How you hang your washing out depends on how your mother did it. Mine hung shirts from the bottom so that is how I do it. And usually it is easier to hang trousers from the bottom too as then the bunched up fabric round the waist can dry quicker. If you have time, you can go out mid way through the drying process and turn things like socks round so that the end that is still wet (the bottom end in other words) has a chance to be at the top and dry quicker.

Don't worry about the weather. I dried 3 lots of washing on the line today. I never use anything other than my rotary drier, all year round.

haha I also gaze at my washing, Waswondering, especially if it is a line full of sheets.....

my grandmother always had a retractable line in the carport for rainy days.

no dryers back then.

cafebistro - I'm afraid I'm not joking

DP has been paying, and now we're separating, well

Oh the shame - what's a clothes prop?

Most of you seem to prefer a line instead of a rotary...

To cut down on ironing put things like shirts and t-shirt on a slower spin speed. When finished give them a good shake, then put in dryer for 10 minutes before pegging out very carefully. (towels etc are better on a very fast spin as then they obviously dry quicker)

Heavy things like jeans and towels that take a while to dry can dry more evenly if you turn them round part way through the day. If it is Autumn or Winter and a windy day, bring the washing in during the afternoon (well before dark) as it will get damp again otherwise.

Consider washing overnight so that you can get straight out in the morning for it to have a good blow on the line. IMO even on a winter day just half an hour for sheets etc means you only need to finish them off in the dryer.

Lol@ sea

It's easier to dry duvet covers etc on a line rather than rotary drier. Especially king size.

Clothes prop is a kind of big extendable stick with a notch on the end. Hook it under the line and push the line right up. Helps the wind to blow through the clothes if they are higher

Bring the prop in every day as cheaper ones can go rusty.

So sorry to hear about your separation.