'It needs washing' or 'it needs to be washed' which is right?

[MrsJoeHart]

DH says the former, Is any the latter. Are we both right?

Arg autocorrect again, should read I say the latter.

Both are correct.

Save yourself!

The latter.

There is no debate.

Both are right. "needs washed" would be wrong.

I think "it needs to be washed" is correct.

I think "It needs washing" is colloquial. It's what I would say, but I wouldn't write it formally. Not that I can ever imagine needing to write formally about doing the laundry!

The latter.

if you say something naturally in normal conversation then it is correct. this is because English as a language has no 'academie' (like French and Spanish have) to establish what is correct and what is not, and that is its strength as an international language.
'needs washed' is not wrong as a great deal of native speakers of English would say this.

What about 'It needs a wash'?

I think either are correct.

Either is correct.

I'm Scottish and say 'It needs washed'.

"Et's tae get washed", washed rhymes with smashed.

Both are completely correct!

My DH says "I'll just put a washing on". No you won't, you'll put on a wash, or some washing.

Not that I'm going to complain, obviously, and he is Scottish so maybe that's something to do with it.

Yep - "needs to be washed" or "needs a wash"- standard English.
"needs washing"- English dialect.
"needs washed"- Scottish dialect.

For my money the Scottish dialect is closer to the standard as it's just a contraction, whereas the English have randomly turned the verb into a present participle. I am if course Scottish. I have a Yorkshire colleague who says things like "Does that report want doing/letter want sending/room want booking". Sounds comical to me.

And we'd never say "put it in the wash", only "put it in the washing" (or "pit it in the washing, washing rhyming with smashing as a previous poster said. )

The second is correct.

The latter.