Neighbour annoyed at me for asking her not to collect our washing in.

[Firefliesdancing]

I arrived home today to find the washing had disappeared off the line that I’d put out this morning before work. It had rained heavy but I wasn’t too worried as I knew the weather was going to be scorching hot so they would be dry regardless. No note had been left, so looked on our cctv to find the neighbour over the back garden had got her husband to climb over on some ladders and take them in after peering in our back patio doors after realising we wern’t in.

We’ve only spoke to these neighbours a handful of times. It has made us feel slightly uncomfortable as I hate the thought of someone else handling my underwear/clothes/bedding. We went round with a small box of chocolates to say thanks and retrieve them. We asked them not to do it again politely and just leave them out as we have a drier if they can’t get dry naturally, thanked them again and left.

Unfortunately they are smokers (we are not) so our clothes had a whiff of stale smoke on them so rinsed them back through and put them back on the line as it was still boiling hot outside all dried within the hour. Knock on the door 20 minutes later after I’d taken them in. I assumed something was left so wasn’t expecting her to start having a go on the doorstep saying we’re not dirty you know, we did you a favour, not everyone is as nice as us we like to do things for people.

I was a bit taken aback so just said I’m sorry we’re trying to put the kids to bed, again thank you for your kindness and closed the door.

Does anyone else find this behaviour bizarre…maybe it’s the heat, I’m tired and I’ve missed something…is it the norm for people you don’t really know to collect your washing in when it rains?

Good lord, no wonder the environment is screwed.

Love, Love, Love my washing out on the line!
Best thing about this heatwave is getting clothes and bedding washed, out on the line & dry in a couple of hours, no tumble drying needed.
The only “stink” is of fresh air. Lovely to get some sun on the whites, too! ☀️

They might disappear for good.

When I was growing up in suburban Sydney in the 60s and 70s, this was commonplace. Our Mum would send us running over to take the neighbours washing off the line if it started raining when they were out. But we did t have dryers in those days so it was a bigger deal I guess, if you couldn’t get stuff dry. Also our yards weren’t separated by paling fences back then, just low wire and shrubs, so it was very easy to just jump over. We’d leave it in their basket on their back porch though - we never took it home!

@Mumwithagreenhouse you own a greenhouse (lucky you!) but are fearful of hanging washing outside? An AONB that smells weird. How odd.
Hanging washing outside is one of life’s simple and free joys imho. It’s so easy to do You can dry three loads in a day in this weather. And it smells of breezes and flowers. Lovely.
Maybe it’s a farming smell that’s the issue? I still can’t imagine how that would be so much of an issue for literally everyone where you live so that no one ever uses a washing line.

I agree. I never hang anything outside. I use the tumble drier or the clothes horse. I hate the smell when it's dried outside, and I always find my stuff is dusty.

I suspect they were more offended about you re-washing it all after they touched it.
They probably don't realise they smell of smoke so just thought you were implying they were dirty. Still they should never jave come into your yard and touched your washing in the first place!

I think they heard the washing machine running and thought you'd rewashed the whole lot thinking they were dirty. I agree with a PP they probably don't realise the smoke smell transfers, and this is what upset them.

But it is also very weird and a bit intrusive of them to climb over the fence uninvited.

The brass neck of them coming onto your property uninvited and then having the audacity (and confidence) to come marching round when you rewashed your own clothes.

They obviously have no self insight and are very entitled - thinking they somehow have authority over you.

Stop thanking them! Next time tell them to stop interfering and mind their own laundry. Let them know their smoke was off putting. You don’t have to people please with them, they’re just random people.

If one of my neighbours knocked on my door to a) tell me that it’s raining and b) advise me that they’ve noticed that I’ve hung my washing out, and are prompting me to fetch it in, I think I’d be perusing Rightmove as a matter of urgency!

I have to laugh - I'm on Earth but in New Jersey USA and can tell you that I haven't seen washing hung outside here in at least 20 years! It's odd that we don't and I don't know why we stopped, but absolutely nobody hangs their wash outside anymore. I wouldn't mind doing so if it was even the smallest bit normal here.

It’s a very odd thing to do. Taking in your washing is weird enough, but using a ladder to gain access to your properly? Really strange and invasive.

Yes we do as i love my washing aired.
I hate linen dried in the drier.
Its 5c here...a drying day compared to a huge power bill is ideal for some of us.

To climb over on a ladder is abit extreme.
Trying to be helpful but yeah rather not neighbours.
I had my washing rack bought in to the shed once by my neighbour..didnt worry me as i had a new born baby and was out.

I wouldnt be happy at all. Very odd behaviour unless they were related to you.

If you're in a HOA, you might get in trouble, if you're not, just go for it. Who cares if it's not normal? :)

With the economic situation, soon we may even see Americans hanging out their laundry to dry.

Such a weird comment. My washing smells lovely and fresh after being line dried 🤷🏼‍♀️

I think it was a really weird thing for them to do and would not be pleased about people climbing into my yard on ladders.

However, I think reasoning it all was completely over the top. Even if heavy smokers, I can’t imagine that the quick time it takes to get the clothes off the line in open air, and light touching would result in the clothes stinking so badly you need to rewash them!

AONB control what building happens and the external style of your property, but not hanging your washing out.
I live in an AONB, which also happens to be an SSSI and ancient woodland today I will be hanging all my washing on the line. In fact being environmentally conscious is positively encouraged. I love the smell and feel of line washed sheets.

We are tumble dryer fans. Not everyone hangs out washing. I can see my neighbours’ gardens from upstairs, and I can honestly say I’ve not once seen washing on a line. We have one of those retractable lines, but it only comes out when we wash duvets on a very hot day.

Anyway, the OP’s neighbours are just annoying. Access via a ladder and then making your washing stink? They needed to be told.

Everyone I know hangs washing out, it’s a perfectly normal thing to do. I have never owned a tumble drier, waste of money.

They took her washing into their house. It would definitely be stinking o stale smoke.

Are you joking 😂 my entire street puts their washing out in the summer where the hell are you drying it in the summer?

How peculiar of you. I would say thank you and take the washing. If I felt the need to rinse it because it smelled of e.g. spices I would put the lot through the drier. You were rude to them, showing you thought their house dirty, and rubbed it in by hanging out washing they had got in to keep it dry and then hanging it out on the line so they could see what you had done.
Manners? Did no-one teach you any?

So what? She did much worse, she re-washed everything and hung it on the line thus saying to her neighbours 'your house smells'. Glad she is not my neighbour.