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?

I want to know this too

I thought the neighbours had similar motives when I read the post. That the washing was an excuse to look through OPs windows and manufacture attention.

Area of Natural Beauty

I had a neighbour like this years ago. She would bring in my washing, put it in her drier if still wet and was known to iron it.
tbh with a new baby I was glad of the help and she loved ironing all the tiny clothes

Oh god, I would hate this. Common sense would dictate the washing would redry in yesterday’s blazing sun.

They are not that kind if they don’t accept your boundaries after you’ve made them clear nicely.

Maybe I’m cynical, but sometimes made up intrusive ‘favours’ you didn’t ask for are a way of ingratiating yourself and someone to owe you when you didn’t want the help. Or maybe they are old fashioned but early sixties doesn’t seem that old

It was common place to do this when I was growing up in the 70s and 80s in a small village where everyone knew each other and helped each other out. I wouldn't like it now even though I don't have a tumble dryer. Line dried clothes smell amazing, howling at the poster who thinks they stink. Mine smell of lovely fresh sea air.

Now you’ve given me flashbacks to both my mum & sister shouting “washing” or “get the clothes in off the line” on hearing a smattering of raindrops - and everyone being well trained to jump up & bring it in quickly.

they can both sniff an early raindrop like no other.

your neighbours were bang out of order op.

They want to think themselves lucky nobody saw them using ladders to access your garden, take your laundry, and phoned the Police 😉

I completely get why you were pissed off. You expected to come home to dry washing that could be put away. Instead, you come home to find your neighbours had trespassed in your garden with a ladder (wtf!) and now your washing stinks of smoke and has to be re washed.

That’s exactly what I would have said when they knocked to complain that you thought they were dirty. They made your clothes smell and needed re washing so they were actually making more work for you!

I can’t understand pp saying it’s neighbourly-using a ladder to climb into a neighbour’s garden! Madly OTT.

Trespassing is a civil offence, you would be told this if you called the police and they didn’t steal the clothes (intention to permanently deprive the owner).

The smoke smell would massively bother me as an ex-smoker. My mother’s house STINKS. She once gave me a skirt and I had to bury it in the (open) boot because it smelt so strongly. 5 hours of journey home! Coming round to bollock you for re-washing is crazy.

Ah yes didn’t think of this we’ve just had our kitchen done so could be nosying, who knows.

They did pop up over the fence when the workmen were here a few times and chatted away to them asking what we were having done…cost etc…the workmen didn’t say just said they would pop over and do them a quote if they wanted otherwise they needed to get on.

Washing hung out to dry comes in smelling of sunshine. Much nicer than drying indoors. I used to wash my sheets every day, to get that freshness when I went to bed at night.

Neighbours used to take in each others washing, decades ago. It would be in a laundry basket just inside the kitchen door for when the owners returned.

Really??? Twenty years???
I also live in an AONB and real life goes on here. How can washing stink if you’re in such an area? My machine is just on rinse and it’ll be going out shortly.

I’m sure the police have much better things to do.
I really wonder about what goes on in the head of some people.

Oh no not good we have a friend who is going through this with their PIL at the minute not pleasant at all 💐

Sorry forgot to say we have a Pergola with a roof on top attached to the house our empty basket was left out under that so we were a little confused why they didn’t just leave it all under there. Anyway will see how things are this evening at the BBQ. Hopefully nothing eventful and even better if England wins, DH has them in the sweepstake at work.

I’d be fucking livid if anyone touched my washing!

I think this is a misunderstanding and hope you can sort it out amicably - they obviously thought they were doing you a favour (even if having to climb over on a ladder was a bit OTT) as I've had neighbours take my washing in before now, and I've done theirs, it's just...helpful?

But then you re-washing everything has seemed really rude...because smokers don't realise that the smoke smell stays on clothes, because they're used to it.

If you can explain carefully and kindly, hopefully this can all blow over...it's nice to get on with neighbours, especially ones who are trying to be helpful!

Simple answer. “The clothes smelt of fags.”

Yes my parents used to do this in the 80s and our neighbours used to do it for us too but they agreed it first.

Well - they took your cleaning washing into their house for a short time and you immediately washed it again and hung it outside. Heavy smokers don't get how strongly smoke can smell to non-smokers, or how easily the smell transfers from item to another, so no wonder they felt insulted and thought you were calling them 'dirty'.
Not sure what you can do about it now though! Hopefully things will calm down.

If they took offence then thats entirely on them, not the OP.

Smokers surely know they stink anyway, they cant be that stupid not to realise it!

This made me laugh as my DH said the exact same thing.

It was an unfortunate misunderstanding, nobody's fault. The neighbours clearly wanted to be helpful, so it's a shame there is bad feeling about it.