Washing lines

Always hang washing out and like someone else said I used to love the terry nappies and baby clothes fluttering in the breeze. But for me it has to be hung out “properly” and tidily On a rotary drier deffo smaller items on inside and so on till sheets and bath towels on the outside. Anything else just looks “wrong” Yep. I need to get out more. ??

I love hanging my washing including sheets and towels but I won’t hang underwear....daft I know.

But to all those who think it is common. Please could you explain why? I don’t understand at all.

Like others have said...it’s environmentally friendly and the washing smells wonderful. Please enlighten me!

I had a rather snobby aunt who moved to a 'naice' area where you weren't actually allowed to hang washing out and she was ridiculously proud of that! But surely it's better environmentally to hang it outside to dry?
It also reminds me of David Hockney saying that when his mother visited him for the first time in California, she said it was such a shame nobody hung their washing out, given the perfect drying conditions.

I used to live in a block of 6 flats only about5 years ago, all 3 beds, family ones, I was only one who ever used community washing lines, I don't get people who would rather dry washing indoors when there are other options, mind you I was also the only one that had plants on my balcony! Luckily now I have a big garden and a long washing line!

Hilarious post ‘oldgoat’.

My sister who’s lived in Massachusetts for decades, tells me that in her neck of the woods, hanging washing out is seen as a sign of either poverty or madness!

She puts just about everything in the tumble dryer and doesn’t even possess an iron. (My other sister on a visit once spent ages looking in vain for one!)
A bit weird really since in other matters she’s very eco-conscious.

To be entirely fair, though, for much of their very long winter, anything hung out to dry would just freeze, and their summers can be extremely humid.

As for hanging washing out being ‘common’, my ILs in later life moved to a fairly new build smaller house on a very attractive estate, and were somewhat nonplussed to find that the ‘rules’ (imposed by some presumably unofficial committee) included ‘No washing to be hung in gardens’ and ‘Net curtains to be hung at all front windows’.

Both of which they very sensibly ignored, with no apparent comeback apart from a few ‘tuts’ (also ignored).

My father had a term for such ‘proper-ness’ - ‘net curtain mentality’ - by which he meant excessive prissiness and prudery, not anyone who did actually need them for privacy.

I LOVE hanging washing out ,I even do it on Sundays! although have a guilty conscience about it as my Mum never hung out washimng on a Sunday, if it was something to do with not doing work on Sundays I dont know but I must be very common to do this!

I have always hung out on a line across the garden. Never on a Sunday though as my Mother never would. Definitely not allowed on the west coast of Scotland because a very Catholic society.

Oh my goodness whatever next. I read on Instagram yesterday a lot of the younger generation don’t like the smell of washing after it’s been drying outside on the line. Best feeling watching that washing blowing in the breeze.

I like nothing more to see then my long line filled with washing, I make washing!!

One of my small pleasures is hanging out washing on a sunny breezy day!

I also like to dry washing on the clothes line but I agree the towels go very stiff when dried that way. Perhaps somebody has a solution?

It is shorthand in USA for poverty - Regan was the poster boy in the 50s for the new tumble dryers, and you were viewed as unAmerican to pin washing out. So bring it up to date, if you were making a film now and wanting to indicate poverty you would show a glimpse of washing on a line. Sometimes industry pays a lot for these placements. Friend with a home of several million, swimming pool etc gets shock from her American visitors when she pins her washing out. Cannot beat fresh clean starched sheets that have dried outside.

Have never owned a tumble dryer. Always hang out washing if possible, including my knickers!! Next door do the same, - they are in their 80s ( I'm not far behind) but no female undergarments ever appear on their line!! The rest of the houses with gardens that I can see rarely hang anything out - seems to be a generational thing as they're mostly younger.

When I was in digs in Leeds in the 60s my landlady told me I wasn't to put washing out on her line on a Sunday, but Mrs Brown next door was fine with it, so please use hers!

I have a clothesline stretched between trees and just love to see my sheets being blown in the wind. Same with my neighbours.

GabariellaG54

What do you mean by 'common'?

I haven't hung washing out for decades ,simply because I left for work before 9 and came back at 6 ish or later and the washing would be hanging wetter than when it went out.Made more sense to use a dryer .

My mum used to say it was unlucky to do your washing on Sunday, but an aunt said ‘Better the day better the deed’!Both the same generation so take your pick.

Always hang my washing outside - unless it's too wet! Even in the winter - finish it off on an airer if it needs it!
My mum would never wash on New Years day - you were washing out the good luck for the forthcoming year and washing in the bad from the last!
These gardening makeover programmes- anybody seen one yet where there is provision for a washing line of any description?

Never hang out towels, prefer them soft directly form tumble dryer and never hang out undies. Have vague recollection of mother never hanging out on a Sunday but doesn't bother me unless I hear neighbours having BBQ or visitors in garden and then think it's nicer for them not to be confronted with line of washing.

Common!! It is not. The sight of fresh linen blowing and flapping in the wind is wonderful. It is however dreadful to use a tumbler dryer in fine weather.
While i am posting, i would like to know who these people are who declare what is common and what is not.I had no idea such dinosaurs still existed.
Finally, i knew it was love when my younger, beautiful ex public school partner
had without asking pegged out the laundry
including my ‘Bridgets’ using 2 pegs for each big knicker!!
That was 20 years ago and still in love.
Ba humbug all you Hyacinth Buckets!

I sold my house last year to a lady who wanted to move because she lived somewhere where you weren't allowed to hang out washing, shake your rugs outside, loads of rules. I never heard the like! I hang my washing out all the time and I live in a 'nice' area. It's in my back garden and it's not as if my smalls are swinging away in the street for all to see!

Whenever I watch garden makeover programmes I always think, “But where can they hang the washing?”
I remember, as a child, my mum complaining about the washing getting smutty marks from all the chimney smoke. On wet washing days it was miserable, with clothes hanging around the fire, blocking off the heat.
I’m glad to have a nice long washing line, and clean, fresh air to dry my laundry. I don’t think it’s common, in the bad sense, and hang it out as often as weather permits., smalls and all. When I had five children at home I was glad to have a tumble dryer to help me, but I haven’t owned one for years.

Talking of ‘precision hanging’ of washing. I have a friend who is fanatical about everything being hung evenly, in groups of colour, and with co-ordinating pegs. She’s like a painter, stepping back to study the effect, and making adjustments to the arrangement until she’s satisfied. I’m quite happy to take it as it comes, though I do hang the thicker items on the sunnier end of the line.

This is a wind-up right?? and GabriellaG54- youre just winding up the OP back- either that or youre 'above yourself'! Id have thought anyway,in this day of 'save the earth' etc that NOT to hang out washing would be frowned on!!