Drying the washing.

There may be rules around washing if you live in a flat with balconies or a communal garden, and of course it's not acceptable to hang washing in the front garden, but in your own garden you are free to do as you wish. It is absolutely none of her business.

Such nonsense. Just do your own thing. I would have asked her if she had always been this rude or was it a new acquisition.

Chestnut, why should it not be acceptable to hang out washing in the front garden? For some people it's the only garden they have! Agree that this stupid and rude neighbour is trying to get involved in something that is none of her business.

I hang mine out every time when I can - if it isn't wet or too icy to get safely along the path to the whirly - and hang underwear out with the rest. Like Shelflife I enjoy doing washing more than other household jobs, and hanging it out is one of the best bits.

I have two washing lines and make full use of them in good weather. I have a small tumble drier but only ever use it if I’m desperate for towels as it seems to shrink things, and it’s not eco-friendly.

I recently tried to buy clothes pegs in Wilko and the young shop assistant was incredulous - she asked me what on earth I needed them for in this day and age! Undaunted, I did manage to track some down though.

I’ve discovered one of my Victorian ancestors was an east-end “laundress”, so I think it’s in the genes. I love seeing my washing blowing in the breeze.

What a daft, prissy, prudish attitude! Hyacinth Bucket on speed, IMO.

Reminds me of comments from my FiL’s new neighbours, after he moved into a newish house years ago now. One, hanging his washing out in the garden wasn’t ‘nice’, and two, he needed net curtains at his front windows - they didn’t look ‘nice’ otherwise. They actually tried to tell him that these were compulsory!!
I’m glad to say he blithely ignored the prudish old bags.

How rude of your neighbour! I’m originally from the North East and for my Grandma, Monday was washing day. However she used to say that she wouldn’t hang it out too early in case people thought she’d washed it on a Sunday which was frowned on. Thank goodness times have changed!

Weather permitting I have always hung out my washing and will continue to do so. Your neighbour sounds like an idiot. I avoid those.

Tell your neighbour to look the other way if that affronts her! What a stupid woman, I can only assume she and her husband don’t wear underwear?
I love the scent of laundry dried outside, there’s nothing nicer.

Ignore that silly and rude neighbour, Caramme, and continue to hang out your washing weather permitting.
There’s nothing comparable to the smell of freshly dried washing dried outdoors. As for unhygienic? 🤷‍♀️. Well, I can only imagine she might be thinking if it gets soiled by a passing bird! Annoying, yes, but if that happens, the item is washed again. Simples.
No, you hang out your washing. 😁

Growing up everyone in our road would hang their washing out and if it rained or there was a bonfire we would bring in our neighbours’ washing. I don’t think that would be acceptable nowadays.

How extremely rude and ignorant of your neighbour. Please don’t let your crass remarks influence you.

You have a perfect right to hang anything you want to on your line. Weather permitting like others my washing goes out all the year round, as does that of my neighbours.

On a lighter note, as a newly married I used to live next to a lady in her fifties of, shall we say, more than ample proportions. Every wash day she hung out the same teeniest tiniest lace bra and pants!

Ridiculous!

And why shouldn’t it be hung out front if it’s your own space?

We have a car port and on a rainy wash day my washing is hung under it to give the clothes a bit of a blow.

Hope the postman isn’t traumatised if he has to pass my DH’s underpants, or my knickers!

But I do try and put them at a more discreet angle than say the towels or pillowcases.

I have always hung my washing out given half decent weather. If I had the neighbour who had the husband who got upset I would just have to find some really "weird" underwear from somewhere to randomly hang out in full view regularly when I didn't need my lines for proper washing. I'm just a horrible person at times

Thank you all. I feel heartened and determined to return to using my washing line. I might even risk the underwear. For now though it’s started to rain so have had to bring it all indoors.

Delila in Derby the Wilkos store has suffered a lot of shortages but thankfully seems to be recovering when I went in t’other day.
However the young shop assistant must be so unbelievably out of touch, but I presume if her parents have always used the tumbler she probably thinks clothes pegs went out with the mangle,
There is just no accounting for the stupidity of folk is there?

I always hang my my underwear out ….despite my rude daughter’s remark about sunlight being blocked out

I’ve just come back from a morning at our Seniors club and taken my washing in , I’d pegged it out before I left and , even though it’s raining it’s fresh and nearly dry from before the rain
Hygiene is provided by the uv which is available even on dull days , and uv kills germs

Next time you visit a street market have a look for a couple of pairs of the big bloomers and a couple of pairs of thongs. That will give her something to puzzle over. Glad she is not my neighbour she would get told no uncertain terms what to do with her strange ideas.

kittylester

I dry mine on a pulley rail in the utility room as our garden isn't huge but please do hang your washing out.

In our last house, our lovely next door neighbour asked if I would ming not hanging underwear out as 'it upset' her husband.

Oh that is hilarious. I imagine it got him a bit excited and that upset HER! Lol.

Just finished a lot of white cotton washing, sheets, duvet covers and pillow cases. Not put them out as the birds are going crazy with Spring amorous fervour, and I fear I'd have to wash again.

We joke with my one neighbour- she is tiny and I am on the chubby side. So we joke about size of bras and have a giggle.

Fortunately I have a large room at the back of the house (ye olde cow barn ... where I can hang everything on a very long line and open windows. Second lot of dark smaller stuff will be out on line soon.

My washing goes out, always and my weather forecast is my friend, I look at humidity and if 85 or below for a few hours then it goes out, underwear and all. Yes Aggie, UV is the best laundry friend

I really don`t care who can see my washing. I can see my two neighbour`s washing, always inside and draped on airers in their living rooms. If my washing needs to be finished then I might use my tumbler for 15 minutes but usually it is dry and just needs a final airing. It smells so nice when it comes in

OP put out a load of holey rags, then watch the reaction and laugh

You need to give your neighbour the middle finger 🖕

Caramme take no notice of the crazy woman!
Always dry washing outside when the weather allows and thinking about I don't know anyone who doesn't.

Stupid woman. There’s nothing wrong with hanging out washing. I’m puzzled about the unhygienic bit. It’s exactly the opposite as the clothes are getting a good airing. It’s also the most environmentally friendly way of doing it too. I just think she’s a very sad person with no life. If she says anything again I’d ask her why she’s stalking you!x

Caramme I’d have doubled down on hanging the washing out, not stopped altogether! Do please hang out your laundry if that’s what you want to do.

If you’re not causing a disturbance to anyone, why on Earth shouldn’t you do as you wish in your own place? And it’s hard to imagine how laundry can cause a disturbance!

I haven’t hung out underwear for the last 20 years as our neighbours are practicing Muslims and I will not do anything to offend them. (Best neighbours we have ever had)