It’s overcast here in N Cheshire this morning but I have risked putting my washing out on the line. Fingers crossed it will dry as I am fed up with damp stuff hanging around in my spare bedroom. These days my neighbour, also in her early 70s, and I are the only people who do actually hang washing outside. I assume others use tumble driers but I am wary of the costs of running these.
Last summer, one of my new neighbours who had just moved into a new build semi next-door-but-one said, ‘Oh yes, you’re the lady who puts her washing outside. My gran used to do that, but it doesn’t look very nice does it? No one wants to look at someone else’s washing. And it’s unhygienic.’ I was rendered speechless. Perhaps that was my first experience of passive aggression. She has ignored me ever since. For the record I do not ever put underwear on the line and my garden is relatively private. It upset me at the time as it was so unfriendly. I dried everything indoors for the rest of the year. I am wondering if I am doing the right thing by starting to dry my washing outside once more. It is just unacceptable these days?
Granmarderby that did make me smile I’m a DD cup also but I do put mine out lol I am surrounded by a brick wall round my garden but to be honest I’d still put my washing out to dry regardless, I don’t really interfere with others do and they don’t to me either.
Always hang washing out if the weather is good. So do the neighbours both sides and one of them is in her 30's. As a child I remember my mum bringing in flat sheets which had frozen and which she said was good for whitening them. I really can't see how but I have noticed sometimes that the sunlight will fade a stain on a towel or tea towel. I don't hide my undies either, I don't think they would disturb my male neighbours! I had a friend years ago whose neighbour told her she'd noticed that she didn't peg socks out in pairs!
What a silly, and rude, woman. Wind and solar power are the best way of drying clothes - does she seriously think that using a tumble dryer is better? I'll add ignorant to that list of insults too. I must add here that a new village under creation along the lines of Poundbury, has evidently announced that inhabitants have been asked not to put washing out. Given the King's pioneering views on global warming, it's remarkable that he is involved in such a retrograde idea.
How lucky for you that she hasn't spoken since - likely a timely escape from more nonsense.
I do notice that a lot of younger people do not use the garden line. Had a dryer years ago, which was handy for sheets, towels cottons, but anything else would shrink.
cc I'm a rather generously proportioned woman and wouldn't hesitate to hang out a few of my large-cupped lacy bras in this situation!
Agreed!
I dry most everything in a tumble dryer, apart from bras and knickers on hangers in closet/cupboard - but in this instance I'd hang out my enormous pretty lacey bras and tiny pretty lacey knickers.
I don't prefer to be lectured, I silently show what I think.
Lots of newbuilds dont allow washing to be hung out .some here have little fenced off areas for washing to keep it out of sight .
It apparently lowers the tone of a neighbourhood!As far as I can see many of the new owners are ignoring it and putting up whirlies .
She is an ignorant and stupid woman. Take no notice and continue to put your lovely clean clothes to dry in the fresh air and bring them in smelling lovely and your towels all fluffy and sweet. As others have said she is totally wrong environmentally and also on the cash front too. If she doesnt like looking at clean stuff, then tough , let her look the other way!! I am of the old school and always put my stuff out and even if there is a shower and I have to finish stuff off inside you cannot beat an extra rainwater rinse. Just ignore her!!
Is your neighbour a millennial because they don’t have the same traditions as older people. I can’t wait to get my washing out on the line, fresh air and sunshine all free instead of electric guzzling tumble dryer.
The woman is obviously a complete idiot. Just humour her. She's probably not dangerous.
Although our personal items are hung on a brilliant radiator rack on the upstairs landing, the rest all goes outside on the line, weather permitting. (This thread reminds me of the old saying: 'If it suits the wearer, b*gg*r the starer' !!)
Sorry if already mentioned but solar energy not only dries but kills bugs....and bleaches the whites.
Might I suggest a visit t Ann Summers, buy some brightly coloured flimsy underwear and some crotch less pants and proudly hang them on your line Caramme as bold as you dare !
How rude, I try to save my washing for a dry day so I can hang it - undies and all. Certainly not unhygienic, wherever did she get that idea.
We had new neighbours in a previous house - 2 adults, 3 children. I could hear her tumble drier in the garage, going full pelt during a lovely summer. The next year a twirly drier appeared in the garden - I guess the electric bill concentrated their minds.
suzikyoo
Although our personal items are hung on a brilliant radiator rack on the upstairs landing, the rest all goes outside on the line, weather permitting. (This thread reminds me of the old saying: 'If it suits the wearer, b*gg*r the starer' !!)
Love the quote Suzi! I am, defiantly, off to hang out my second wash of the day!
I hang my washing out as soon as the weather allows me to. I have never owned a dryer, because of the electric cost. I love the smell of clothes dried outside. I used to put my undies on the line until I heard my boss talking to his wife one day in the canteen. He was telling his wife that their next door neighbour had hung 14 pairs of knickers on the line. I just thought to myself, does that mean men look out of their windows and look at your underwear? I stopped putting my undies on the line for a while. Then I bought a couple of those hangers for smalls and I hung my undies on them, nearest to the kitchen door. In my head I thought, well if they want to count my undies they will 'really' have to hang out of the window. And cartoon like possibly fall out. Now at 74 I really don't care who sees em as long as they are drying outside.
Love it.
I love my washing out , every bit of it. Plus it’s better for the environment than a dryer. Completely ignore your ridiculous neighbours, get that washing out .x
This is what I'd do with her opinion. Hang your washing out and savour the fresh smell of clean washing.
I always hang mine out if possible. What a horrible neighbour. Line dried washing always smells so good. Pay no attention. I won’t have a tumble dryer. Waste of money and energy
How rude I hang mine out on the line weather permitting as for underwear I'd find the biggest bloomers and write nosy neighbour on them and make sure she could see them😂
As I am reading this my washing including pants and socks is merrily blowing on the line. It’s fairly private unless people hang out of their windows but I don’t care anyway. If the weather is good it’s outside!
Absolutely agree - washing outside, even tatty dog towels! Before I retired I used to feel it an achievement if I got my washing on the line before I left for work at 7.45 am (and well pleased to come home to it dried and smelling lovely and fresh but hoping some kind soul would bring it in if it rained) A work colleague couldn’t understand my delight - she has never, ever hung out! She’s not lived 🤣
Well here in Yorkshire have noticed more and more neighbours hanging their washing out - it's the cheapest and most environmentally friendly way of drying it = as others have said uses wind and solar power which is free
What is unhygienic about any clean washing being hung out I less I guess a bird sits on the washing line and has a poo, but even though I have lots of birds on the garden I can't think it has ever happened, they seem to prefer the fence as it is indubitably comfier than perching on a thin washing line.
I'm surprised that some people seem to feel the need to hide their underwear. I'd.only do that if I had a.really holey pair that i was saving to wear on a trip and discard once I'd got there. Well actually I don't care if people did see such a pair
I'm not ashamed to indicate that I don't go Commando lol.
It's a challenge in winter to dry washing but I put mine on the clothes drier outside on a patio, so I can move the lot inside quickly. I dry inside as well and just finish off in a drier.
One suggestion was to have a plastic tent/ greenhouse outside to put your washing in, on a dry rack. A bit of ventilation and it dries without a musty smell.
Ignore the underwear comment..just plain rude!
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