Hang or tumble

I have always been fortunate to have not only a garden but facilities to dry clothes in doors so have never had a need for a tumble dryer.

Not every one is as fortunate. DD has a garden but no facilities indoors so has a tumble dryer.

Wafting in the breeze and sunshine as we speak. I use the tumble dryer a few times a year

Well, after reading and adding to this thread recently I began to think I ought to do less tumbling and more hanging. Actually, any hanging would be more because I always use the tumble drying.

But not today!

Today I sorted out my less-than-reliable line and hung a load of washing out for the first time in several years. I watched it with eagle-eyes in case the line collapsed but it didn't and I now have a basket of line-dried clothes. They don't feel quite the same as tumbled clothes but I've done my bit for the environment and my electricity bill...

Thank you for tweaking my conscience!

On an airer in the utility room. If in a hurry, in the tumble drier (which is still going after 26 years). If fine outside on the whirly washing line.

Outside always, and then aired on an airer in the spare room with the window open. I have 2 long clothes lines and 2 old wooden props to stretch the lines as high as possible to catch the breeze.

Maniac I have one of those. Mine dates from the 1960s and was nearly the cause of marital breakdown. My father foolishly chose it as a birthday present for my mother who came close to hitting him with it I think. He never bought any sort of domestic appliance as a present again. It's still in excellent condition and is currently somewhere in a huge tin box on a ship on the ocean.

I have access to a tumble drier in my temporarily rented house for the first time in decades. I did find it useful when I had a large batch of towels on a day that turned wet during the week but, as a rule, I agree with the majority view - hang laundry outside to dry in the sun whenever possible.

Hang everything but tumble towels and bedding. I also grew up with no housework, other than cooking the meals, on Sundays - it was a day of rest and no shops open either! Well the local newsagent was open until noon. It was a 'proper' family day ....................

Never owned tumble dryer. After 6yrs in a flat where outside drying not allowed I was thrilled to move here and be able to have a washing line in the garden.it cheers my heart to see washing blowing in the sun and wind.
When its raining I use an ancient airer by Servis inherited from a long dead aunt.It has 3 legs and 12 arms and when not in use folds to a
cylinder only 24in long by 2 in diameter long.It's probably from the 50s or earlier -a collectors item by now.

My mother was the same, no washing or housework was done on a Sunday. My GM and GGM were big chapel goers and their word was law. My mother was not allowed to read any literature other than the bible on a Sunday.

When a young mum in Scotland my mother was soundly ticked off by her next door neighbour for hanging washing out on a Sunday (the washing green was beside the house, so barely visible). Her reply was that babies still needed clean nappies even on the Sabbath.

Tumble dry, if I put them on the line I usually end up having to wash them again, pesky birds.

Not having an outside does rather limit things. I don't think I would want to traipse downstairs to use one of those communal areas. When we lived in a flat we had a balcony and I used that.

I've been told that California has a law which bans hanging washing outside as it's considered unsightly. Seems silly - if it's true - and not very Eco-friendly.

I don't have an outside option. I do have a tumble dryer and I do have an airer in the kitchen. Oh... when I move to the Country.....from our London pad.

Hang it out whenever possible - the wind and sun are free!

Just brought my washing in from my line, smelling beautiful. (I have to admit that I throw the towels into the drier just to soften them though!!)

Always hang out - whenever weather allows it using a tumble dryer if the sun is out seems like a huge waste to me. Very lucky though that I have plenty of space to dry inside if the weather is as it has been persistently this Spring.

I just use the pulley in the utility room - summer or winter.

We have a tumble drier in the garage which I use to finish off my towels (DH likes his rough ), drying my gilets (with tennis balls) when there is a panic on and, sometimes, to avoid ironing

I hang my washing out as often as possible and if it is a wet day I hang it on the pulley in the laundry.
My daughter-in-law in California dries everything in the drier, except when I am there as I put up a line in their garden, bought pegs and hung out the washing, That finished when I left!!!
As it is such a beautiful day today I have washed as much as possible, bath mats etc. and all is in now and dry.
Good idea Galen I might just to that with my nightdresses.

I hang my nightdresses over the lavender bush so they smell of lavender.

I hang washing outside and inside, depending on the weather and time of the year. I do put the towels in the tumble dryer, though, but usually after they have had an hour outside on the line first!

We are always amazed when we are staying in apartments in the US that in that lovely sunny weather in California and Arizona nothing ever goes outside to dry - doesn't seem very eco friendly to me!

Hadn't thought of fabric conditioner [don't use lavender, though]. When I had a washing line years ago I used to bash the washing before I took it off the line but one day I did that, put it in a basket and left it in the living room [it had had a jolly good bashing and there was no buzzing sound coming from it]. When I came to put my son's jeans away there was a bee right inside them. I've been scared ever since. I love bees and would never hurt one but the thought of putting on a t shirt or pair of jeans and having a bee inside horrifies me. But I will try not to use fabric conditioner in future. Not sure why they would want to go somewhere dark and damp on a sunny day . Thanks for the idea .

Tegan do you use fabric conditioner? Or does your washing powder/liquid smell of lavender or such? When you go out to get it in take a tennis racquet (or a walking stick?) with you.

It's OK to hang things outside if you are at home and can rush out to rescue the washing from the rain as we seem to have to do more znd more often, but when I used to be out at work all day I would sometimes come back to washing that was wetter than when I had hung it out. The smell of washing dried outside on a sunny and windy day is unbeatable though. For indoors I have a pulley in my utility room which nearly always has washing on it and I do use the tumble dryer for towels as I like them fluffy.

Don't believe it. Just as I'd plucked up the courage to put washing outside again as I walked back into the house a very large drowsy bee was lying on the mat just inside the door. I'm now scared that they're in the washing and don't understand why my washing seems to attract them? I'll be shaking when I bring the washing in, now . And I've put a pair of jeans outside that I'll have to turn inside out before I put them away.