Washing Line protocol

These days I dry my washing in the conservatory on a winged clothes-horse similar to this one but when I use the rotary line in the garden I put small things like underwear on the shorter lines near the centre and large things like sheets and bath towels on the longer ones at the outer edge. Nothing to do with hiding my smalls, just common sense to put them on the short lines and keep the larger space for larger items.

I appear to be the only one around here using a rotary drier whereas my neighbours waste money using their electric drier.

My mother was fanatical about hanging washing and I appear to have taken over- small at the front ie knickers, then tops, then towels followed by sheets. I try to leave a gap between the lines so that the wind can blow freely. I also rarely iron.

It has never even occured to me to 'hide' my underwear on my rotary dryer. Why?? We all (well, mostly all) wear these don't we. And who on earth would be interested in my BHS or Sainsbury's knickers? Always put the larger items (sheets, etc) about halfway in from centre, then put smaller items on the outside lines. I do not put a sheet over the line, although I have noticed that my eldest daughter does this. Skirts and trousers I hang from the waist band, tops from the shoulders. I do absolutely minimum ironing these days - just the occasional item in cotton.

My husband puts the pegs (these are wooden metal spring pegs) on the garment without folding the garment over the line.
The garment is only held on by being gripped by the metal spring on the fabric against the line. The problem with this is that the peg is then on so far down the center of the peg it twists apart in anything much of a wind.

I also think this why a lot of my garments such as bras develop holes because the garments are rubbing against the metal spring. I have to walk away when he is doing this.
I can often just pull the garments straight off the line leaving the pegs in place
We have a Rotary washing line, and with than you can put your smalls on the inside of the line and the bigger stuff on the outside where they are more or less hidden from view.

My husband often puts the washing out. I then go out and change it, as he just pegs it any old way. I hang bottoms at the bottom, so I must be weird!

Indeed, Grannyguiar, I was brought up in East London. In the fifties, my parents moved into council flat in Hackney. There was a communal area at the back behind the dustbin sheds for hanging out washing. But it was not permitted to do so on a Sunday.

I was brought up in East London. My mum would never hang washing on a Sunday, in case she offended neighbours.

Come to think of it, 'pajamas' reflects the pronunciation much better than 'pyjamas'.

Spellt? spelt!

I think American pyjamas are pajamas. It probably started as a foreign word anyway (Indian?) and who knows how it would have been spellt then.

Looked it up! "early 19th century: from Urdu and Persian, from pāy ‘leg’ + jāma ‘clothing’." So we are both right (or both wrong)

elegran Thanks for the correct spelling of pyjamas!
I had a blackout writing it!

Years ago I saw a documentary about washing lines. I think it was American. Women were all extolling the joys of seeing washing drying on a line.

Like the verse, Margaret

I love you, I love you, I love you, so mighty.
I wish your pyjamas were next to my nighty.
Don't be mistaken don't be misled,
I mean on the washing line not in the bed.

When I arrived in Germany I had to learn about sharing the laundry room with other wives who lived in the other flats There was no washing hung outside. Ww had a washing macchine and a drier and a line for our bedding but you had to clear yours away before another tenant had her wash day.
Usually I did a small babyclothes washing in my flat and hung it over a stand in the bath.

As for the days when I lived with my mother. I was not allowed to hang a pair of pajammas next to a nightdress on the line. What would people think?

Does it really really matter????

Hang your washing whichever way turns you on, or not as the case may be!! As long as it is dryish when you bring it in, then it is entirely your decision! Can't believe there is all this angst about which way to hang stuff on the line!!!

annodomino ditto!

Luckygirl totally agree with you. Otherwise peg marks on shoulders or bottom of jumpers/tops and it makes for an uneven stretched hemline due to the weight of the garment.

I became so neurotic after reading this thread that I decided not to do any washing today and went out instead

Same here grandMattie - hung out a line of washing today and when I bought it in I was shocked to realise I had put the same colour pegs on some items..........Noooooooooo!! I do NOT do that - Well I never used to!!!!!!

Just finished my bedding - was a bit flummoxed on how to do it "properly"
I'll have to be very careful not to let anyone know my real name in case they check my washing line !!!

pauline42 Thu 22-Jun-17 21:38:45

Interesting story!

We were living in the US then, and visited Bermuda in 1994. Texas billionaire businessman Ross Perot, he also tried to run as Independent for President in the mid-90s, had a home in Tuckers Town. Maybe his family complained!

I love hanging out washing and I pair socks on the line all mens underwear together my undies in the middle of the rotary drier we live in an area where we dont have fences boundaries etc my Rotary is at the side of the house seen by anyone driving/walking past I wash any day which takes my fancy even Sundays!

I always put my washing in the basket in the order I'm going to hang it out. I love a tidy washing line! When I broke my wrist and DH put the washing out it was very hard to hold my tongue!

In the village where we live there's a law saying you can't hang washing out on Sundays. Maires can make their own laws.
No-one takes any notice of it. Perhaps dating from the days when they were all good Catholics.
There's also a law about burning rubbish, (banned at certain times) but again everyone ignores it. Unless it's obvious as in a heatwave.

I was once re-dsigning a house for a wealthy client who had a huge beautiful country garden divided off into various areas, some screened from view.

I asked whether there should be an external door from the laundry room for going into the garden to hang out the washing and the lady of the house told me in no uncertain terms that her husband would not allow washing to be hung out in the garden, it all had to be tumble dried indoors!