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Laundry

(48 Posts)
Cranberry68 Wed 15-Apr-20 11:38:32

I feel this is a daft question but is it ok to hang out a washing when farmyard smells are in the air?

Eglantine21 Wed 15-Apr-20 11:51:53

I didn’t when I lived out with n the sticks. I thought the smell lingered, though that may have just been in my mind!

It was one of the disadvantages of life near farms?

Is it silage spreading time already?

??

kittylester Wed 15-Apr-20 12:07:44

A side comment prompted by eglantine's emoticon. I have a friend who moves out of the family farm when it comes to muck spreading as the smell makes her retch. She's a farmer's daughter as well as a farmer's wife!

Tangerine Wed 15-Apr-20 12:09:47

I don't suppose it would harm your washing but I imagine it might make the washing smell a bit. Depends how long the washing is on the line, I suppose, and how near it is.

NannyC2 Wed 15-Apr-20 12:14:11

I would tend to avoid it. Strangely enough, about 15 minutes ago a sileage smell came wafting through my open window and I don't live near a farm - on outskirts of Chichester in Sussex.

We had several people on our local 'Nextdoor' website recently complaining of terrible smells and it was worse than sileage - lots of discussion as to what it actually was.

The smell of smoke also puts me off hanging out washing as it tends to stick to the clothes.

Shame, as I love to hang out washing on a lovely bright and breezy day.

Grannynannywanny Wed 15-Apr-20 12:23:13

I’ve been taking my daily walk on a farm road near my house. The farmer was spreading silage last week and the smell was very strong. The next morning I came downstairs and thought I was smelling the silage wafting up from the countryside. But when I took my jacket off the hook to go out I realised that was where the smell was coming from! So yes it definitely lingers on clothing

Septimia Wed 15-Apr-20 12:28:15

Hold on - silage is molassed/fermented grass that you feed to animals. Muck is what you spread on the fields - and that does smell!!

Grannynannywanny Wed 15-Apr-20 12:30:08

Sorry I just realised I said silage, I meant slurry!

SueDonim Wed 15-Apr-20 12:30:42

I don’t think it’s harmful but I wouldn’t want the pong on my washing. It’s muck-spreading time here, too.

glammanana Wed 15-Apr-20 14:49:19

My near neighbour and I may seriously fall out this Summer if he continues to burn his rubbish when my washing is hanging out to dry,not only the smell but little black bits clung to my washing last year.angry

Granarchist Wed 15-Apr-20 16:39:55

a tenant farmer near here (gone now thank heavens) was paid by a waste company to allow them to spread 'biomass' on all his fields - it is human waste - it was disgusting. They were meant to plough it in if there was no rain - he didn't - they were not meant to spread the same fields over and over again - he encouraged that too. The lorries came through our village 24hrs a day at 20 minute intervals causing huge damage to the verges. There was nearly a riot. Eventually it was stopped but we had a hellish summer that year - totally unable to enjoy our gardens and risking certain death from the huge tankers. I am a farmer's daughter so not easily put off by agricultural smells!!!

phoenix Wed 15-Apr-20 17:05:36

It's already been mentioned, but worth mentioning again........in clear terms.....

Silage goes IN at the front end, what will eventually become slurry (after a period of time) is what comes OUT at the other end.

Hope this helps.

GrauntyHelen Thu 16-Apr-20 10:12:48

Farmers wife here I'd not hang washing out during muck spreading

Torbroud Thu 16-Apr-20 10:13:50

Used to stink when you did ironing

angiestivy Thu 16-Apr-20 10:15:18

I have a friend who lived in the vicinity of a Sugar Beet processing plant, and for a short time every year she used to complain that her washing smelt. Sometimes it would seem to be ok when she took stuff off the line, but if she had to iron anything it would reactivate the scent.
The Sugar Beet factory closed a few years ago,and the huge site is now a housing estate.

aggie Thu 16-Apr-20 10:15:30

But both stink ! And the bl...y oilseed rape is making my eyes sting .
I have had to rewash several times due to the lovely fresh country air ! It does cling

Craftycat Thu 16-Apr-20 10:19:29

I lived between 2 pig farms for 5 years & my washing never smelt even though at times the pigs did!! We had oilseed rape across the road too but that did not effect my washing either.

mittenma Thu 16-Apr-20 10:21:40

Just to say that if you've lived in the country you really should know that farmers never spread silage, as it's a feed for livestock! It's muck (faeces and straw) they spread or slurry, which is often sprayed as it is much more liquid. I suggest that you hang your washing out when it's either very windy, which would be a bad time for slurry spreading or when your washing line isn't downwind of any tractor activity!

CleoPanda Thu 16-Apr-20 10:32:25

We have two fields immediately behind our garden. It definitely makes your washing smell. I discovered this when I moved in 30 years ago and have never hung any washing out during or in the 3 days after the slurry treatment. Just dry indoors while you can still detect that wonderful aroma outdoors!

Maremia Thu 16-Apr-20 10:36:27

Another 'drying in the wind tip' is that if you or any of the family suffer from hay fever, don't hang their clothes or pillowcases outside during pollen season.

Eglantine21 Thu 16-Apr-20 10:36:57

Yes, sorry, of course I meant slurry.

Another aside, when I lived in Wandsworth, close to Young’s brewery, everything smelled of toasted cheese, which I think was the roasted hops!

4allweknow Thu 16-Apr-20 10:37:06

Silage spreading would definitely stop me hanging washing out. In fact it would stop me going out if it was next to me. Horrible smell. My DS and family went on holiday one year and on the second day the place was enveloped in the smell from silage. Loads of complaints from other holiday makers about not being able to eat, go out and about. Full refund given my company.

Buffy Thu 16-Apr-20 10:43:46

Granarchist that’s disgusting. Some people will do anything for money.

Sussexborn Thu 16-Apr-20 10:46:05

A short while after moving from London to Kent we noticed a really horrible smell. It came from the local sewage works and was worse if the wind was in the wrong direction. They then tried to mask it with a sickly chemical “perfume” and that was even worse.

It also came out that there was a nuclear generator on a nearby industrial estate. We moved out of London hoping to feel safer!

luluaugust Thu 16-Apr-20 10:50:06

I am starting to be glad I live in the middle of a town, looking forward to the day when we can do some country walks.