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A thing of the past

(49 Posts)
henetha Sun 10-Aug-14 09:27:01

I hang my smalls on the inside lines of the whirly thingy, then hide them by hanging larger things, towels, sheets, etc, on the outside lines!
I often think how silly this is really, but I can't help it!

janeainsworth Sun 10-Aug-14 09:25:24

Gaga In our damp northern climes, unless it has been a really windy and dry day, and especially in winter, things still have a slightly cold, damp feel to them when I bring them in to the house.
I find if they are just put away without airing, they can acquire an unpleasant smell.
#domesticperfectionista grin

janeainsworth Sun 10-Aug-14 09:21:16

Kitty And it sometimes has unintended consequences.

The back door of our house leads into the utility room.

DD2 has a key to the back door and for some reason when she brought our future DSil home for the first time, instead of ringing the front door bell, they let themselves in via the utility room.

You can guess the restblushblush

Gagagran Sun 10-Aug-14 09:20:14

JaneA I'm puzzling over why smalls etc. need hanging up again to air when they have dried on the outside line? Mine get folded and put in the undies drawer when I bring them in from the line - snuff dry.

Lilygran Sun 10-Aug-14 09:18:53

I lost my short outside line when we had to have the garden wall rebuilt and a gale destroyed the rotary line. In any case, the cherry tree would prevent the sun from getting to the clothes! But I have an indoor drying rack. I used to hang everything outside when I could.

kittylester Sun 10-Aug-14 09:08:15

The thing about drying stuff on a rail in the utility room is that there is no urgency to get it down until the next lot comes out of the washer blush

gma Sun 10-Aug-14 08:53:56

I love to hang washing outside on my rotary drier! Everything gets hung outside whenever possible. Hate damp linen draped on clothes horse! Will use tumble drier only when desperate, otherwise outside is best and much more economical.
P.s. I only iron when absolutely necessary, bedding .....no! Undies....no! Towels....no!

Galen Sun 10-Aug-14 08:48:05

I always hang mine outside ( weather Permitting) I've just set it to a wash and dry cycle today while I'm off to play with my bow and arrows. Inside I presume as it's a trifle wet outside.

janeainsworth Sun 10-Aug-14 08:29:08

Bags I have a drying rack suspended from the ceiling of my utility room, next to the central heating boiler, so it's an excellent place for drying small items and airing larger ones.

I don't hang my 'smalls' outside, because they're, er, small, and I would only have to hang them up again to air when I brought them in. Double work. The same applies to any small items like socks and face-cloths.

Men's underpants to tend to be a bit larger, so they do sometimes get hung outside, depending on availability of space on the drying rack and/or the outside washing line.

So you see it is all to do with ergonomics and logic and nothing to do with prudery or delicacy grin

kittylester Sun 10-Aug-14 08:14:31

We used to live next to a very religious and much older couple. One day, the wife came round and asked me not to put female 'smalls' out as her husband found it embarrassing. I don't know how true that was but I stopped doing so.

I had put my whirly-gig away as our garden is quite small and was drying all our washing on the 'Molly maid' in the utility room but, since DD3 and the children arrived, it is back out and I am also using the tumble dryer with a view to reducing ironing!

thatbags Sun 10-Aug-14 08:01:44

It amuses me that people don't hang their smalls on their outside washing lines. When you think about how public "lingerie" of all sorts is in shops it's quite funny that we are so ... prudish?

The weather here is only suitable for hanging washing outside for less than half the year. When it is suitable everything gets hung outside including all our smalls.

A query: those of you who don't hang your smalls outside, do you hang your husband's underpants outside, or your children's or grandchildren's?

janerowena Sat 09-Aug-14 23:50:31

I read that drying your clothes inside or in the drier makes a huge difference to hayfever - and it has to mine. This is the first summer that all my washing hasn't been on the line, but I am breathing far easier at night.
However my young neighbour next door has a proper old-fashioned washing line, unlike my two whirlygigs.

Annaries Sat 09-Aug-14 22:33:06

I have a washing line. I only took the washing in at 7 p.m. today.
I had ten years of living without a line, and it's really good being able to hang out the washing. When my grandkids have been to stay, I hang the duvet out to air just in case they are the next ones to come again. It saves washing the bedding after just one visit.

henetha Sat 09-Aug-14 21:36:48

My whirly washing line is used regularly. Lots of neighbours here hang out their washing too. Can't beat it for freshness, and cheaper than using a tumble dryer.

Brendawymms Sat 09-Aug-14 21:35:08

I also put my washing out when I can. It smells lovely when dried outside. Don't put it out often in the winter though.
One thing I have found is that tea towels, if they are died in the sun come in whiter. The sun seems to bleach them.

hildajenniJ Sat 09-Aug-14 20:51:14

I like to put my washing on the line on fine days, even in the winter. I put out my bed linen, there's nothing nicer than the smell of line dried sheets when you're ironing them. My 91yr. old Dad does the same, although he leaves the ironing to his daughters.

HollyDaze Sat 09-Aug-14 20:18:59

I will also hang out washing when I can and I see many homes here have washing lines with laundry blowing in the breeze and sunshine. I suppose if time is short, people will put it on a clothes horse or in the tumble dryer (which I do in the winter months) to speed things up.

Nonu Sat 09-Aug-14 20:15:24

I don"t agree that it is a thing of the past, weather permitting I hang out my washing on the line as do my DD"S.

Marelli Sat 09-Aug-14 19:51:43

I hang mine out on two long clothes lines that run diagonally across the lawn. Smalls go on a thing that sounds similar to Grannyknot's. Love the fresh smell of washing that's been blowing in the breeze/wind (as Crow commented, we get a lot of that in Scotland)!

Grannyknot Sat 09-Aug-14 19:45:02

I have a retractable washing line on my sunny patio - and leap to hang out my washing at every opportunity. Smalls go on a nifty miniature whirlygig thingy with a coathanger hook.

Crow Sat 09-Aug-14 19:41:07

I hang out my washing whenever possible as like ninathenana I love to see it out blowing in the wind (we get a lot of that in Scotland).

ninathenana Sat 09-Aug-14 19:37:36

I still hang out my washing, so does DD. I like to see it drying in the sun or blowing in the breeze.
As for the open space I think it's as much about parents fear of letting them 'play out' as the fact they're all inside using their devices.

NanKate Sat 09-Aug-14 19:32:30

I use a combination of my tumble drier and clothes horse, but I do not possess a washing line.

We have a lovely green field in front of my house and lots of children play on it, including my two young GSs. However the children's parents are always about unless they are over about 10.

overthehill Sat 09-Aug-14 19:29:18

On the news today, washing lines are fading into obsb security People don't hang out washing like they used to apparently.

I do, if the weather's good enough. Although not my smalls, I put them on the airer.

Another thing we don't see anymore. Near us in London is a close with a huge grassed area in the centre. When my kids were young, come school holidays, like now, loads of kids would be out there playing. We walked pass the other day and not a child to be seen. All in doors playing on their ipads I suppose.