Drying clothes outside

[GirlDreamer]

Is it acceptable to dry your clothes outside in the UK? I'm Norwegian and in the neighbourhood I grew up, every single house had an outside clothing line and people would dry their clothes outside all the time, even if it was cold and the clothes would freeze sometimes. When I moved to the UK, I never thought twice about drying my clothes outside, but I had a neighbour complain when we hung our clothing in the courtyard of the flats we live in. So what's the general consensus? Is it acceptable? Is it just some individuals that is against it?

 

[onestitchloose]

It's more than acceptable to dry your clothes outside. Not sure why your neighbour is complaining but I don't think they have any right to as long as you're not using their property to dry them on.

 

[GirlDreamer]

No the courtyard is everyones property to use. I admit it was a bit close to her window and right now I have my clothes drying outside my front door, but it's facing a street and a big grass/playground area, so I'm not too happy about having it there, I'd rather keep it in my courtyard. The irony is that the courtyard is mainly a parking lot for the residents and this neighbour is supposed to park her own car in front of her window, but she parks a bit further away to keep her view clear. I can move my washing line further away from her window, but it would still be visible to her I think, just not as visible as before.

 

[onestitchloose]

Weird

 

[Dimplenose]

You can usually dry outside. When I was little it wasn't the done thing to dry your clothes on a Sunday but no rule to stop you, however there may be conditions to your lease or other restrictions that prevent drying clothes outside. When we lived in a flat we weren't allowed to hang anything out of the window and the deeds to our current house state we are not allowed to keep chickens in the back garden.

 

[disneyseniors]

Wow, sorry to steal your thread, but this is really interesting to me! Honestly, I'm from the US and I always hang clothes out to dry. I love the fresh smell, sunshine, and not using electricity to dry them. We live out in the country, but others here hang clothes in their yards in town. I grew up with my Mom hanging clothes out, even in winter when the jeans came in stiff enough to walk
Just my two cents worth

Just to add: My 2 grandsons, ages 8 and 6 at the time, saw my clothes hanging out on the line one time and wondered WHY I did that to my clothes? LOL, it was funny to see the look on their faces. There Mom and Dad are very busy and don't hang their clothes out!

 

[GirlDreamer]

I've never heard about any rules about hanging the clothes out, and I've seen some of the other neighbours do it as well, so I think it's just the one having a problem with it. It's really helpful being able to dry it outside as our flat is quite small, and not to mention how much faster it dries outside.

 

[Jon84]

Some blocks of flats (apartments) have rules about hanging clothes from balconies but that's about it. Check your tenancy agreement or the service fee documentation to be sure.

 

[Mrs Doubtfire]

I hang out all the time, saves electric!

 

[saintrob]

Nothing nicer than clothes blowing on the line, especially when they're shorts/Tshirts getting ready for a Disney holiday!

 

[Jon84]

Not so much when it's the laundry after a Holiday!!!

 

[Dimplenose]

I am a very untidy person normally but my washing line is very ordered. I have to hang all the socks together (in pairs) and the pants, t-shirts, shirts, trousers. Not necessarily in a particular order but definitely in groups of items!

 

[Leyfy]

Nothing nicer than clothes blowing on the line, especially when they're shorts/Tshirts getting ready for a Disney holiday!

I completely agree

 

[RossK]

In London at least, it is generally frowned upon to hang clothes outside when living in communal accommodation. I see complaints about it all the time on Facebook. There are a couple of reasons for this I think, but it has been associated with a slight impact on house prices as it is sometimes perceived to make an area look “tatty”. For example, in a U.S. survey (by the national association of realtors) clothes lines were among the biggest sources of complaints among homeowners. But the fact is the majority of leasehold properties (i.e. flats) typically forbid hanging any laundry outside of your property.

If you share a communal garden or similar, chances are it is a breach of the lease, but you should check. Breaching the lease, particularly if you’re a tenant rather than a homeowner, is very likely to get your tenancy terminated. If its not forbidden, then your only risk is good relations with your neighbour.

 

[PaulaSB12]

When I built a catio for my cats it also had enough room that I can put clothes to try and with a roof if it rains they don't get wet.

 

[NYCgrrl]

I loved when I lived in Switzerland and Germany. Both abodes had a drying room/wine cellar in the basement.
My last apartment in Manhattan wellllll it was considered "declasse" to hang laundry from a clothesline so I draped wet clothing throughout the dining room, all the bathrooms and sometimes in the kitchen too. I despise dryers for most textiles since it "bakes" in stains and lessens the life of fabrics. Errr I also wash most of my clothing by hand which my mother thinks is somewhat acceptable but my older sister feels is just bizzarro. Yes but I'll be ready for the zombie apocalypse so there.

Some parts of this society think clothing lines are not acceptable; other parts are fine with it. Were I able to put a line out in my current residence I would and enjoy the bleaching power of the sun and the fresh smell that the landscaping gives. Not sure I'd get those benefits from a courtyard overlooking a parking area though.

 

[Dimplenose]

Looks like you're not the only one to get complaints

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-44452491