The Culture War Over Drying Clothes

A true Australian house has a Hills Hoist in the back yard, that is a bit wonky from the kids swinging on it. We have lots of sun and fresh air so outdoor drying is the way we go. Driers only get used in long periods of wet weather.

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Had to look that one up. We call it a whirligig in Scotland

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Funny! I’m on my first sit-trip in the UK and that’s one of the first things I ask. ā€œI can understand that you don’t need AC, but no screens???ā€ And the thing that started the conversation was that everyone was running around the house, chasing flies with electric fly swatters. LOL

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You will find very few houses in the UK with fly screens, it’s just not something that we have as a general rule……we quite often have fly curtains on doors though……… I wonder whether it’s because historically our climate isn’t conducive to leaving doors and windows open for much of the year………

You’re right, and I hadn’t really noticed but yeah, no screens. Kind of strange. Our windows have them built right in.

Yes, fly screens - I just sat 3 weeks near London - the house had a wall of 9 foot windows facing north and in the heat, leaving the wall open assured it was comfortable, except for the flies. Fortunately, they didn’t make it around 3 corners to the bed room. My condo in NC doesn’t have fly screens either but I can have some ā€˜portable’ ones fabricated and am working on that.

My first house, bought in 1977 came with the old owners washer and dryer. When the washer died I replaced it but when the dryer died I didn’t. I hung everything in the basement in winter and on a clothesline in the back yard in summer.
Now, in my coop in DC, we can’t even hang things in the windows unless the blinds are down and in NC can’t hang things on these wonderful balconies.
I think to travel in Asia where folks with balconies or porches hang things on them, or even on extending poles/contraptions from windows.
Isn’t there a scene in West Side Story with clothes on pully clothes lines stretching across from window to window?

Ive solved that by not doing any ironing. I gave my ironing board away on Freecycle last year. I’ve kept the iron in case of job interviews/weddings/funerals.

I think it’s awful that line drying is banned in some places. Those sorts of restrictions should be done away with, to promote (or simply enable) energy conservation.

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@Ketch - I rarely iron, but the clothes that are line-dried are just too creased and crumpled, even by my low standards!

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Reminds me of my school knickers which had to have the elastic re-threaded when it did fail!!

I really dislike the fact that UK homes don’t have fly screens. I’m not sure if its because of the double glazed window style, that they can’t fit them on or if there is simply no business over here that does them! There is definitely a market for fly screens in the UK :slight_smile:

In fairness, my standards are on the floor - possibly basement - as far as ironing goes… But my tips are to remove washing from the washing machine asap and to give them a good shake before hanging on the line. That minimises creases.

I dont have cardboard towels (again, a good shake after drying helps) but I dont use fabric conditioner so they’re not majorly fluffy. (I cant bear the limp feeling of clothes washed in fabric conditioner and the scents are horribly strong. I just want a fresh clean feel and smell!)

Ah you lucky people in places where it’s not humid. Where I grew up, hanging out the laundry would invite mold and good luck getting it dry. And now I am in a place where hanging out the laundry will simply get it covered in dust and sand blowing by, not to mention the very industrious spiders in the summer. Don’t judge people by their love of clothes dryers until you live in their location!

It’s going to be too expensive to use a drier this winter so it’s either drying on the radiators if I can afford to use them or having wet washing hanging around on the airer for several days.

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