Drying clothes outside for dummies

Soot2006

Never owned a tumble dryer ...

Everything goes outside - ideally on a line or rotary so it can catch the wind. If necessary, on a good old fashioned airer. If it starts to rain, the airer can come in to finish off .. I actually hang out my clothes after work, usually, so I leave them out overnight and sometimes they get rained on and they dry again. You get used to it and get better at timing. They dry quickly with a bit of wind. A good frost is excellent for white sheets and towels!

greensalad

freeisgood said:

Well I’m going to have to break off my Love Affair with my tumble dryer. 

Today is the first day I have hung out clothes for years. I’ve put into action every single air dryer and taken 45 minutes to hang everything out. It’s now spitting so I found a big plastic bag to cover the dryers.
 I have no idea what I’m doing.
If the clothes are still half wet and damp this evening what am I supposed to do? 

Am I supposed to bring everything back in and then put out again I’m worried about the dew soaking everything. 

This is really exhausting and I haven’t even got past lunchtime yet. Only cause I’ve got a day off work I can do this I’m normally out of the house from 8 am to 6 pm so what do people normally do with their wet clothes? I can never use my tumble again 😭
Any advice on what to do when drying clothes outside. Thank you

I love a line! Stuff smells better, dries quicker, and is less creased. I've got a tumbly just for winter use (and for some things like towels I treat myself to having tumbled) but I love the line. I just had one installed after moving in in March and missing it a lot. 

Anyway, you can totally hang out clothing overnight. The dew won't soak it, dew is on the ground not up high. When I didn't WFH I would put a wash on when I got home from work, hang it out late, leave it overnight and all the next day and then bring it in in the evening when I got home. 

If it rains heavily, yes you'll have to rewash. Check the weather forecast. If it spits but is then dry, it'll just dry back out. Rained-on clothes for some reason smell even better. Sometimes on whites the rain can make it a bit dirty, so that's something to beware of. I don't notice dirt on dark clothes though.

It shouldn't take you too long to peg out though. Takes me about 15 minutes for a full load including getting it all out of the washer and putting the line up (mine is retractable).

shiraz99

greensalad said:

freeisgood said:

Well I’m going to have to break off my Love Affair with my tumble dryer. 

Today is the first day I have hung out clothes for years. I’ve put into action every single air dryer and taken 45 minutes to hang everything out. It’s now spitting so I found a big plastic bag to cover the dryers.
 I have no idea what I’m doing.
If the clothes are still half wet and damp this evening what am I supposed to do? 

Am I supposed to bring everything back in and then put out again I’m worried about the dew soaking everything. 

This is really exhausting and I haven’t even got past lunchtime yet. Only cause I’ve got a day off work I can do this I’m normally out of the house from 8 am to 6 pm so what do people normally do with their wet clothes? I can never use my tumble again 😭
Any advice on what to do when drying clothes outside. Thank you

I love a line! Stuff smells better, dries quicker, and is less creased. I've got a tumbly just for winter use (and for some things like towels I treat myself to having tumbled) but I love the line. I just had one installed after moving in in March and missing it a lot. 

Anyway, you can totally hang out clothing overnight. The dew won't soak it, dew is on the ground not up high. When I didn't WFH I would put a wash on when I got home from work, hang it out late, leave it overnight and all the next day and then bring it in in the evening when I got home. 

If it rains heavily, yes you'll have to rewash. Check the weather forecast. If it spits but is then dry, it'll just dry back out. Rained-on clothes for some reason smell even better. Sometimes on whites the rain can make it a bit dirty, so that's something to beware of. I don't notice dirt on dark clothes though.

It shouldn't take you too long to peg out though. Takes me about 15 minutes for a full load including getting it all out of the washer and putting the line up (mine is retractable).

Where do you think the dew comes from, it's moisture in the air that condenses and forms dew, on any outside surface, not just the ground.

freeisgood

Thank you so much, this is all incredibly helpful and full of common sense. 

I think I will try and get a wash on daily and put before I leave for work( I always use a 20 minute cycle no matter what).

I Can use my plastic tarpaulin to go on the top of the airers unless the weather forecast is completely dry. I’m sure Pegging out will get a lot quicker the more I do this.
I will also use all your lovely suggestions about bringing in  to finish if it’s a small load regularly.
No shed or garage but I’ve checked just now and  I can feel that the laundry is  already quite dry despite it raining on plastic sheet ive put out. 🙏
Thank you very much. 

Tabatha_Kitten

I check the patio flags first. If they are dry, washing goes on the line. If they are wet, it goes on an airer inside the back door (with the door open). 

greensalad

shiraz99 said:

greensalad said:

freeisgood said:

Well I’m going to have to break off my Love Affair with my tumble dryer. 

Today is the first day I have hung out clothes for years. I’ve put into action every single air dryer and taken 45 minutes to hang everything out. It’s now spitting so I found a big plastic bag to cover the dryers.
 I have no idea what I’m doing.
If the clothes are still half wet and damp this evening what am I supposed to do? 

Am I supposed to bring everything back in and then put out again I’m worried about the dew soaking everything. 

This is really exhausting and I haven’t even got past lunchtime yet. Only cause I’ve got a day off work I can do this I’m normally out of the house from 8 am to 6 pm so what do people normally do with their wet clothes? I can never use my tumble again 😭
Any advice on what to do when drying clothes outside. Thank you

I love a line! Stuff smells better, dries quicker, and is less creased. I've got a tumbly just for winter use (and for some things like towels I treat myself to having tumbled) but I love the line. I just had one installed after moving in in March and missing it a lot. 

Anyway, you can totally hang out clothing overnight. The dew won't soak it, dew is on the ground not up high. When I didn't WFH I would put a wash on when I got home from work, hang it out late, leave it overnight and all the next day and then bring it in in the evening when I got home. 

If it rains heavily, yes you'll have to rewash. Check the weather forecast. If it spits but is then dry, it'll just dry back out. Rained-on clothes for some reason smell even better. Sometimes on whites the rain can make it a bit dirty, so that's something to beware of. I don't notice dirt on dark clothes though.

It shouldn't take you too long to peg out though. Takes me about 15 minutes for a full load including getting it all out of the washer and putting the line up (mine is retractable).

Where do you think the dew comes from, it's moisture in the air that condensates and form dew, on any outside surface, not just the ground.

Have you ever seen the dew hanging on your clean washing though? Even at 6am the dew has only settled on my grass. Not on my washing. I understand it's moisture in the air but that doesn't mean it settles everywhere.

Money_Grabber13579

greensalad said:

shiraz99 said:

greensalad said:

freeisgood said:

Well I’m going to have to break off my Love Affair with my tumble dryer. 

Today is the first day I have hung out clothes for years. I’ve put into action every single air dryer and taken 45 minutes to hang everything out. It’s now spitting so I found a big plastic bag to cover the dryers.
 I have no idea what I’m doing.
If the clothes are still half wet and damp this evening what am I supposed to do? 

Am I supposed to bring everything back in and then put out again I’m worried about the dew soaking everything. 

This is really exhausting and I haven’t even got past lunchtime yet. Only cause I’ve got a day off work I can do this I’m normally out of the house from 8 am to 6 pm so what do people normally do with their wet clothes? I can never use my tumble again 😭
Any advice on what to do when drying clothes outside. Thank you

I love a line! Stuff smells better, dries quicker, and is less creased. I've got a tumbly just for winter use (and for some things like towels I treat myself to having tumbled) but I love the line. I just had one installed after moving in in March and missing it a lot. 

Anyway, you can totally hang out clothing overnight. The dew won't soak it, dew is on the ground not up high. When I didn't WFH I would put a wash on when I got home from work, hang it out late, leave it overnight and all the next day and then bring it in in the evening when I got home. 

If it rains heavily, yes you'll have to rewash. Check the weather forecast. If it spits but is then dry, it'll just dry back out. Rained-on clothes for some reason smell even better. Sometimes on whites the rain can make it a bit dirty, so that's something to beware of. I don't notice dirt on dark clothes though.

It shouldn't take you too long to peg out though. Takes me about 15 minutes for a full load including getting it all out of the washer and putting the line up (mine is retractable).

Where do you think the dew comes from, it's moisture in the air that condensates and form dew, on any outside surface, not just the ground.

Have you ever seen the dew hanging on your clean washing though? Even at 6am the dew has only settled on my grass. Not on my washing. I understand it's moisture in the air but that doesn't mean it settles everywhere.

It will still make the washing damp though. If I put my washing out in the morning and leave it out too long, it goes from wet to dry and back to damp again.

greensalad

Money_Grabber13579 said:

greensalad said:

shiraz99 said:

greensalad said:

freeisgood said:

Well I’m going to have to break off my Love Affair with my tumble dryer. 

Today is the first day I have hung out clothes for years. I’ve put into action every single air dryer and taken 45 minutes to hang everything out. It’s now spitting so I found a big plastic bag to cover the dryers.
 I have no idea what I’m doing.
If the clothes are still half wet and damp this evening what am I supposed to do? 

Am I supposed to bring everything back in and then put out again I’m worried about the dew soaking everything. 

This is really exhausting and I haven’t even got past lunchtime yet. Only cause I’ve got a day off work I can do this I’m normally out of the house from 8 am to 6 pm so what do people normally do with their wet clothes? I can never use my tumble again 😭
Any advice on what to do when drying clothes outside. Thank you

I love a line! Stuff smells better, dries quicker, and is less creased. I've got a tumbly just for winter use (and for some things like towels I treat myself to having tumbled) but I love the line. I just had one installed after moving in in March and missing it a lot. 

Anyway, you can totally hang out clothing overnight. The dew won't soak it, dew is on the ground not up high. When I didn't WFH I would put a wash on when I got home from work, hang it out late, leave it overnight and all the next day and then bring it in in the evening when I got home. 

If it rains heavily, yes you'll have to rewash. Check the weather forecast. If it spits but is then dry, it'll just dry back out. Rained-on clothes for some reason smell even better. Sometimes on whites the rain can make it a bit dirty, so that's something to beware of. I don't notice dirt on dark clothes though.

It shouldn't take you too long to peg out though. Takes me about 15 minutes for a full load including getting it all out of the washer and putting the line up (mine is retractable).

Where do you think the dew comes from, it's moisture in the air that condensates and form dew, on any outside surface, not just the ground.

Have you ever seen the dew hanging on your clean washing though? Even at 6am the dew has only settled on my grass. Not on my washing. I understand it's moisture in the air but that doesn't mean it settles everywhere.

It will still make the washing damp though. If I put my washing out in the morning and leave it out too long, it goes from wet to dry and back to damp again.

Not my personal experience! Overnight hung out and it's dry often in the morning for me, even if i get up early

Racky_Roo

freeisgood said:

Thank you so much, this is all incredibly helpful and full of common sense. 

I think I will try and get a wash on daily and put before I leave for work( I always use a 20 minute cycle no matter what).

I Can use my plastic tarpaulin to go on the top of the airers unless the weather forecast is completely dry. I’m sure Pegging out will get a lot quicker the more I do this.
I will also use all your lovely suggestions about bringing in  to finish if it’s a small load regularly.
No shed or garage but I’ve checked just now and  I can feel that the laundry is  already quite dry despite it raining on plastic sheet ive put out. 🙏
Thank you very much. 

It's worth checking what the spin is on the 20 min cycle your using. It prob isn't the fastest the machine can do. In summer I don't do this as clothes dry quickly, but in winter, if I use the quick wash, I then do a spin after which takes 10 mins as it takes a lot more water out of the clothes and so they dry quicker

Slinky

Brie said:

(I switched to silver clothes clips so I didn't waste time trying to colour match to the clothing.)

Wow! You actually used to colour match your pegs to your washing?!