Do you hang your washing out?

For once it is a bright sunny day and so I decided to put the washing on the line. I confess that I am guilty of mostly using the tumble drier to dry my washing. Only in the height of summer do I regularly use my washing line. Something that would have horrified my Mum.

When I was putting the stuff out today memories of my Mum came flooding back. The first thing that popped into my mind was how she would always take a damp cloth and wipe the line down first. I have never done that. I just peg the stuff out. Do you wipe your line first?

I remember how she pegged things out too. Usually she would peg from the shoulders of a garment whereas I always peg from the bottom. I wonder if there is a supposed right and wrong way?

She always used her washing line, in all weathers, except rain or really icy cold. That said I can remember occasions where it had obviously become cold and the washing would come off the line totally frozen stiff and would stand up on its own. I can't see the purpose of having put it out in that weather.

I also remember how if a sudden downpour arrived she would dash out into the garden and rush round madly un-pegging in order to get it in before it got soaked. Back in those days neighbours would also do the same for each other if they knew you were out. So it would not be unusual to come home and find all your washing with the woman next door. Today, if that happened you would assume it had been stolen.

Of course in those days they did not have the luxury of a machine that would get it all dry for you in under a couple of hours. The washing would come off the line and if it was still damp it would be draped over a clothes airer which was in the kitchen. My Mum's one was wooden and sometimes it would leave marks on the clothes. When I was first married, in the days before I had a tumble drier, I had a plastic clothes airer which went over the bath. However with 5 children it wasn’t too long before I had a tumbler.

If the clothes came off the line dry then they would be ironed and placed in the airing cupboard. A cupboard with slatted shelves above the boiler so it was warm. The clothes stayed in there for at least several days until they were “aired”

I have never really understood airing cupboards and the process of airing. What does that even mean? If clothes are damp then you dry them. If they are dry you put them away, don't you? I do anyway.

One legacy that my Mum has left me is ironing. She ironed most things. She certainly ironed all our clothes and the bed linen. This has rubbed off on me. I iron everything, and I do mean everything! Underpants and socks included! Do I like ironing? No! Somehow though I can't get myself out of the habit. Maybe I should work on that!

Very occasionally if I time it right with the tumble drier, I can get away with folding a few things or maybe just giving them a quick press. Trouble is I am usually too busy and forget to attend to the drier as soon as it finishes.

What are your washing habits? I think the British are more into their washing lines than my Merikan friends.

Jilly