Leaving laundry/washables out overnight (clothesline). [Archive]

Mrs-M

6-6-11, 2:38pm

I'm anal in relation to ensuring all laundry is brought in off the line at the end of the day, or at best, before I retire for the night. However, last Saturday, after hanging a large load of laundry up outside on the line to dry I realized by late in the day (suppertime) that the day hadn't reached warm enough temperatures to dry everything I had out, so rather than take it all down and finish it up in the electric tumble dryer, I chose to leave it up, hanging outside (for the night). By noon the next day it was perfectly dry and ready to be brought in. It was the first time I ever allowed a line of laundry to sit overnight.

How about you? Anyone here allow washables to hang outside overnight?

Rosemary

6-6-11, 2:41pm

I leave ours out frequently. Often it works well for me to run loads of laundry when I'm cooking dinner, hang them outside while DD is getting ready for bed, and take them in the next afternoon. Mornings can be busy and I don't always have time to hang laundry before I go out for the day. And getting up earlier isn't an answer, because the mosquitoes are truly wicked until at least 7-8am.

Sometimes it just gets left outside because I'm too busy for laundry. Sometimes it gets rained on. It always dries again.

Sad Eyed Lady

6-6-11, 7:26pm

Yes, I have but not that often.

KayLR

6-6-11, 7:34pm

I've left it out inadvertently, but would rather not. I have a memory from childhood. My Mom left clothing out on the line in the evening...went out to get it and it was all gone! Including my favorite little red dress with embroidered reindeer.

libby

6-6-11, 9:44pm

I leave my clothes on the line at night. Sometimes I have done laundry late in the day and things aren't dry yet.

early morning

6-7-11, 12:30am

I leave things on the line overnight fairly often - usually if I do laundry in the evening. My work mornings are too early the way it is! I try to check the weather first. Doppler is a line-dryer's friend, lol!

Shari

6-7-11, 5:49am

I wouldn't because doesn't the pollen count increase the in the early hours? I am allergic to practically everything.

Float On

6-7-11, 9:25am

I left stuff out the other night by accident. It seemed to take longer to dry the next day. Will try to avoid that in the future.

Mrs-M

6-8-11, 2:22am

Thanks for your input guys! I have to say I had a subtle gnawing feeling visit me a few times that night over the thought of something going missing, but to date (and to the best of my knowledge) there has never been any incidents in our area of wash-line theft.

Nonetheless, I just love the feeling of winding down my day (late into the evening) and when it's dark outside, going out with my laundry basket and taking things down. The air is still and fresh, the crickets are sounding, and there's an almost sort of calm that calls out to me. It helps relax me and remind me of life's simple domestic pleasures.

KayLR

6-8-11, 2:03pm

Thanks for your input guys! I have to say I had a subtle gnawing feeling visit me a few times that night over the thought of something going missing, but to date (and to the best of my knowledge) there has never been any incidents in our area of wash-line theft.

Nonetheless, I just love the feeling of winding down my day (late into the evening) and when it's dark outside, going out with my laundry basket and taking things down. The air is still and fresh, the crickets are sounding, and there's an almost sort of calm that calls out to me. It helps relax me and remind me of life's simple domestic pleasures.

I like that too. In fact, that feeling of simple pleasure is why I like ironing, too. Call me crazy, but I love ironing.

mira

6-8-11, 2:38pm

The weather is normally too unreliable here, but I do if I know it's not going to rain.

poetry_writer

6-8-11, 4:02pm

I do, when we get a late afternoon sudden storm which drenches everything. It dries fine the next day (mind you I am in Texas so its very hot here)

folkypoet

6-8-11, 4:16pm

I just started line drying this spring, so I haven't left them out overnight yet (I'm fairly absent-minded, so...). Was just reading Cheryl Mendelson's wonderful book Laundry: The Home Comforts Book of Caring for Clothes and Linens (http://www.amazon.com/Laundry-Comforts-Caring-Clothes-Linens/dp/0743271467/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1307560267&sr=8-1) (she's also the author of the fabulous Home Comforts: The Art and Science of Keeping House (http://www.amazon.com/Home-Comforts-Science-Keeping-House/dp/0743272862/ref=pd_sim_b_1)). She has a nice little section on line drying. Being a beginner and not having anyone to show me the ropes, I was excited to come across so many tips and hints. :o)

Mrs-M

6-8-11, 5:46pm

Mira. I've always wondered about clothesline drying and the weather in the UK. I'm thinking on a warmish day the laundry would come off the line nice and soft. Am I close? :)

Poetry_writer. Makes perfect sense to me! :) Beats my way of thinking by a long shot! i.e. Me getting all mad and upset over having to take everything down and put it into the electric clothes dryer. :laff:

Folkypoet. Many years ago I took out Home Comforts from the library and wound up getting an extension on it! :) Gosh I loved that book! Now I'm going to have to see if our library has Cheryl Mendelson's wonderful book "Laundry". Thanks for mentioning this. Oh, and happy line-drying! You're going to love it!

Rosemary

6-8-11, 7:28pm

Mrs. M - I wind down my day with the hanging of the laundry, rather than taking it down. Just another cycle...

Mrs-M

6-8-11, 8:17pm

Originally posted by KayLRZ.
In fact, that feeling of simple pleasure is why I like ironing, too. Call me crazy, but I love ironing.Call me crazy too! I also love ironing! :laff:

Rosemary. Your evening cycle sounds equally as rewarding. :) An old neighbour of ours (old neighbourhood) almost always hung laundry in the evening. (Funny story to tell you about her evening hanging routine/schedule).

She had 5 kids and used disposable diapers for all, that is up until her last was born. Her last was chronically allergic to disposables so she had to switch him over to cloth a couple of months in.

Anyway, he turned out to be a late trainer (I'm talking REALLY late), and growing embarrassed over his delay, the mom would put out his laundered diapers on the line late into the night, then take them down first thing in the morning (bright and early like) so no one would see! :laff: Still makes me laugh to this day whenever I think about it.

So Rosemary, were you uncomfortable over a late trainer in your home? Ah-hem ah-hem..., hence the late night hanging! :laff: JK!