Top tips for drying your clothes outdoors

Drying your clothes outdoors is a great way of being eco-friendly when you are washing and of getting that lovely fresh outdoor smell into your clothes.

Drying washing outside is pretty straightforward, but there are a few things you can do to get the best from your washing line.

Top tips for drying clothes outdoors

Make sure your clothesline is clean and dry - If your line stays out all year round with no cover then it will pick up dirt and grime. Give it a wipe with a cloth or kitchen paper before you hang to make sure that dirt isn’t getting on your nice clean clothes. Keeping your line in good condition will also help it last longer.

Dry your coloured clothes in the shade - Strong sunshine can fade colours so if you don’t want your favourite t-shirt to look like its lost its mojo, keep it shaded. On the other hand, hanging white clothes, sheets or towels in the sun can help them to stay brighter.

Hang your washing strategically - If you have a rotary line put the big stuff like sheets on the outside where it has space to spread out. Work your way into smaller things like underwear. If you want to save more space invest in an underwear hanger - these are usually round or oval and have several pegs around the edge where you can peg your underwear and a hook at the top to hang over your clothesline.

Invest in quality pegs - They will keep things on better in windy weather, be less likely to leave marks on your clothes and last longer.

Give clothes a good shake before you hang them - This will help get rid of creases and ensure the fabric isn’t bunched up so things dry evenly. Turning pockets of jackets and trousers inside out can also help with drying.

Hang shorts and pants by the hem of the leg - The weight of the waistband will help the pants to hang straighter which helps the creases to drop out. Hang sweaters and t-shirts upside down too so the weight is at the bottom.

Hang delicate items flat if you can - If you have delicate knitwear which will stretch consider using a hangar or invest in a smaller drying frame on which you can lay the garment flat.