Life Hack: How to dry your clothes indoors without causing damp or mould in your home

Drying wet laundry indoors can increase damp in the home by 30%. Here's how to avoid damp and mould problems

Drying clothes indoors can trap excess condensation inside, resulting in issues such as damp and mould forming in our homes

As any Irish mammy will tell you, when the forecast is this grim it’s not great weather for drying.

However, for those of us who can’t use a dryer for our clothes, the only option is to hang them indoors to dry, but this can trap excess condensation inside, resulting in issues such as damp and mould forming in our homes.

For a solution, the experts at Beko have shared a few tips for drying clothes indoors, and avoiding the issues of damp and mould when doing so.

Damp specialist and property expert, Paul Gibbens told Beko that drying wet laundry indoors can increase damp in the home by 30%. He adds that damp can be problematic for people with breathing issues such as asthma.

“Excess moisture in the home can also impact your health significantly,” he says.

As moisture levels increase, the environment will become damp which impacts your breathing, especially for those who suffer from asthma. The spores from the growth of mould can also cause allergic reactions.

To avoid causing dampness while drying laundry, first you should improve the airflow in the area where you will be hanging the wet clothes. Place your clothes horse somewhere with good airflow and open a window or door for 15 minutes to increase ventilation. Allowing fresh air to blow through your house will instantly improve the airflow.

If it’s just too cold for you to consider letting a chilly breeze in, consider purchasing a dehumidifier. This will help to quickly dry your clothes by removing excess moisture from the air.

It can be tempting to let laundry build up and wash it all in one load to save time, but putting too many clothes into a washing machine and overloading it can actually make the clothes wetter when the cycle is finished, meaning it will take even longer for them to dry and more moisture will be circulating.

Similarly, spreading out your laundry loads can help avoid your clothes developing a damp smell. If you have an overloaded clothes horse, often your clothes develop a damp smell after they’ve been sitting there too long to dry. Spacing out your washing so your clothes have enough space to dry will reduce their drying time and prevent that horrible smell.

It is unsurprising that a home appliance brand suggests buying a home appliance, but there is a decent case for investing in a tumble dryer. They dry clothes quickly and effectively and completely remove the need to fill your home with wet laundry.