How do I dry washing indoors without causing damp?

Wet washing releases litres of water into the house as it dries. In a sealed modern home that moisture condenses on cold surfaces and causes mould, which is why indoor drying gets blamed for damp problems.

What you'll need

• Airer
• Dehumidifier (optional)
• Extractor fan or window (optional)

Step by step

1. Spin the load thoroughly first.A higher spin speed removes considerably more water mechanically. It is free and it substantially shortens drying time and reduces moisture released.
2. Dry in one room with the door closed.It contains the moisture in one place rather than spreading it through the house, where it condenses in the coldest rooms.
3. Ventilate that room while it dries.A window open, or an extractor fan running. The moisture has to leave the house rather than moving to another room.
4. Do not drape washing over radiators.It blocks the heat output, so the boiler runs longer, and it releases the moisture into a warm sealed room where it condenses elsewhere.
5. Use a dehumidifier if you dry indoors regularly.It is far more effective than ventilation alone in cold weather and often cheaper to run than a tumble dryer. It collects the water rather than releasing it.
6. Space the clothes out on the airer.Air needs to circulate. A crammed airer takes several times longer and clothes can develop a musty smell.
7. Dry outside whenever the weather allows.Even in cold weather, a dry breezy day dries washing effectively. Sunlight also has a mild disinfecting and whitening effect.
8. Do not leave wet washing in the machine.It develops a musty smell within hours that requires rewashing. Take it out promptly.

Tips

• A heated airer costs much less to run than a tumble dryer and dries a load overnight. With a cover over it, it is remarkably effective.
• Position the airer near the extractor or the open window rather than in the middle of the room. The moisture then leaves rather than circulating.
• If clothes smell musty after drying, they took too long. More spin, more space and more ventilation all shorten the time.

Common mistakes

• Drying washing on radiators in a closed house — It releases litres of water into warm sealed air, which condenses on cold surfaces and causes mould. It also makes the heating less efficient.
• Drying in a closed room with no ventilation — The moisture has nowhere to go, so it condenses on windows and cold walls in that room and any adjoining ones.
• Overloading the airer — Air cannot circulate, so drying takes several times longer and clothes develop a musty smell that needs rewashing.

Questions people ask