Is drying clothes at home bad for your health?
Yes, unfortunately drying clothes indoors can be harmful to your health. Excess humidity from the laundry inside your home promotes the growth of mold that can attack humans and cause various negative consequences.
Why not dry your laundry at home?
- Mold grows;
- Fungi develop;
- Significant risks may arise.
As we were saying, drying clothes indoors is not a particularly beneficial option. The resulting humidity causes mold and mildew to develop in the home environment, which is especially harmful to those who suffer from asthma or, worse, those with immune deficiencies due to therapies or illnesses.
If clothes are placed on radiators or near radiators , the problem is amplified: for example, if the environment has been colonised by the Aspergillus fungus , its spores proliferate even more and are inhaled through breathing, which can lead to contracting pulmonary aspergillosis .
Why hang out the laundry indoors with the window open?
If for some reason you are forced to hang out your laundry at home, it is a good idea to remember to leave the window open or, at least, air the rooms where you hang out your laundry very often. It would be a good idea to open the windows for at least five minutes every hour.
How to dry clothes at home with a dehumidifier?
If you can’t do otherwise, drying your laundry at home using a dehumidifier can be a valid alternative, keeping it on only for the drying time of the clothes.
It is good to keep in mind that, since radiators dry the air in winter, the ideal humidity level in the home should be between 40% and 60% . Generally, the temperature in the home should be set around 20° and the humidity level should be 50%.
For further information:How to use a dehumidifier correctly
Is it okay to dry clothes indoors only in winter?
No, even in winter it would be good to hang out the clothes outside , taking advantage of the central hours of the day. The sun and the wind, even if cold, will dry the clothes and eliminate part of the humidity.
Why shouldn’t you hang out laundry at night?
Laundry should not be hung out at night, either indoors or outside. Clothes should be hung out during the day and taken out as soon as they are dry, because during the night there is more humidity and the clothes could trap it and then stink due to stagnant water. General golden rule: never put damp clothes in the closet, they could develop mold.
How to dry clothes indoors?
- Avoid bedroom and kitchen;
- Place the drying rack next to a window;
- The clothes on the clothes horse must be hung out and positioned well spaced apart;
- Heavier items or items with many pockets, such as jeans, tracksuits, and sweatshirts, should be hung out inside out first;
- Air out the room;
- Get a dehumidifier with a laundry drying function .
Once again, the general recommendation is always not to let clothes dry indoors , but to take advantage of sunny and airy days, even in winter. If you have no other choice, however, there are some small precautions. First of all, never place the drying rack in the bedroom or kitchen, to minimize the formation of humidity.
Then, it is a good idea to place the drying rack next to a window and hang the clothes out well spaced apart from each other : this way the humidity can evaporate more easily, without stagnating. The heaviest items should be turned inside out, so that the inside can dry well. Finally, it is essential to air the room by opening the windows for at least 5-10 minutes every hour and to equip yourself with a dehumidifier.
