It’s pouring down outside and there’s a washing machine full of wet clothes with no line outside to hang them on. A combination of prolonged wet weather without the luxury of a tumble dryer may encourage people to dry laundry indoors. But this could pose more of a health risk than we care to admit.

What Happens When You Dry Clothes Indoors?

Studies have shown that up to 30 percent of moisture in our homes can be caused by drying laundry indoors – that’s the equivalent of nine pints of water! Without adequate ventilation, this excess moisture has nowhere to escape and can cause health and structural problems if left unresolved.

As the wet clothes dry the moisture released into the air creates the ideal breeding conditions for the growth of mould and other airborne irritants that can easily be breathed in and introduced into the body.

Pheena Kenny, of the Asthma Society of Ireland, said: "moist environments encourage the growth of mould which can release ‘seeds’ called spores.” She adds: "for some people with asthma who are sensitive to dust and mould spores, it can act as a trigger, causing asthma to get worse."

One of the most common variations of mould revealed by PowerBeesthrough mould testing services is mould from the Aspergillus genus; from these moulds, Aspergillus Fumigatus (asper-fil-lus fu-mig-atus) is the species that causes the highest number of infections in humans.

What Is Aspergillus Fumigatus?

Aspergillosis is a condition caused from a fungal mould called aspergillus that is present in the air we breathe. Found outdoors and indoors, Aspergillus Fumigatus is caused through breathing in small spores of mould found in humid environments including damp buildings and dust.

Professor David Denning and his team at the National Aspergillosis Centre in Manchester issued a warning after treating a growing number of patients who have inhaled Aspergillus fungal spores.

Denning said: “most of us are either immune to the fungus which grows in these humid conditions, or have a sufficiently healthy system to fight the infection”.

He suggests either drying laundry on a line outside, in a tumble dryer - which many of us do not have the luxury of – or a well ventilated space.

But, what if we said we can go one better?

Use A Dehumidifier (Can A Dehumidifier Help)?

While we still have to put up with rainy days when a tumble dryer is something of dreams; the reality for many is an endless cycle of wet laundry that takes up every bit of space in our homes.

Sound familiar?

Let us introduce a great economical space saving alternative that can substantially reduce drying time and costs much less to run compared to other methods.

*Drum Roll*

A dehumidifier.

How Can A Dehumidifier Help Dry Clothes?

Using a dehumidifier ensures that while wet laundry is hung on an airer, clothes horse or radiator, the moisture released is completely removed from the air by the dehumidifier.

A dehumidifier simply works by extracting moisture from the air. It draws in the air from the home in through a filter and passes over a set of metal coils – a cold coil and a heated coil. When the air hits the cold metal, the moisture in the air condenses and forms droplets which fall off into a water container inside the machine before being redistributed back into the home.

Plus, because this process uses dry air, rather than heat, a dehumidifier will ensure softer clothes by actively extracting moisture from the air as it occurs increasing drying time while preventing unhealthy air quality and unpleasant odours that drying laundry indoors often creates.

Don’t wait until it’s too late – a dehumidifier will greatly reduce the amount of time it takes for your laundry to dry while combating the additional moisture in the air, preventing the build up of condensation, damp and mould in our homes.