Drying clothes indoors is more common during the winter, but it can cause a musty smell, or worse lead to damp and mould indoors. Luckily, there are ways you can stop it happening
As the weather outside turns colder, and we crank the heating up, condensation and damp can become an issue inside homes. Damp, which can lead to mould, isn’t just unsightly, but can produce allergens, irritants and other toxins that are harmful to our health.
This can be a real problem for those with respiratory problems, such as asthma – particularly in those with weakened immune systems. But sometimes it can feel like you’re facing a losing battle with damp, as you might not want to open the window and let freezing air into your home.
This is a particular problem if you still want to dry clothes indoors to save money by not using the tumble dryer. Gone are the days where you can safely hang your clothes outside to dry. But drying clothes indoors, without proper air circulation, could lead to moisture being trapped, especially if the clothes remain damp for a long time. This could in turn lead to condensation and mould in the home.
But luckily, there are ways you can avoid your clothes smelling of damp and turning mouldy from being dried indoors.
Energy-saving company Loop recently took to TikTok to share: “We avoid the tumble dryer as much as we can – but during the colder months that does come with the risk of your clothes smelling damp. Here are some easy tricks to keep your laundry smelling fresh throughout the colder months.”
Then went on to share five rules, which if followed can help you avoid those damp-smelling clothes. Firstly, once you’ve washed your clothes, don’t leave them sitting in the washing machine for any length of time – they should be taken out “immediately”.
When you hang them up on the clothes rack, you should “avoid cramming too many clothes together”. Instead, “give each item space”. It’s also recommended to flip items over after a few hours “to expose damp spots”.
You could also invest in a dehumidifier, which “allow for quicker indoor drying as they remove moisture from the air, preventing that musty smell”. Another thing you might consider investing in is a heated dryer, which the experts say can “speed up the drying process”.
Some of these come with a cover, which makes for even speedier drying. In the comment section people started sharing their own tips to prevent damp and moisture.
One person said: “You missed step 1.5: run a second spin. It does wonders for reducing the amount of water in the clothes to start with.” Another added: “I put on the fan . Use that to dry my clothes as it on dry track.”
