Why Drying Your Washing Indoors Could Be Making You Ill!

Washing our clothes is something that we all have to do on a daily basis and it is a chore that is absolutely necessary, but for some it could be damaging their health!

We are not talking about those who have a tumble dryer or dry their washing outside, it is those that have to dry their washing indoors and use a clothes horse or a hang their washing on radiators that are at greatest risk. Smaller properties with no room for a tumble dryer and no access to the outside to dry their washing are at greatest risk. With the first rung on the property ladder becoming harder and harder to reach, more and more people are living in such properties.

Washing dries because it wants to be in equilibrium with its surroundings, if the air is dry then it will release its moisture so that it can be the same as the air around it. If the air is already damp then it will take longer for the washing to dry. Simple really and something that anyone who has ever hung washing out on a line will of worked out for themselves.

The problems starts from around June/July onwards when the relative humidity of the air in the summer months increases and the moisture from the laundry adds to this and helps mold to grow on cool spots on the wall.

As we move from summer into autumn and then onwards into winter we keep our windows closed for longer and longer to stop cold draughts and this in turn traps the moisture inside the property and is added to by the moisture from showering, bathing, cooking and breathing. All of this starts to add up in the air, the washing takes longer and longer to dry and condensation will probably start to form on windows.

As well as the condensation and mold that we can actually see the high levels of humidity in the air also have more invisible effects.

Damp around a window is a common problem in damp homes.

Dust Mites reproduce when the relative humidity is high and unfortunately it is their droppings that contain the allergen that some are allergic to when inhaled. Mold grows when the relative humidity is above 68%rh and releases mold spores (seeds) to spread around the house, again it is the inhalation of these spores that causes the problems.

All of these triggers are directly linked to an increase in relative humidity in the property caused by the way that we live our lives. But if you do not want to open the windows to let heated air out and cold air in, then what can you do?

Using a dehumidifier with a Laundry Mode will reduce the amount of moisture in the air which will have the following knock on effects:

• Mold will not grow.
• Dust Mites rate of reproduction will reduce.
• The property will feel warmer and will be cheaper to heat.
• No cold draughts.
• Washing will dry faster.
• Condensation will be eliminated or reduced.
• Walls and surfaces will have to be cleaned with mold remover and redecorated less often.
• Clothes in built in wardrobes will not smell musty.
• The property in general will be a healthier place to live.

In order to dry washing efficiently you should position a Laundry Drying dehumidifier next to the washing in a small room (the kitchen perhaps) and close the door. The dehumidifier will dry the air within the kitchen to around 35%rh and the washing will release its moisture from the laundry to be in equilibrium with the air in the room. The water that is released into the air will be collected by the dehumidifier and will not be able to travel around the property and will therefore not be able to create damp issues. If you are able to position the washing so that the dry air coming out of the dehumidifier hits the washing then it will dry even faster (think windy day outside and washing on the line).

So using a dehumidifier can significantly improve the quality of life in your property, something that Meaco customers agree with, when surveyed 91% of Meaco customers said that using their Meaco dehumidifier enhanced their quality of life. But you do need the right type of dehumidifier, buying the wrong one can result in disappointment.

Most of the issues we are talking about here are going to occur in condos, apartments and smaller terraced houses or maisonettes. So if the property is small then you don’t want a large dehumidifier and you want a quiet dehumidifier. Weight is also an issue because you will be moving it to the room that you will be using to dry the washing in and then back to a central location (hallway probably).

This is why Meaco have designed dehumidifiers that can dry laundry quickly and cheaply and then be a joy to use throughout the rest of the day to keep the rest of your home dry and damp free.

The Meaco DD8L Zambezi series have quickly become firm favourites with apartment owners because they tick all of the right boxes as well as providing extra warmth to the space.

So drying your washing the Meaco way can improve your health, wealth and enhance your quality of life. Whoever would of thought that a dehumidifier could be so fundamentally important.

If you are living with damp and think that a dehumidifier might help then please feel free to contact Meaco for further advice.