Drying clothes indoors without causing damp
Every load of washing dried on an airer releases around 1.5–2.5 litres of water into your home. In winter, that's often the single biggest moisture source in the house — and one of the easiest to manage.
Where does the water go?
When clothes dry, the water in them doesn't disappear — it evaporates into the room. Three or four loads a week can add six to ten litres of water to the indoor air. If it isn't removed, it condenses on the coldest surfaces: windows, outside walls, the backs of wardrobes. For many households, drying laundry indoors is the difference between a home that's fine and one with persistent mould.
Drying clothes indoors isn't a failing — many people have no outdoor space or a garden that's useless from November to March. The aim is to control where the moisture goes.
Best ways to dry clothes indoors
1. Pick one room and close the door
Choose a room with an extractor fan or a window you can open — often the bathroom or utility room. Put the airer there, shut the door, and run the fan or crack the window. The moisture stays in one place and gets removed, instead of spreading to bedrooms.
2. Add a dehumidifier
A dehumidifier in a closed room with the laundry is very effective; many have a "laundry" mode. Point the airflow at the clothes and they dry faster too. Check running costs — often comparable with a tumble dryer for the same load.
3. Spin harder first
A faster final spin removes more water in the machine, leaving less to evaporate in your home. It's free and shortens drying time.
4. Keep airers away from cold walls and radiators
Draping clothes on radiators puts water into the air right where it's warmest and blocks heat from the room. An airer in the middle of a warm room, with space around it, dries faster and spreads the moisture more evenly.
Tumble dryers compared
| Type | Where the moisture goes | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Vented | Outside, through a hose to a vent | Fine if the hose goes outdoors; a hose out of a window or into a room puts the water straight back inside |
| Condenser | Mostly into a water tank or drain | Some warm, moist air still escapes into the room |
| Heat pump | Into a tank or drain | Lowest running cost of the three; little moisture released |
| Heated airer | Into the room | Cheap to run, but all the water ends up indoors — pair with ventilation or a dehumidifier |
Things to avoid
- Drying clothes in bedrooms, especially overnight. See bedroom condensation.
- Venting a dryer into the room or loft.
- Leaving laundry to dry for days in a cold room — slow drying means musty smells and mildew.
- Closing trickle vents to keep the heat in while laundry dries; that's exactly when you need them.
See the effect on your home
The full room assessment asks how many loads you dry and where, and shows how much moving laundry elsewhere lowers humidity at your coldest surfaces compared with other fixes. For many rooms it's the most effective free change.