Drying Washing Indoors Without Growing Mould

Article

What you are seeing

Condensation on the window of the room where the clothes airer lives, a musty smell in that room, and mould creeping out of the corners over the winter. The washing takes a long time to dry, and the room feels clammy.

GOV.UK guidance on damp and mould lists drying laundry indoors as one of the everyday sources of moisture and recommends drying it outdoors where possible, with covered areas preferable.

Rule these out first, cheapest first

These steps go from the cheapest habit changes to equipment.

1. Step 1, free: dry outside when you can. A covered porch, carport or garage on a dry day is better than any indoor option. Even a couple of hours outside reduces how much has to finish drying indoors.
2. Step 2, free: spin it harder. Use the highest spin speed the fabric allows. Less water in the wash at the start means less to evaporate into the room.
3. Step 3, free: one room, door shut. Hang the airer in one room with the door shut, and open a window a little or run an extractor. Keeping the moisture in one place stops it spreading to cold bedrooms.
4. Step 4, free: keep it off the radiator. Drying clothes directly on a radiator can pull heat away from the room and puts moisture into the air as it cooks off. A clothes airer in a heated room with some ventilation is better.
5. Step 5, low cost: use a condensing or vented tumble dryer properly. A vented dryer needs its hose outside. A condenser dryer needs its tank emptied. Both stop the moisture reaching the room.
6. Step 6, system: dry the air. If you have to dry clothes indoors every winter and the home still shows condensation, a mechanical dehumidifier can deal with the moisture the habits cannot.

The Ashford factor

Winters in this part of Kent are mild and wet, with long spells of damp air, so line-drying outside is often not an option for weeks at a time.

In airtight modern homes, the effect of a wet airer is more noticeable because the moisture has little chance to leak out through gaps.

When a dehumidifier is not the answer

A dehumidifier does not replace good habits, and it does not help if your damp comes from a leak or from the ground. If you rent and cannot make changes to the structure, a portable dehumidifier is a more realistic option than a loft-mounted system. A Dryzen unit needs a loft and is not suitable for rentals unless the landlord authorises the changes.

Where Dryzen fits

A Dryzen system is a loft-mounted dehumidifier with insulated ductwork to the central area or stairway of the home. Each unit is rated for 150 square metres and has an extraction rate of 12 litres a day, and it uses about 20 pounds a year in energy. It suits owner-occupied homes with a loft. It is not suitable for rental properties unless the landlord authorises the changes. If laundry is one of several moisture sources in your home, a free survey can measure humidity through the day and tell you whether a system would help.

Quick questions

Is it bad to dry washing on radiators?

It puts a lot of moisture into the air and can mean the room never quite dries out. If you must, do it in a room with the door shut and a window slightly open.

Can I use a dehumidifier to dry clothes?

A portable dehumidifier in a closed room speeds up drying. For a long-term answer to household moisture, we look at the whole home at survey.

Does opening a window in winter waste heat?

A short burst of ventilation costs less than heating a room full of damp air. Open the window wide for a short time rather than leaving it just ajar all day.

Sources: GOV.UK: Understanding and addressing the health risks of damp and mould in the home; Energy Saving Trust: How to get rid of damp; BRE: Diagnosing the causes of dampness in buildings

Last reviewed 2026-10-05. General guidance only; this is not a survey of your home.