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How to Dry Clothes Indoors Without Damp or Mould
Dry your washing in one room with the door closed, give the moisture a way out with a dehumidifier or an open window, and spin each load as hard as the fabric allows. Avoid hanging wet clothes on radiators.
Why drying indoors makes a home damp
A full load of washing holds a lot of water. Estimates commonly put it at around two litres. As the clothes dry, that water goes into the air and condenses on the coldest surfaces in the room: windows, outside walls and the backs of wardrobes. Over a winter, that moisture is what feeds condensation and black mould.
The aim is to dry the clothes and remove the water from the house at the same time.
Five free changes
- Use a higher spin speed. Less water in the clothes means less water in the air.
- Dry in one room with the door shut. A spare room or bathroom works best.
- Ventilate that room. Open the window slightly or the trickle vents, or run the extractor fan.
- Keep washing off radiators. It blocks heat from the room and adds moisture to the air.
- Space items out. Air needs to reach every side of each item.
Choosing a drying setup
| Your home | Setup | Why it works |
|---|---|---|
| Small flat, no spare room | Tiered or wall-mounted airer and a dehumidifier | Small footprint, and the dehumidifier collects the water |
| Cold house, heating used sparingly | Heated airer and a desiccant dehumidifier | Gentle heat speeds drying; desiccant models work in cold rooms |
| Large household | Wing airer and a compressor dehumidifier on laundry mode | Most hanging space and the fastest drying per load |
| Rented home | Freestanding or over-door airer | No drilling and nothing to repair when you move out |
Clothes airers
An airer is the cheapest improvement. Check three things before buying: how much hanging length it gives when fully open, whether it holds wet towels and jeans without sagging, and how flat it folds for storage.
Tall tiered clothes airer
Wing clothes airer
Over-door drying rack
Heated airers
Heated rails dry clothes faster than a standard airer, and most models use far less power than a tumble dryer. To check the running cost, multiply the wattage by your unit rate:
Cost per hour = watts ÷ 1000 × price per kWh
A 250W airer on a 25p per kWh tariff costs about 6p an hour. Check the wattage on the listing and the unit rate on your bill.
3-tier heated airer
Heated airer with cover
Dehumidifiers
A dehumidifier draws water out of the air into a tank. Many have a laundry setting that runs at higher power while washing dries. There are two main types.
| Type | Best for | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Compressor | Rooms above roughly 15°C | Less effective in cold rooms and louder |
| Desiccant | Cold rooms and unheated houses; adds slight warmth | Uses more electricity per hour |
Compressor dehumidifier with laundry mode
Desiccant dehumidifier
A routine that works
- Wash and spin on the highest setting the fabric allows.
- Hang everything spaced out on an airer in one room.
- Close the door and run the dehumidifier on laundry mode, or open a window slightly.
- Empty the tank afterwards. That water would otherwise have ended up on your walls and windows.
Common questions
Is drying clothes on radiators bad? It is not dangerous in itself, but it raises humidity and stops the radiator heating the room properly. An airer placed near the radiator dries clothes almost as well.
What size dehumidifier do I need? For drying laundry in a bedroom or small flat, a mid-size domestic unit with a laundry mode is usually enough. Check the room size each model is rated for.
Will a dehumidifier stop black mould? It removes the moisture mould needs to grow. You still need to clean existing mould and repair any leaks. If damp keeps returning, have a professional check for rising or penetrating damp.