Drying laundry indoors: the mould risk nobody mentions
Why a clothes airer can cause mould
Yes, drying washing indoors can cause mould, and it often goes unnoticed because the mould turns up somewhere else. A freshly washed load holds a lot of water, and as it dries, all of it moves into the air in your home. If that air can't get out, the vapour travels to the coldest surfaces it can find, such as outside walls, window frames and the backs of wardrobes, and turns back into water there. Repeat that several times a week through the winter and those surfaces barely dry between loads, which is exactly what condensation mould needs.
Why it shows up in a different room
Water vapour spreads through open doors and settles wherever is coldest. You can dry everything in a warm living room and find mould in a north-facing bedroom, or on clothes stored in a cold built-in wardrobe (see mould on stored clothes). Clues that laundry is to blame: windows streaming on drying days, a heavy, damp feel to the air, and mould that gets worse in the weeks you dry most indoors.
The Cyprus winter problem
For much of the year, clothes dry quickly on a balcony or roof. The trouble starts with the rains, when washing comes inside and stays there for a day or more. Many flats have small balconies sheltered by the one above, and homes without central heating dry clothes slowly in cool rooms, so the moisture hangs about longer. Draping washing near a portable gas heater adds the heater's own vapour to the load. Together these are part of why mould picks up in the colder months.
Better ways to dry, best first
- Outside whenever you can, including covered balconies on dry, breezy days.
- A tumble dryer, either vented through a hose to the outside or a condenser or heat-pump model that collects the water in a tank you empty.
- One room set aside for drying, with the door shut and the window open, so the moisture leaves instead of spreading through the home.
- A dehumidifier in that room with the door closed; many have a laundry setting. It's worth reading whether a dehumidifier alone will stop mould to understand its limits.
- A fast final spin, as high as the fabric allows, so less water goes into the air in the first place.
Avoid drying clothes in a bedroom you sleep in, in a cold room with the window shut, or inside a wardrobe or cupboard.
Dealing with mould it has already caused
Cutting back on indoor drying stops new growth being fed, but it won't remove what's there. Clean small spots on painted walls or frames with a damp cloth and a mould cleaner, with gloves and a mask on and a window open, then dry the surface fully. Don't brush mould off dry and don't mix cleaning products. Wash mouldy clothes on the warmest setting the label allows and dry them outside if you can. A bedroom that has taken the brunt of the moisture may need its own attention.
If the damp doesn't clear
If you've changed how you dry and mould keeps returning, laundry may not be the whole story. The damp behind it is identified first, and only then is the mould cleared. Moisture readings in every affected room show where the damp is really coming from, and clearing the patches the washing has left behind is usually one visit with no building work. For homes that battle humidity every winter, a maintenance plan with a monthly visit keeps humidity down and catches regrowth early.
Humidity causing mould at home? book an inspection from €75 or call +357 99 759144.