When the cold weather hits, many households opt to bring their drying racks indoors, setting them up in the living room, hallway, or a spare room. At first glance, this seems like a practical solution. However, there’s a common mistake that’s often repeated: drying clothes indoors without proper ventilation. This small “detail” can turn a household routine into a constant source of moisture.
Clothes dry because the water in them evaporates. If that evaporation happens inside a home and the moist air isn’t replaced with fresh air, the water doesn’t just disappear: it stays in the environment, increasing the room’s relative humidity. Once the air becomes “saturated”, the moisture seeks out the easiest escape, which is often cold surfaces like windows, corners, exterior walls, or behind furniture placed close to walls. The result is condensation, a musty smell, and, over time, the perfect conditions for mold to appear.
In simple terms: drying a load of laundry indoors can release nearly two liters of water. In a home with limited ventilation, this extra moisture accumulates and quickly becomes noticeable: foggy windows, a heavy atmosphere, and small stains on seals, silicone, or in corners. What starts as “just humidity” can lead to persistent condensation and mold colonies that are difficult to get rid of.
Why Mold is More Than Just a Nuisance
Sustained indoor humidity encourages the growth of microorganisms. The World Health Organization’s (WHO) guidelines on indoor environments have for years warned that humidity and mold in buildings are associated with increased respiratory symptoms, asthma, and allergies, especially in vulnerable individuals.
This doesn’t mean that drying clothes inside will make everyone sick, but it does increase the risk of exposure to spores if excess moisture persists and mold appears. At that point, the problem goes beyond an “aesthetic” issue and becomes a matter of air quality.
How to Dry Clothes Inside Without Increasing Humidity
If you must dry clothes indoors, there are steps that can make a big difference:
– Brief and effective ventilation: Open windows for 5–10 minutes several times a day (cross ventilation is best if possible).
– Choose the location wisely: It’s better to use a bathroom with an extractor fan or a seldom-used room, not the living room or a bedroom.
– Close the door of the room where the clothes are drying to prevent moisture from spreading throughout the house.
– Separate the clothes: The more bunched up they are, the longer they take to dry, releasing moisture over a longer period.
– Monitor the humidity: A cheap hygrometer can help detect when humidity levels are getting out of hand (ideally, many aim for around 40–60% relative humidity).
– Dehumidifier: If you tend to dry clothes inside often, this can be the most effective “plan B” for managing humidity.
Is It Good to Use a Dryer to Speed Up Drying?
In general, using a dryer can be a good idea if the goal is to dry clothes quickly without adding moisture to the home, but there are important nuances.
Main advantage: A dryer ensures that the water from the clothes doesn’t end up in the indoor air. In condensation or heat pump models, the water is collected in a tank or drained away, significantly reducing the impact on home humidity. In a vented dryer (less common), the moist air is expelled outside through a tube, with an even more direct effect.
Less ideal aspects (and it’s good to know them):
– Energy consumption: Speeds up drying but can increase the bill. Heat pump dryers are usually the most efficient.
– Wear and tear on fabrics: Not all clothes handle the drum and heat well. Delicate items, elastic, or certain textiles may shrink or deteriorate faster.
– Maintenance: Cleaning filters and checking ducts (if present) isn’t optional. Accumulated lint reduces efficiency and can be a risk.
Practical Conclusion: If you find yourself drying clothes indoors frequently during winter, a dryer (especially a heat pump model) can be better than indoor drying racks without control, as it reduces ambient humidity and shortens drying times. If you prefer drying racks, the ideal would be to combine them with real ventilation or dehumidification, to ensure the water doesn’t “stick around” inside the home.
