To think I should be able to dry clothes on the radiator

[annabanana84]

and not get told off for it?

Since dp and I moved into our home a year and half ago, there has been a huge problem with mould and mushrooms growing. In the bathroom and spare room especially, the mould is covering half the ceiling and walls. The landlords (a family) are saying that we are the cause because we never have windows open and that we never use extractor when cooking on oven. Well, we always use slow cooker and then the back door is always open, and windows are open more or less all the time!

So the new one from them is that we're not allowed to use the radiators for drying washing! It's always raining here so can't dry it outside, and it takes two days to
Dry on the clothes maiden! We open windows when clothes are on radiator too!

Also, the boiler is in the loft. They expect us to top it up by climbing up into the loft which is by a ladder and it's badly lit up there! No way I can get up there! Should they be doing that sort of job?!

Thanks for the chance to aerate and rant a bit!

[aquashiv]

That seems a hell of alot of mould from what you are saying. If it were my house I would want it looked at to check there wasnt another underlying cause.

[TheMightyLois]

Can you get a dehumidifier? Or better still, if there's a damp problem in the flat, ask the landlord to get one?

The landlord should be investigating other causes of the damp, does water get in anywhere?

[HoratiaWinwood]

The humidity problem will be the sane whether the clothes are on a maiden or the radiator, surely?

Perhaps they should be forking out for a dehumifier...

I'm not allowed to dry clothes on radiators except in extreme circumstances anyway, because DH absolutely hates it.

[Sausagedog27]

I'm afraid the drying clothes indoors is a big cause of dampness in houses so i dont think its an unreasonable request to try and resolve it (or to see if it makes any dufference) although it sounds like you do try and ventilate. Could you ask them to provide a dryer in that case?

It sounds as if there is a big problem- have you spoken to environmental health? Dehumifyers could also possibly assist. Are there any obvious causes of damp, ie guttering leaking etc?

[TheMightyLois]

YY - the humidity problem would possibly be better if stuff was on radiators - it would dry quicker?

[samandi]

Drying clothes on radiators will not cause mushrooms to grow on the walls. You have a serious damp problem that needs addressing with environmental health. Personally I would move out - live's too short to live in squalor like that and it's a risk to your health.

Re the boiler, I don't think it's unreasonable for you to have to top it up.

[cantspel]

If you dry on a radiator then the moisture from the clothing has to go somewhere so will cling to your walls and cause damp. If you must dry indoors then use a dehumifier. The clothes will dry faster and you wont get mold on your walls.

[sookiesookie]

When I have rented, not drying clothes on the radiators has been in the contract. The fact they dry clothes quicker is the problem as there is a higher moisture concentration in the air.
Without being rude, it may be your home. But the house is theirs and they are allowed to make reasonable requests.
If you wish to di what you want when you want, that may have to wait until you can buy a home.
Although the damp seems more of a problem than just drying washing. But I would do all you can to comply with it, because they will then not have an excuse.

[TheMightyLois]

ahh OK, that makes sense.

[sookiesookie]

Yes topping the boiler up is normal. If ots a regular thing, the boiler may need looking at.
Have you posted about this before?

[IvanaHumpalot]

Ask to move or re-post in property/DIY and put a call out for PigletJohn, he is the font of all DIY knowledge.

[SammyTheSwedishSquirrel]

We have a problem with damp in our house because it's old. The ventilation bloke who sorted out the bathroom says that opening windows doesn't help. It allows fresh air in but doesn't take out the damp air. You either need an extractor fan or a dehumidifer. And if damp is a problem, never dry clothes on the radiators.

We have 2 dehumidifers which run constantly in damp conditions and are working quite well as a temporary fix.

[BettySwollocksandaCrustyRack]

Well, it's 2 seperate issues.
The extent of your damp I am sure is not caused by just drying clothes on the rads.

However, you shouldnt dry clothes on the radiators anyway as they make the air damp, it can make the room smell, it can cause minor damp and it's bad for causing coughs etc.

Why are you posting this again - unless I am going mad didn't you post against this yesterday?

[OldCatLady]

Close friend rents out property. This one flat in particular, old building so no vents in brickwork (sorry font know what they are called) but there had never been a problem. One couple moved in, never used extractor fan, always had heating on, dried on radiators, didn't air flat out etc and voila 3 months in it was a moult pit. Long story short, went to court blah blah, it was proved it was 100% down to the tenants and their 'bad' habits.

So I'm afraid unless you want a massive bill at the end, stop drying your clothes on radiators and give it a good airing every few days. Sorted.

[Inadeeptrance]

Do you dry clothes on the bedroom radiators as well? I think they are just passing the buck here, the extent of the damp sounds like its to do with the house, not your habits. Besides its only September, I don't know about you but our heating has been off all summer anyway!

Worst case, buy a dryer.

[NameChangeGalore]

Ask your landlord for a tumble drier. We had mushrooms growing underneath our bath last year due to damp. We had an extractor fan that wasn't working, so got that fixed and keep the bathroom window open. They've not grown again. But seeing as you're renting, I'd move out. It sounds really bad. My friends son was in hospital for 1 week during the summer because of a lung infection caused by mould growing in his bedroom. It's really bad for your health.

[OrangeHorraceTheGoldenOtter]

You had another thread about this didn't you? As per advise on there: ask for dehumidifiers, If the bboiler needs topping up more than once a year or so (exp. after radiator bleeds etc), it needs looking at as is possibly leaking and the cause of your damp...

Other than that YABU, the mould is awful, but a seperate issue. I'm contractually not alowed to dry on radiators and my clothes maiden takes 2 days - I have 2 clothes madiens and a lot of socks, pants and babygrows. Reasonable for you to do the boiler top up - you'd have to if it werew your own house - but they should check the boiler.

[faffingabout]

I always dry mine on the radiator in Winter but I have a 1400 spin speed washing machine so it's very dry when it comes out. The radiators are also very hot so they are dry within an hour or two.

But this kind of mould I think would only come from consistent damp, probably the result of a leak or poor air circulation within the building's walls. You or the landlord need to get an expert in to find the cause of the damp.

[QueenStromba]

You think that's unreasonable? At our last place we were told by the landlord not to dry anything inside even on a clothes horse. Obviously we ignored him because that was a completely unreasonable request but we did hide the clothes horse when he was coming around.

[harvestvestibule]

I am a LL and i would never allow anyone to live in conditions like this.We are a family of 6 andin winter dry nearly everything on radiators because i am too tight to use the tumble drier.We have no mould at all

[SuzySheepSmellsNice]

My arse of an ex landlord refused to even go halves on a dehumidifier (tight bitch) so we ended up paying for one ourselves, but I don't regret it for a minute, its very useful and speeds up clothes drying considerably too! I lost a leather jacket to mildew :(

[OutragedAtThePriceOfFreddos]

Your damp problem seems extreme, so I would suggest to the LL that you get a professional in to determine the cause of the damp. If it turns out that it is because of washing and cooking, then you pay for the cost of having the professional out and any repairs. If the report comes back that the cause is from structural damage (which seems far more likely) then they have to pay.

Either way, they aren't being unreasonable to ask you not to dry clothes on radiators. It does cause damp, and it is wrong of you to do that to someone else's property. Your clothes drying issues are your problem, not your LLs. I find it hard to believe that you use a slow cooker and have the back door open the entire time. Do you honestly have the slow cooker on all day and leave the back door open even when you go out?

[achillea]

I blame 'Homes Under the Hammer'.