Dealing with a lodger

Definitely not a standard thing.

Putting a load on first thing in the morning and hanging it out once home from work is a really normal thing to do. As is putting it on in the evening and hanging out first thing in the morning.

Feeling that a load needs to come out very soon after finished is the more unusual approach. Mould growing in door seals is a valid concern, but that won’t come from the machine staying shut for a few hours after finishing running. It happens from being left damp but door nearly shut. So you get damp and no air circulation. When the cycle finishes the door seal is engaged so there’s no damp sitting across it. You want a machine left properly shut until it’s emptied. The mould growing scenario is when the load finishes and the door gets opened and left ajar but machine not emptied. Stay away from that set up and machine is fine and washing is fine. Leaving within a same day period won’t do machine or clothes any harm at all.

(and conversely, for some types of clothes and dyes, drying in direct sunlight will fade them very very quickly so there is a good reason not to do with it those. Eco dyes are prone to it).

It sounds like you place a relatively unusual emphasis on importance of a particular approach to washing and drying clothes. You tend to find people’s views on drying indoors are very split depending on whether they’ve ever had issues with damp. Damp issues are generally a feature of the property. In some properties you can do pretty much anything and never get damp. In others, you have to be meticulous on how handle all moisture otherwise will get damp rapidly. Sounds like you’ve experienced the latter which will make you cautious.

It’s your house, you get to pick what’s important to you. But when you communicate that, do it with some context that this lodger isn’t doing anything that a lot of responsible home owners wouldn’t think is perfectly reasonable behaviour. They may be trying to be considerate and you’ve just got really different views on what’s considerate in this case.

Another landlord would hate washing in the bathroom or extractors being left on.

Have a friendly chat explaining how drying clothes works. He’s probably never considered it. Your house will soon have damp and mould if he persists like this. Ask him to dry outside when possible and in the bathroom with ventilation if not.

Get a new lodger.
Life is too short.

Be more explicit when you look for your next one.

Yeah, you sound pretty unpleasant now.

Why don’t you just buy a dehumidifier for his room and stop worrying about it?
I got a new one from our local auction house at about 1/3 of the usual cost.

I know it’s not your preference but would stop you worrying about damp.

We’re about to have a lodger so have switched washing machine to washer dryer in the hope they use that when needed.

I’ve learned from previous lodger that people go about laundry in different ways and it was the washing machine that became an issue with previous lodger. He washed the blankets from his dog walking business and the machine become full of hair and flooded the kitchen.

Leaving washing in the machine for a bit is quite normal I think and I think it would be unreasonable to say something about that.

There won't be any condensation running down the windows at this time of year, especially during a heatwave, because the glass won't be anywhere near cold enough for that to happen.

Loving the bit of a laugh in this thread......

I cannot think of a worse thing than sleeping in my bedroom with a horse full of wet clothes.

😅

Did you specify at as a rule though?

Your answers are actually a bit vague. Did you say "you can dry clothes outside"?

Or did you say "you must dry clothes outside"?

Or did you say "the rule is that you dry clothes outside"?

Or "you must NEVER dry clothes in your room, that's my only rule"?

I'm guessing he thinks it's an option to dry outside, rather than a rule. He probably thinks it's easier to have his clothes nearby and that he is doing you a favour not cluttering up communal areas.

Did you actually explain that there was only one house rule, and that house rule was that washing must be removed from the drum within a certain amount of time of the cycle finishing, and only dried outside unless the weather conditions mean that’s not possible. And in that case it can only be dried in the bathroom with the extractor on?

Or, did you maybe just say that there’s a dryer outside that can use when weather is good (like it was an attractive feature) but can also dry inside.

If the latter, then he’s probably drying it in his room to limit his imposition on the rest of the house.

Have a chat, explain you’ve had damp issues in previous places so it’s a really sensitive topic for you. Your first choice is always outside, but if not then please do use the bathroom and leave the extractor fan running. See if your washing machine has a delay timer, and give that option to help with getting out the drum quicker - but be realistic about what you’re placing restrictions on and whether speed of emptying the machine is one to get into.

Does a heated rail actually prevent mould? I don’t see how it would as the water is still evaporating into the air?

I'd be telling him again to put out his laundry outside and not leave it in the drum, because that's the rule and also if his washing is left in the machine you can't use it.

A heated rail is a great idea for wet days as long as he can be trusted not to leave it on all day and night.

We have f fairly recently ventured into the world of having a lodger. Fortunately he fairly quickly became like party of the family and if I find his washing in the machine I hang it out on the line and he does the same, or brings washing in and leaves ours in a pile. It is great. My DH will send him a message on our group WhatsApp saying Invoice for laundry services £200 and we have a joke about it but it works fine.

The simple fact is she stated ONE rule in her home was not to dry clothing in the bedroom and he is not abiding by that. It is her home and he is only a lodger so while she needs the money he needs the space and should give her the small bit of respect she has asked for.

The simple fact is that you want your home, your way.

And thats ok. It really is. I want the same, so do we all.

But you also are (your words) in dire financial straits, so need a lodger. Having a lodger means compromises that you clearly do not want to make.

So pick one.

Pick your home your way and struggle with paying the mortgage. Or pick less financial pressure but sharing your home with someone who doesnt do things your way.

You can't have both. You just can't.

Pick one.

Old houses tend to have a lot of airflow. Mould is more common in newer buildings that are well insulated/not well ventilated. A lot of housing stock in the UK is old and so mould isn’t an issue when drying washing indoors.

Personally I wouldn’t mind about washing late, unless it’s disturbing anyone. Electricity is cheaper at off peak times and some suppliers offer incentives for using at odd times.

if the drying inside is a problem for you then you need to be clear about that and explain why it’s a problem or it will cause resentment.

I dry all my laundry inside, all times of year. And I have a garden too!

I can't be arsed with the double job of hanging it out, then collecting it in and taking it to be put away. So I simply dry it in the bedroom. Not the one I'm sleeping in, to be fair, because I'm lucky enough to have two spare, but both have laundry drying in at various times. My boyfriend dries his in his bedroom because he has a lodger and he doesn't want to clutter up the communal spaces.

I do always keep the windows open and the bathroom window is also always open, and the one in my bedroom.
I've never had mould. I have recently bought a dehumidifier, but mainly to dry the laundry more quickly. Oh, and I double spin everything to remove more moisture.

I would be more annoyed by them putting the washer on late. That seems like a rule that doesn't need stating. But I guess it depends what you mean by late, and why they're doing it then - maybe it's the only time they can?

I don’t know why everyone is being so cranky to you OP.

But I’m beginning to understand why some housing is overgrown with fungus and damp if hanging wet clothes in an enclosed space is seen as no big deal🤦‍♀️

I'd be a bit concerned about it in a small space. I'd give him a gentle reminder that he has a rack outside. Maybe it's a privacy thing and he doesn't feel comfortable having his washing outside where others can see it?