Drying washing in winter?

[Notfeelingmeatall]

I live in a smallish house - no conservatory or utility room, or anything like that. No dryer.

Anyway, on sunny winter days, I try and peg out my washing, though it barely dries it at all. So I still inevitably need to finish it off indoors. When we have day after day of rain, I still have washing that needs doing! So I put it all on a clothes rack around a radiator.

Recently, I read that you shouldn’t really do this. It’s known to cause damp and condensation in the house. Since winter set in, I’ve already had problems with damp and mould (appearing on outside walls only!). When I flagged it with the letting agency, I was told it was due to condensation, and there was nothing that could be done. I’m convinced this is not the case, as the damp is on the outside wall of my bedroom, and nowhere else. Not even the kitchen where I dry my washing, and where there is steam from cooking.

AIBU to continue to dry my washing this way? I don’t know what else I’m meant to do when I don’t have a dryer!

[Fr0g]

I use an unheated clothes airer, but communal laundry has commercial machines which spin well. Work colleague was talking about heated dryer rack last week - she has one and is moving, housemates are distraught that she is taking the airer with her. I might look at getting one if in the January sales.

[Enidcat5]

It will be condensation, water condenses on the cold external walls. Same thing happened to us when we were renting. We bought a dryer and it fixed the problem, plus we bought those water catchers which we put in every room up high on wardrobes and on windowsills.

[Earslaps]

Regardless of where the mould is, it will be exacerbated by drying washing indoors and not opening windows. Moist air will move around the house and settle in the coldest part.

Each morning, go round and open all the windows as wide as you can and leave for about ten minutes. You need a good cross breeze to move the air around. If you have a Karcher window vac, then using that to dry condensation and the shower after use can help a lot.

Whenever you pop a load of washing out turn on the dehumidifier- it will work best if you shut it in one room and close the window in that room whilst the dehumidifier is on (or you are paying to dry the outside air!). It's your washing, so I'd say it's really your responsibility to buy one, but a sensible landlord would provide one as condensation causes so many problems.

Your landlord should also fit an extractor fan in the bathroom with an overrun timer on it. If that's not possible then they should consider positive input ventilation.

[TwinkleRedMoon]

Hang the washing when the central heating is on so it dries faster. Don't hang it up before you go to bed so lots of wet clothes when the house is colder

I invested in a dehumidifier and it resolved my problem.

[FireUnderpants]

Upstairs I keep the small corner windows locked but slightly open iykwim. All the washing is put on hangers and hung on the doorframe of whoever owns that item. It dries fairly quick and solves the problem of having to iron and avoids laundry mountain downstairs of stuff I can't be bothered to put away.

[afromom]

We use a dry buddy, wouldn't live without it! Never needed a dehumidifier with it either. Ike this one https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dry-Drying-Electric-Clothes-Dryer/dp/B07WJJ5SJ4/ref=mpssa113?adgrpid=52794013163&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIjoeb7o7K5gIViaztCh2PGw-hEAAYASAAEgKekDDBwE&hvadid=259079467376&hvdev=m&hvlocphy=9045572&hvnetw=g&hvpos=1t1&hvqmt=e&hvrand=6584374816270946327&hvtargid=kwd-317181709636&hydadcr=74321714367&keywords=dri-buddi&qid=1577047264&sr=8-3 but the jml version.

[novacaneforthepain]

@ItWentInMyEye please can you tell me what one you have so I can order myself one

[RhymingRabbit3]

Dehumidifiers dont use much energy and will make the house feel warmer as they reduce damp, so may actually save you money in not having the heating on all day long.

[helpmum2003]

Dehumidifier are fab, solved all our damp issues. We have a Meaco which is recommended by Which.

[Dlm74]

Dri buddy’s are good as it’s a covered pod. Also the heated clothes rails are good but yes wherever your washings drying open window let damp out. I think the electric dryers range from about 40 pound