Stop drying your clothes indoors. Immediately.

It's a rare day when the weather is warm and dry enough in the UK to be able to dry your clothes outside.

So, it can be very tempting to put a clothes horse up in your spare room and let them dry that way - but that can come with serious risks, especially in modern poorly ventilated houses, according to Dr. Nick Osborne, a Senior Lecturer in Environmental Health at the University of New South Wales and an expert in damp.

Speaking to KidSporthe said drying your clothes inside contributes to the potential growth of mould and dust mites, both of which are bad for your health and can increase symptoms of asthma.

Dr Christine Cowie, a senior research fellow with the University of New South Wales added:

From a health perspective … many biological agents are found indoors and they usually thrive on dampness and inadequate ventilation. They have found that dampness itself has been a good indicator of risk of asthma and respiratory symptoms. There are other studies that show inhalation of fungal spores … are linked to allergic sensitisation and asthma,

As far as winter time goes, we’re all coming inside with wet coats and hanging them up and people are inside a lot more.

Especially if there are a lot of people in a small dwelling. And add to that showers and cooking steam. If a house isn’t correctly ventilated moisture builds up inside and will condensate on windows and in walls.

To protect your house from mould Dr Osborne advises:

If you’re cooking remember to turn the extractor fan on. There could potentially be more hot meals served in winter.

If it’s sunny get your washing out and make sure if you use a dryer that it’s vented to the outside. It all adds up.

HT News

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