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An Ideal Home report outlines six habits for drying laundry indoors: remove more water with a suitable extra spin, space garments out, and improve airflow. Heated airers, dehumidifiers, careful placement and ventilation may also help manage drying time and indoor moisture; results depend on the home and conditions.
Ideal Home has published six recommendations for drying laundry indoors in colder, wetter weather, when outdoor drying is less practical. The advice focuses on removing water from clothes, allowing air to circulate, and managing moisture in the room—issues that matter because wet washing releases moisture as it dries.
The report recommends running a suitable extra spin cycle before hanging clothes. Removing more water in the washing machine can shorten drying time and reduce the amount of moisture released indoors, particularly from heavier items such as towels, jeans and bedding. The report cautions that the spin speed should be appropriate for the garments.
It also advises leaving space between garments on an airer rather than packing it tightly. Spreading out sleeves, opening shirts and avoiding folded-over trouser legs can help air reach more of the fabric. Lauren Roelofs, a laundry expert at Brabantia, says leaving room for air circulation helps clothes dry more evenly. For heavier items, she recommends turning them partway through drying to limit damp patches.
The other recommendations are to consider a heated clothes airer, pair an airer with a dehumidifier, position the rack away from walls, and ventilate the room. Ideal Home’s report says a cover for a heated airer may help retain warm air and reduce drying time, though the reported saving depends on the load and conditions. A dehumidifier, meanwhile, removes moisture from the room rather than simply warming the clothes.
Keeping Laundry Moisture Under Control
Indoor drying can add water vapour to a home, and the report warns that without ventilation or moisture removal this may contribute to condensation. Managing that moisture matters for households that cannot dry clothes outside or do not use a tumble dryer, especially when several loads are drying in the same space.
The recommendations combine changes to the laundry itself with ways to manage the room. Spacing items out and using an extra spin can help clothes dry more efficiently; ventilation and a dehumidifier address moisture in the air. These are practical suggestions, not a guarantee against damp or mould, which can have other causes and may require a broader assessment of the home.
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Why Indoor Drying Needs Planning
The article frames its advice around cold, wet weather, when outdoor lines may be less useful and indoor airers see more use. Its central point is that water removed from clothes does not simply disappear: some enters the room as moisture during drying. How much this affects a particular home will depend on factors including ventilation, room size, the amount of washing and the drying method.
Ideal Home includes comments from two industry representatives. Lauren Roelofs of Brabantia discusses spacing clothes and air circulation, while Catrin Parry, buying lead at Lakeland, describes the role of heated airers and dehumidifiers. The source also names specific products, but its advice does not establish that any particular model is necessary for managing indoor laundry.
“One of the simplest ways to speed things up is to avoid overcrowding your drying rack. Leaving space between garments allows air to circulate, helping clothes dry more evenly.”
— Lauren Roelofs, laundry expert at Brabantia, as quoted by Ideal Home
Results Depend on Home Conditions
The source does not provide comparative measurements showing how much each tip reduces drying time, indoor humidity, condensation or mould risk. It says a compatible cover may cut drying time by a couple of hours, but qualifies that estimate as dependent on the load and conditions. No specific testing method or baseline is given for that claim.
It is also unclear how much ventilation is appropriate for different homes and weather conditions, or how much moisture a dehumidifier would need to remove in a particular room. The article is practical consumer advice rather than a building survey, and it does not establish that indoor laundry is the cause of damp in any individual property.
Applying the Advice at Home
Households can start with the measures that require no additional equipment: use a suitable spin setting, leave room between items and place the airer where air can move around it. Ventilating the room and checking indoor humidity may help people judge whether their current routine is adding excess moisture. Anyone considering a heated airer or dehumidifier should compare running costs, capacity and the needs of their home rather than assuming a product is required.
The source offers general recommendations and does not announce a follow-up study or policy change. Whether the measures make a noticeable difference will depend on household conditions; the report gives no later results or scheduled update.
Key Questions
What are the six recommendations for drying laundry indoors?
Ideal Home recommends a suitable extra spin, space between garments, considering a heated airer, using a dehumidifier alongside the airer, positioning the rack away from walls, and ventilating the room.
Does a heated clothes airer remove moisture from the room?
Not by itself, according to the report. A heated airer helps dry clothes, while a dehumidifier removes moisture from the air.
Why should clothes be spaced out on an airer?
Spacing leaves room for air to circulate, which Roelofs says helps clothes dry more evenly. The report also advises spreading out sleeves and turning heavy items partway through drying.
Will these steps prevent damp and mould?
The report presents the steps as ways to manage moisture and drying, not as a guarantee. The effect will depend on ventilation, room conditions and other sources of damp.
Source: idealhome.co.uk
