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Ideal Home has outlined six habits for drying laundry indoors while limiting moisture buildup: remove more water in the wash, leave space between garments, and improve airflow or remove humidity. The advice includes heated airers and dehumidifiers, but the source does not provide independent measurements of their effects or a universal guarantee against damp and mould.
Ideal Home has published six recommendations for drying laundry indoors while limiting the moisture that wet clothes release into a home. The advice covers an extra washing-machine spin, spacing garments on an airer, using drying equipment and ventilating the room; it is practical guidance, not a guarantee that damp or mould will be prevented.
The first two recommendations focus on how laundry is prepared and arranged. The report suggests running an additional spin cycle, where the fabric and machine settings allow, to remove more water before clothes go on the rack. It says this may be especially useful for heavier items such as towels, jeans and bedding, which can retain substantial water. The report advises checking that the selected spin speed is suitable.
It also recommends leaving space between garments so air can circulate. Spread sleeves, open shirts and avoid folding trouser legs over one another, the guide says. Lauren Roelofs, identified as a laundry expert at Brabantia, says avoiding an overcrowded rack is a simple way to help clothes dry more evenly. For heavier pieces, she recommends turning them partway through drying to reduce the chance of damp patches.
The remaining advice concerns equipment and room conditions: consider a heated clothes airer, pair an airer with a dehumidifier, place the rack where air can move around it and ventilate the room. Catrin Parry, a buying lead at Lakeland, says a compatible cover can trap warm air around laundry and may cut drying time by a couple of hours, depending on the load and conditions. She also says a dehumidifier can remove excess moisture from the air; the report does not quantify how much moisture a typical household load adds.
Reducing Moisture From Indoor Laundry
When clothes dry, water leaves the fabric and enters the surrounding air. In a room with limited ventilation or moisture removal, that can contribute to higher indoor humidity and condensation, according to the report. The practical concern is that drying speed is only part of the problem: a heated rack may warm laundry, but it does not by itself remove moisture from the room.
For households without outdoor drying space or a tumble dryer, the recommendations offer ways to manage laundry through colder or wet weather. Spacing items and choosing a well-aired position cost little; heated airers and dehumidifiers require an equipment purchase and use electricity. The source does not compare running costs or establish which option works best across different homes, so readers should weigh room conditions, energy use and laundry volume.
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The Six Practices in the Guide
Ideal Home frames its advice around periods when outdoor drying is not practical and indoor racks are used more often. Its six practices are: add a suitable spin cycle; leave gaps between clothes; use a heated airer; run a dehumidifier alongside the rack; position the airer away from walls and where air circulates; and ventilate the room.
The report includes recommendations from Roelofs and Parry and product examples, including heated airers with covers and dehumidifiers with laundry settings. Those products are presented as shopping options, not as independent proof that a particular model will prevent mould. The guide’s central distinction is that drying equipment and moisture control serve different functions: a rack helps dry clothes, while ventilation or a dehumidifier helps address moisture in the air.
“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 give a publication date, cite a formal study, or provide controlled measurements for the six recommendations. It is not clear how much each practice reduces drying time or indoor humidity in a typical home, and the effect will depend on factors such as room size, ventilation, outdoor conditions and the amount of laundry.
The guide also does not establish that following these steps will prevent mould. Existing mould, persistent condensation or damp may have causes beyond laundry and may require a separate assessment. Its product descriptions and expert comments should be read as attributed guidance, not independent testing evidence for a guaranteed outcome.
Practical Steps for the Next Load
For the next indoor load, the guide’s low-cost steps are to use a suitable spin setting, avoid crowding the rack, spread garments out and position the airer where air can circulate. Ventilate the room when practical. If indoor drying is frequent, households can compare the cost and suitability of a heated airer or dehumidifier, while checking manufacturers’ instructions and the equipment’s energy use.
Ideal Home provides no announced follow-up or further reporting in the supplied material. The immediate test for readers is whether these changes help their own laundry dry while keeping condensation manageable; persistent damp or mould should not be assumed to be solved by laundry routines alone.
Key Questions
What are the six indoor laundry-drying recommendations?
Ideal Home recommends an extra suitable spin, spacing clothes on the rack, using a heated airer, pairing it with a dehumidifier, positioning the rack for airflow and ventilating the room.
Does a heated clothes airer remove moisture from the room?
Not by itself, according to the report. It helps dry laundry, while ventilation or a dehumidifier can help remove moisture from indoor air.
Why leave gaps between clothes?
Gaps allow more air to circulate around garments and may help them dry more evenly. Roelofs also recommends spreading out sleeves and turning heavier items partway through drying.
Will these steps guarantee that mould is prevented?
No such guarantee is established by the source. The recommendations aim to manage moisture from indoor laundry, but the report offers no formal measurements and says results depend on the load and conditions.
Source: idealhome.co.uk
