The reason why you should never dry you clothes indoors
When it’s cold and wet outside, who else hangs their washing inside the house on the collapsible clothes line, perhaps in front of the heater to speed up the process?
Well, it turns out this common practice is turning your home into an unhealthy breeding ground.
Nick Osborne, senior lecturer in Environmental Health at the University of NSW, told Kidspot that drying clothes inside contributed to the potential growth of mould and dust mites. Not surprisingly, both are bad for your health.
For asthmatics in particular, a damp house can trigger or worsen symptoms.
Dr Christine Cowie, a senior research fellow with the University of NSW, explained how mould can affect your health.
“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,” she said.
And it’s not just wet washing you need to be worried about.
“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,” Dr Osborne said.
“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.”
Dr Osborne offered a few simple ways to reduce the moisture in the house.
“If you’re cooking remember to turn the extractor fan on. There could potentially be more hot meals served in winter,” he said.
“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,” he said.
Just remember to keep the house well-ventilated to keep the mould and dust mites in check.
“A few minor behavioural changes will mean you live in a healthier house,” he said.