A serious warning has been issued to anyone who dries their clothes indoors in the winter.
Experts have found that drying clothes inside in the winter, such as draping laundry over radiators, can raise moisture levels inside our homes to dangerous levels and even risk spreading “fatal lung infections”.
Research by the University of Manchester has outlined the risks inherent in drying washed clothes indoors.
Professor David Denning and his team at the National Aspergillosis Centre in Manchester issued the wet washing warning after treating a growing number of patients who have developed the condition from inhaling the Aspergillus fungal spores.
Dr Denning, Professor of Infectious Disease in Global Health at The University of Manchester, explained: “It’s estimated that as many as 87% of us dry our clothes indoors in the winter. One load of wet washing contains almost two litres of water, which is released into the room.
“Most of us are either immune to the fungus which grows in these humid conditions or have a sufficiently healthy system to fight the infection. But, in asthma sufferers it can produce coughing and wheeziness, and in people with weak or damaged immune systems, such as cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, Aids patients and people who…have an auto-immune disease, the fungus can cause pulmonary aspergillosis – a condition which can cause irreparable, and sometime fatal, damage to the lungs and sinuses.
“My advice would be when in doubt, dry wet washing outside, in a tumble dryer or in a well-ventilated indoor space away from bedrooms and living areas.
“Be safe rather than sorry.”
Each year, the NHS spends an estimated £1.4 billion on treating illnesses associated with living in cold or damp housing.
Greg Wilson, Founder and CEO of Quotezone.co.uk, said: “Many people are completely unaware of the consequences of air drying clothes inside their homes.
“Using air dryers, radiators and heated drying racks indoors may seem like a good idea during the winter months, but it can pose a serious health risk.
“Wet clothes release moisture into the home as they start to dry which can develop into mould and damp, causing mild allergies, aggravating asthma or worse.
“Shockingly, it is estimated that the NHS spends an estimated 1.4 billion on treating illnesses associated with damp housing, so it is not an issue to be taken lightly.”
Households who need to dry clothes inside – which in winter is pretty much all of us – are being advised to use a tumble dryer, or for a cheaper option, a dehumidifier.
Dehumidifiers pull excess moisture out of the air, stopping it from lingering in your house and potentially causing the issues above.
Opening windows even for a few minutes to keep your house well-ventilated can also help reduce excess moisture.
Doing all of this isn’t just better for your health; it can also help avoid problems with your property caused by damp, which your insurance won’t cover.
Greg added: “Mould and damp are not just expensive issues to fix, they are also very dangerous and, in many cases, possible to avoid.
“If people need to make a claim on their home insurance due to mould or damp then the insurer is unlikely to cover them if the property is not well maintained or is damaged due to a lack of care.”