The mould truth: Expert warns Brits off one common habit that brings damp into their homes

A study by the University of Manchester showed that a wet load of washing can release two litres of water into your home when dried indoors - and with the average family doing six to eight washes a week, this could amount to as much as 16 litres in just seven days. Drying laundry accounts for more than 30 per cent of moisture in homes, leading to mould, which can then spread through building materials and infect the whole house, potentially costing thousands of pounds in damage.

More importantly, beyond the financial repercussions, damp and mould can cause issues with health, especially for people with weakened immune systems or respiratory issues such as asthma. The NHS spends 1.4 billion on treating illnesses linked directly to living in damp housing. 

While it may seem that our options for drying clothes in winter are limited, a home expert from MyBuilder.com has put together a list of ideas to help. From better ventilation, to creative clothes hanging solutions, there’s a helpful hack for everyone.

Andy Simms, a property maintenance expert from MyBuilder.com, said that ventilation is key to preventing mould caused by moisture inside the home. 

“Black mould is often - but not always - caused by condensation within our homes. The good news is that there are many steps you can take to prevent and reduce this, even if you can’t change the necessity of drying your laundry indoors. 

“Something as simple as practicing the German habit of Stoßlüften, to using a dehumidifier, there are plenty of actions you can take to keep your home - and health - safe.” 

The essential tips help prevent damp and mould include:

Ventilate indoor rooms 

Good ventilation is key to preventing condensation in our homes. It should be practiced at all times of the year, but particularly in winter and definitely if you're drying clothes indoors. Ventilation can also be improved by simply opening your doors and windows, even for just five minutes a day, and this will help get rid of condensation in place of cold and dry air.  Stoßlüften is the German method for ventilation - open your windows for five minutes a day, whatever the weather, to support good air movement through your home, 

Choose a drying room

Drying inside during colder and wetter months is a lot more tricky, so, if it can't be avoided, it can be sensible to limit the activity to just one room. Choose the one with the best ventilation, or one that allows you to keep windows open to let moisture out. 

Don't put on a radiator  

While it might seem logical to dry wet clothes on a radiator, the heat causes moisture from laundry to evaporate quickly. This then releases more water quickly into the air, increasing indoor humidity. In addition, placing wet clothes directly on a radiator is a fire hazard. Instead, place your clothes on a drying rack in a room with good ventilation, or even better, invest in a heated drying rack. 

Change windows 

If your windows are at the point of needing replacing, think about installing ones with trickle vents. More ventilation is the key to less condensation (and therefore mould), and trickle vents allow air to circulate without losing heat from your property.  

Use dehumidifiers

Dehumidifiers are effective at reducing the moisture in the air inside your home. To ensure it does its job as well as possible, set the appliance’s humidity level to between 30 per cent and 50 per cent. This will help reduce the moisture to a level that might prevent mould, without making your home so dry that it causes other problems If you have a larger budget, electric dehumidifiers are available - these more expensive appliances even automatically switch off once the air reaches your desired humidity level, to save energy, and are very economical to run. 

Check the weather 

Sunny days may be few and far between (unfortunately!), but a dry day with a breeze is all you need to air dry your washing. Plan ahead using a weather app to work out your best chances for drying clothes outdoors when possible. It can take up to 12 hours a day to dry clothes outside in the winter, so don’t expect miracles, but a few hours dried outside will remove at least some of the moisture before drying inside.