Drying Laundry Indoors Without Creating Humidity Problems

When rain sets in or humidity prevents outdoor drying, Australian families face a common dilemma: how do you dry the washing without turning your home into a mould-friendly moisture trap? A single load of wet laundry releases approximately 2-5 litres of water as it dries. Without proper management, that moisture saturates your indoor air and can cause significant problems.

Understanding the Problem

When you hang wet clothes inside, water evaporates from the fabric and becomes water vapour in your air. This dramatically increases indoor humidity, often pushing levels into the danger zone above 60% where mould and dust mites thrive. The problem compounds in smaller homes, poorly ventilated spaces, or during already-humid weather.

The signs that indoor drying is causing problems include condensation on windows, particularly overnight or in the room where clothes are drying. You might notice musty smells developing in wardrobes or corners. Mould may appear on walls, particularly behind furniture or in corners. Your home may feel uncomfortably humid and sticky.

The Best Approach: Dehumidifier Drying

The most effective way to dry clothes indoors without humidity problems is to use a dehumidifier. This approach captures the moisture from drying clothes before it can affect the rest of your home, actually speeding up the drying process in the zone around the clothes.

How to Set Up Dehumidifier Drying

1. Choose a dedicated space: A laundry room, bathroom, or spare room that can be closed off works best. The smaller the space, the faster drying occurs.
2. Set up your clothes airer: Position it centrally in the room with space around items for air circulation.
3. Position the dehumidifier: Place it nearby but not directly under the clothes (you don't want water dripping in). Ensure clearance around intake and exhaust.
4. Close the room: Shut doors and windows to contain moisture and allow the dehumidifier to work efficiently.
5. Run on high or "laundry" mode: Many dehumidifiers have specific laundry drying modes that optimise for this use.

Expected Drying Times

With proper dehumidifier setup in a closed room, expect: light items like t-shirts and underwear in 2-4 hours, regular items like shirts and pants in 4-6 hours, heavy items like jeans and towels in 6-10 hours, and thick items like jumpers or blankets in 10-24 hours.

Times vary based on initial moisture content, fabric type, room temperature, and dehumidifier capacity. The key is that the dehumidifier captures all that moisture rather than letting it disperse through your home.

Alternative Approaches

Tumble Dryers (Vented)

Vented tumble dryers work well if they're properly ducted to the outside. The critical requirement is that the exhaust must vent directly outdoors, not into your laundry, garage, or roof space. Indoor venting simply moves the moisture problem rather than solving it.

Check your vent hose regularly for blockages, kinks, or disconnections. A blocked vent not only creates moisture problems but also becomes a fire hazard as lint accumulates.

Condenser and Heat Pump Dryers

Condenser dryers capture moisture in a tank rather than venting it. They're a good option when outdoor venting isn't practical. Empty the water tank after each use. Heat pump dryers are the most efficient variant, using significantly less energy than conventional dryers while also capturing moisture.

Heated Airers

Electrically heated clothes airers warm the bars your clothes hang on, speeding evaporation. However, they still release all that moisture into your room. Use them only in conjunction with ventilation or dehumidification, in well-ventilated spaces, or for quick-drying light items.

Ventilation Strategies

If you don't have a dehumidifier, ventilation becomes essential. However, ventilation has significant limitations.

When Ventilation Works

Opening windows and doors can help if outdoor humidity is lower than indoor humidity, there's enough airflow to actually exchange air, and weather allows windows to remain open for hours. In practice, this means dry, breezy days when you could probably dry outside anyway.

When Ventilation Fails

During rainy periods, outdoor humidity is often 80-100%. Opening windows just invites more moisture in. Similarly, still days with no breeze provide insufficient air exchange to matter. Ventilation also doesn't work if you need to leave the house and can't leave windows open.

Maximising Drying Efficiency

Before Hanging

Use your washing machine's highest spin speed to remove maximum moisture before drying. Modern front-loaders at 1400+ RPM extract significantly more water than older or top-loading machines. Consider an extra spin cycle for heavy items like towels and jeans.

How You Hang Matters

Space items apart; overlapping fabric doesn't dry. Hang shirts from the bottom hem so heavy moisture drips off faster. Turn pockets inside out for better air circulation. Fold large items like sheets over multiple bars rather than bunching them.

Air Circulation

A fan directed at drying clothes speeds evaporation significantly. Position a pedestal or desk fan to create airflow across the clothes airer. This is particularly effective when combined with a dehumidifier.

Room-by-Room Considerations

Laundry Rooms

This is the ideal location for indoor drying. Install an exhaust fan if you don't have one. Use a dehumidifier or ensure adequate ventilation. Keep the door closed to contain moisture.

Bathrooms

Bathrooms already have exhaust fans, making them a reasonable option. Run the exhaust fan continuously while drying. Be aware that bathroom humidity spikes from showers add to the load. Not ideal for large amounts of laundry.

Spare Rooms

A closed spare room with a dehumidifier makes an excellent drying room. Ensure the room doesn't have belongings that could be damaged by temporary humidity increases. Check for mould regularly in corners and behind furniture.

Living Areas (Avoid If Possible)

Drying clothes in main living areas is the least desirable option. Moisture disperses through your entire home, and the damp clothes affect comfort and air quality where you spend most of your time. If you must use living areas, position clothes near windows with ventilation and limit quantities.

Planning for Wet Weather

Australian weather can be unpredictable. Being prepared for extended wet periods prevents the stress of mounting laundry and the temptation to dry inappropriately.

Create a designated drying space with a dehumidifier ready to go. Wash smaller loads more frequently during wet weather rather than letting laundry accumulate. Consider timing wash cycles to allow maximum drying time before you need items. Have a backup plan, whether that's a laundromat visit or asking friends with vented dryers.

With the right setup and practices, you can dry laundry indoors year-round without creating the mould, mustiness, and discomfort that unmanaged indoor drying causes. The key is treating indoor drying as a system that requires proper moisture management rather than simply hanging clothes and hoping for the best.