Drying Laundry Indoors | Household Management
Drying laundry indoors – for those who do not have a laundry room, balcony, or other options, the only choice left is to set up the drying rack inside the apartment.
Drying laundry indoors – for those who do not have a laundry room, balcony, or other options, the only choice left is to set up the drying rack inside the apartment.
Wet laundry increases humidity levels – on average, this rises by 30% – and this is not harmless for the apartment, as mold can develop. Mold is not only harmful to health but can also be very costly and labor-intensive to remove from walls.
Sebastian Möll from the Association for Sanitary and Heating visited our home and gave us some tips, such as where my wet laundry is best placed.
A Load of Laundry Increases Humidity by
%
Summary
The drying rack should be placed in a well-ventilated room, preferably in a room where you can cross-ventilate through opposite windows. Ideally, it should be near a window with the front side facing out, so that the wind can flow through the laundry.
The bedroom is not very suitable, as this room is usually a bit cooler. The bathroom is designed for moisture, but it already has high humidity, which slows down the drying process. A room with a temperature of about 20° is perfect.
Laundry should not be hung too closely together, so that air can circulate well between the items. The more loosely the laundry is hung, the faster it will dry. Shake out the laundry briefly before hanging it up and use hangers for large items.
If the humidity in the room remains above 60% for an extended period, this is critical. The optimal range is between 40% and 60%.
To keep an eye on the room air better, you can get a hygrometer. This shows the current humidity and temperature in the room. These are available for under 10 euros.
When washing in the machine, set the highest possible spin speed – but pay attention to how delicate your laundry is.
At 1400 revolutions, there is still a residual moisture of 50%, while at 1600 revolutions, it is about 44%. This reduces the water content already in the machine.
Ventilate regularly, at least 3 times a day. The larger the room, the longer the ventilation duration should be – the air takes longer to be completely exchanged. Just tilting the window is not sufficient; it should be fully opened. The best method is cross-ventilation, meaning opening windows that are opposite each other to create a proper draft.
Dryer
We do have a dryer, but not every piece of clothing is suitable for the dryer. We have a lot of children’s clothing with glitter, sequins, t-shirts with prints, etc.
What is suitable for the dryer and at what temperature can be seen on the laundry label with the following symbols
Here you can find my post where you can print the complete list of laundry symbols and their meanings.
How I keep better track of my laundry can be found here.
