Drying your clothes inside is a health hazard – doctor explains why
Summer makes most things easier, from sticking to a running plan to waking up in the morning. It also makes daily chores like laundry simpler, as your clothes dry faster in warmer temperatures. If you have the space, you might also get to air them outside in the sunshine.
Until then, drying clothes inside cold homes is more than a nuisance: it's actually a health hazard, warns Dr Rebecca A. Drummond, an associate professor in Immunology and Immunotherapy at the University of Birmingham.
'Drying wet clothing on racks in poorly ventilated spaces could increase the amount of mould growing in your home, which is associated with poor health and, in some cases, even death,' she explains to The Conversation.
Why drying laundry inside is bad for your health
'Mould is a broad term for a group of fungi that produce tiny particles called spores. Fungi produce spores when conditions are right for their growth, which can include cooler temperatures and high humidity,' says Dr Drummond.
'This is why you’re more likely to find mould growing on bathroom ceilings or damp walls, where there is more water for fungal spores to settle and grow.' Or, in rooms where wet clothes are left to air dry, transferring moisture into the environment.
'It’s estimated that we breathe in small numbers of spores from these fungi on a daily basis. Luckily, our immune system is very good at spotting and killing fungal spores, which limits the number of fungal lung infections in humans even though we’re constantly exposed. Immune cells called macrophages sit inside the air spaces of the lungs (called alveoli), and these cells eat anything you inhale that could be considered harmful, including fungal spores,' explains Dr Drummond.
However, continuous exposure to mould and fungi, or extreme levels of mould, can impact our bodies. 'People who have damaged or compromised immune systems are at higher risk of becoming seriously unwell from fungal infections,' says Dr Drummond.
'In people with asthma, the immune system overreacts to triggers (including fungal spores) causing inflammation in the lungs.
'While a healthy immune system means that typical exposure to fungal spores is not likely to cause you any health problems, being exposed to very large amounts of fungal spores can prove to be fatal even for people who don’t have underlying health issues.'
Fungal spores can also cause more than inflammation. '[They] can invade the airways and block them leading to bleeding within the lung. This happens when spores germinate and form long spiderweb-like projections called mycelium which create sticky lumps that block airways and damage the delicate tissues of the lung,' adds Dr Drummond.
How to spot and prevent mould
'When mould grows in your home,' Dr Drummond says, 'it can form black or green coloured patches on the walls, and usually creates an unpleasant musty smell. It shouldn’t be ignored.'
In 2020, Awaab Ishak died aged just two years old due to mould in his home. Awaab's Law has since been introduced to force landlords to promptly deal with damp in their homes and ensure that tenants are not exposed to excessive levels of fungal spores.
The best way to keep your home damp free is to ensure you have good ventilation. Drying clothes outside can reduce the levels of moisture in your home or, if you can, 'Take other measures to reduce damp, such as using a dehumidifier or investing in a heated clothes rack to dry your clothes indoors in the winter,' concludes Dr Drummond.
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