The damp from the clothes must go somewhere
As the cost of energy rises and autumn closes in, households across Ireland face a quiet dilemma: the money saved by abandoning the tumble dryer may be quietly spent in damage to walls, lungs, and wellbeing. Moisture released by drying clothes indoors has nowhere to escape in a sealed, heated home, and over time it becomes mould, condensation, and respiratory risk. Air quality expert Chris Michael of Meaco offers a measured path forward — one that asks not whether to dry indoors, but how to do so without surrendering the health of the home.
- Rising energy bills are pushing households to dry laundry indoors, but the hidden cost is moisture that accumulates unseen until mould appears on walls and windowsills.
- By midwinter, a single load of wet laundry can take four to five days to dry indoors, releasing water vapour continuously into sealed, heat-conserving rooms.
- Prolonged exposure to damp and mould carries real health consequences, particularly for those with asthma or other respiratory conditions living in affected homes.
- Practical interventions — spacing clothes on racks, running extra rinse cycles, opening windows, and using natural warmth — can reduce moisture buildup without added cost.
- Energy-efficient dehumidifiers, running at as little as 8p per hour with automatic shut-off features, offer a cost-effective middle ground between the tumble dryer and unmanaged damp.
With energy bills climbing, many households are choosing the drying rack over the tumble dryer this autumn. It feels like a simple saving — but Chris Michael, managing director of air purification company Meaco, cautions that the trade-off grows more complicated as the seasons turn. In September, clothes might dry in hours. By November, the same load can sit damp for four or five days, steadily releasing moisture into rooms where windows stay shut to hold in heat. That invisible accumulation eventually surfaces as mould on walls, condensation on glass, and a musty odour embedded in carpets and furniture — with serious implications for anyone in the household living with asthma.
Michael's advice begins at the source: lid saucepans while cooking, run extractor fans during showers, and crack a bathroom window when possible. For laundry specifically, an extra rinse cycle removes more water before hanging, and spacing items generously on a rack positioned away from walls allows air to move freely around each piece. Natural light helps too — sunlight warms a room and assists drying — while rugs on cold floors add warmth without the heating bill. Keeping wardrobe doors open on outside walls, moving furniture away from exterior surfaces, and clearing gutters all reduce the conditions in which damp takes hold.
When ventilation alone isn't enough, a dehumidifier offers a practical solution. These machines draw in humid air, extract the moisture, and return warm dry air to the room — at a fraction of the running cost of a tumble dryer, as little as 8p per hour. Models with a dedicated laundry mode run for up to six hours before switching off automatically, while those fitted with a humidistat restart only when moisture levels rise again. For households navigating the tension between energy costs and home health, it represents a considered investment rather than a compromise.
As energy bills climb and households tighten their belts, more people are hanging wet laundry indoors instead of running the tumble dryer. It seems like a straightforward trade-off: save money, accept a slightly damp kitchen for a few hours. But Chris Michael, managing director of Meaco, a leading air purification company, warns that the math gets more complicated as autumn deepens into winter.
The problem isn't visible at first. In September, clothes dried on a rack might be ready in a few hours. By October, that same load takes a couple of days. Come November and December, you're looking at four or five days for wet fabric to dry. The culprit is moisture. Every piece of damp clothing releases water vapor into the air, and as you close windows to conserve heat, that moisture has nowhere to go. It accumulates, invisible but present, until it becomes something you can see: mould creeping across walls, condensation on windows, a musty smell settling into the house. The damage spreads to wallpaper, carpets, furniture, and windowsills. For people with asthma or other respiratory conditions, the health implications compound the problem.
Michael outlines five practical steps to break the cycle. The first is to reduce moisture at its source. Putting lids on saucepans while cooking, running the extractor fan during showers, and cracking a window in the bathroom all help. When it comes to the laundry itself, spacing matters enormously. Run an extra rinse cycle to wring out as much water as possible before hanging. Position the drying rack away from walls, and hang each item with generous space between them so air can circulate freely. Open windows when you can to keep air moving through the room.
Natural light and warmth work in your favor too. Sunlight streaming through windows warms a room and helps dry out damp air. Rugs and mats placed on wooden or stone floors make spaces feel warmer without switching on the central heating. Beyond the laundry room, small changes compound: open the doors of built-in wardrobes on outside walls so air can reach them, keep furniture and shoes away from exterior walls, and clear gutters so water doesn't seep down the outside of the house and creep in.
But there's a limit to what ventilation and spacing can accomplish, especially in the depths of winter. This is where a dehumidifier enters the picture. The machines work by drawing in humid air, extracting the moisture, and releasing warm, dry air back into the room. They're far more efficient than tumble dryers, using considerably less electricity and costing as little as 8p per hour to run. Some models include a dedicated laundry mode that runs for up to six hours before shutting itself off automatically. The most efficient versions use a humidistat, which means the machine switches off once humidity reaches a target level and only restarts if moisture rises again.
For households caught between rising energy costs and the creeping threat of damp, a dehumidifier represents a middle path. It's an investment, but one that protects both the home and the people living in it, while still costing far less to operate than the alternative.
Notable Quotes
This build-up of moisture will mean that a load of washing that might have taken a few hours to dry in September will take a couple of days in October, and up to four or five days in November and December.— Chris Michael, Managing Director of Meaco
Dehumidifiers are effective at drying washing indoors and use considerably less electricity than tumble dryers.— Chris Michael, Managing Director of Meaco
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why does drying clothes indoors become such a problem as winter approaches? It seems like it should be the same process year-round.
The issue is that in summer, you're opening windows constantly anyway, and the air is naturally warmer and drier. Come autumn, you start closing windows to keep heat in. That's when the moisture from the clothes has nowhere to escape. It just accumulates.
And that buildup causes actual damage to the house?
Yes. The moisture settles on walls, in carpets, on furniture. Mould grows. Condensation forms on windows. It's not just unpleasant—it can damage the structure and finishes of your home. And if someone in the house has asthma, it makes their condition worse.
So the expert is saying there's no way around it without either heating the house or using a dryer?
Not quite. There are ways to reduce the moisture in the first place—better ventilation, spacing clothes further apart, using rugs to warm rooms naturally. But if you want to fully solve it without opening windows all winter, a dehumidifier is the practical answer.
How much does that cost to run?
Around 8p an hour, which is far less than a tumble dryer. And if you get one with a humidistat, it only runs when it needs to, so you're not paying to remove moisture that isn't there.
It sounds like the real issue is that people are trying to solve an energy crisis without understanding the hidden costs.
Exactly. Saving on the tumble dryer is good, but if you end up with mould and respiratory problems, you've just shifted the cost elsewhere.