Is drying washing on a radiator a big no no?

ClarkeKent

We don't have a tumble dryer and we don't have much washing as it is just me an my wife.

She has been drying washing on our radiators for year in the winter, I mentioned this to someone in passing and they were astounded we did this as the moisture/damp issues it can cause in a house.

Do you dry your washing on radiators and what venting/damp prevention do you use in winter to counteract the moisture generated from the drying?

themull1

No, i use my dryer. If she's been doing it for years, and there's no sign of damp, she must be doing something right!!

victor2

We have a utility room with a good old non-condensing boiler in it, so quite a bit of heat goes into the room. We've hung our laundry to dry in that room for years. Because the boiler is in the room, it is ventilated via air bricks to the outside. You can feel the humidity in the air in that room when a fresh load of laundry is hanging, but no problems with the wooden door or paintwork due to damp.
I would think so long as you've got some ventilation, either a draughty window or double glazed with trickle vent, you'd be OK. If you can see excessive moisture on the inside of the window when laundry is drying then maybe you need more ventilation...

PasturesNew

It depends on the amount of washing, type of washing and how dry it is before you put it on the radiators + how much other moisture is produced in the house and how it escapes.

It could be fine in, say, a modern house, with a machine with a fast spin, when there's not much washed/dried and the windows have trickle vents and/or are opened often in the daytime.

Not so good in older houses, with poor ventilation, if you've an older/slow spin machine and you're drying jumpers and never have the windows open as you're at work all day.

It's not that it's wrong - it's just that some people in some houses, drying certain amounts/types of clothes, have to be "damp aware".

HappyMJ

ClarkeKent wrote: »

We don't have a tumble dryer and we don't have much washing as it is just me an my wife.

She has been drying washing on our radiators for year in the winter, I mentioned this to someone in passing and they were astounded we did this as the moisture/damp issues it can cause in a house.

Do you dry your washing on radiators and what venting/damp prevention do you use in winter to counteract the moisture generated from the drying?

Yes drying washing indoors "can" cause damp/condensation/mould problems but with good ventilation you should be able to offset the additional moisture. Kitchens are designed for lots of extra humidity added due to cooking and should be designed with plenty of ventilation to exchange the air which removes the moisture. Some people though feel that it makes the air colder so close the trickle vents and shut the windows and doors which makes damp problems worse. Get the air moving and you won't have a problem.

I wouldn't dry clothes in a bedroom that you sleep in if you can avoid it.

I dry my clothes indoors as much as possible. I live in a flat with no facility to hang washing outside.

marleyboy

It depends how much, what your drying and which radiator you are using. Towels, dish cloths and even trainers can be dried on a radiator.

happy35

If you havent got condensation then its fine, I do get some condensation so use dehumidifier to help dry the washing that I hang on airers

I do have a tumble dryer but dont use it to dry clothes as they shrink only sheets and towels etc

Wherever possible I hang the washing outside though

missprice

I use the radiators and hang stuff on coat hangers to dry.
I also have a condenser dryer, but lots of clothes can't go in it.
This is an old, draughty house and external doors are often opened, all this generally means not much damp. At least no more than would be expected of this type of house.

robatwork

I do it all the time and ensure the house isn't air tight - I leave the trickle vents open at the front and the back door is a bit draughty anyway.

I get some condensation immediately after hanging the washing on the glass front door but it's gone quickly and never leads to damp or mould.

Ventilation is key. Even when it's <0 outside I leave my bedroom window open a fraction.

Davesnave

I have a wood burner and a cat flap. Problem solved!:rotfl: