If you’ve got asthma, hay fever or other allergies, you already know what less-than-ideal air conditions can do to those problems. But you might not know that you could possibly be exacerbating the issue just by doing your everyday chores. A new study says that drying your laundry inside the home can pose a health risk to people who are prone to have such conditions.

The study by the Mackintosh School of Architecture in the United Kingdom (via the BBC) says that many homes had too much moisture indoors, with up to a third of that caused by laundry drying inside.

Researchers pointed out this problem to homebuilders, saying dedicated drying areas should be incorporated in designs for new housing to take care of that health issue.

Said one researcher:

“Going into people’s homes, we found they were drying washing in their living rooms, in their bedrooms. Some were literally decorating the house with it, but from just one load of washing two litres of water will be emitted.”

Those conditions with elevated moisture levels are the perfect type to help dust mites out, and anyone with any kind of allergies knows dust mites aren’t helpful little buggers. Drying laundry was also linked to mold spores, which could cause lung problems for people who have weakened immune systems.

The homes involved in the study didn’t have enough or the right kind of space for drying clothes. For ideal indoor drying without health issues, researchers say the spaces should be independently heated and ventilated.

Indoor laundry drying ‘poses a health risk’ [BBC]

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