Stop drying bathroom towels in 1 place to prevent damp and mould
It’s no secret that winter equals dampness — especially in the United Kingdom. With sunlight serving as a rare commodity during the colder months on the island, homeowners are being cautioned against drying towels and bath mats in the bathroom in a bid to prevent excessive dampness.
Recent research by Health Equals suggests that an estimated 15 million people in the UK reside in homes plagued with issues such as damp and mould, which in turn can cause serious health issues. Drying towels and bath mats in a bathroom post-shower can exacerbate the already high humidity levels, releasing additional moisture into the air and worsening damp and mould problems in homes. Bathroom experts at Vidalux.co.uk are urging households to ensure proper ventilation in their bathrooms and advising people to dry towels in a separate room.
The specialists are also emphasising the importance of airing out bathrooms after showers by opening windows and utilising extractor fans.
They also recommend placing damp items on an airing rack in another room to avoid adding moisture to an already humid bathroom, allowing them to air out properly without creating a damp or musty odour.
Andy Ellis from Vidalux said: “A lot of people have a shower and hang their towels and bathmats onto the radiator to dry.
“It seems like the most obvious thing to do but the truth is these items are releasing moisture into an already damp environment.
“This then takes the bathroom and the towels longer to dry and air out and you run the risk of creating or worsening a mould or damp problem.
“If you live with other people and there are two or three towels drying at the same time, the problem becomes even worse.
“Not only will this take even longer, but if your towels are overlapping, they can dry with this horrible musty smell.”
Andy further reveals that positioning towels on a heated radiator or heated airer isn’t as efficient as many believe, since both methods can actually add more moisture to the atmosphere.
Rather, he recommends drying items in a different room using a standard airer or draped over a chair back.
The specialist said: “If you have an extractor fan, put this on before you shower and leave it on after until your bathroom is completely dry. Always open a window as well, even if it’s just a small one as this will create airflow.
“And when it comes to drying things like towels or bathmats, set these up on an airer in another room if you can. If you don’t have the space for this then you can always hang towels on the back of a sturdy chair.”
