Why it is impossible to dry the washed linen in the apartment
In the summer, we dry laundry on the street: the hot sun does this in a matter of hours. But in autumn and winter, in the cold and damp, it is customary to hang the laundry in the apartment, otherwise it will dry for a very long time. It would seem that this is strange? Our mothers and grandmothers always did this. However, new research suggests that drying clothes in a living room can be very dangerous for our health.
Drying clothes in the apartment: pros and cons
During the heating period, the apartments tend to have very dry air. Therefore, hanging wet clothes to dry in the room, we provided the room with additional moisture. Now there are many special humidifiers of all kinds and different price categories, but we continue to dry clothes in apartments. And what is it, our mothers and grandmothers did the same. And did not think at all about the deterioration of well-being, shortness of breath, cough, headaches.
Well, where else to dry the wash in the winter, if not in the apartment?
Sanitary standards determine the optimal level of humidity in residential premises as 30-60% in the summer and 30-45% during the heating period. Exceeding these indicators provokes dampness favorable for the development of dangerous microorganisms.
Relatively recently, British doctors released data on a study of fungal diseases. In particular, special attention was paid to aspergillus mold. This is a very common organism, which we encounter almost daily and do not even notice it, because under normal conditions it does not manifest itself in any way and does not cause unpleasant consequences.
But once an aspergillus enters a favorable environment (for example, in a damp room with poor ventilation), it begins to live and multiply. The ripe mycelium may not be visible to the eye, but it releases spores into the air that penetrate the lungs, causing respiratory infections. Such diseases are united in the “aspergillosis” group, their course is accompanied by cough and shortness of breath, often with bleeding and damage to the kidneys and liver.
Aspergillus fungus may be invisible to the naked eye, but even so it will cause irreparable damage to health
The risk group includes people with asthma, chronic types of pulmonary diseases, HIV and other autoimmune diseases, as well as patients with weak immunity after chemotherapy. In these cases, infection with pulmonary aspergillosis can be fatal.
Do not forget that you use powders, conditioners and rinses when washing. Moisture evaporating from things is saturated with the smells of these substances, but what we take for a pleasant aroma can play a trick on us. This “chemical cocktail” contains microparticles of detergents, which, together with air, enter our lungs through the nose and mouth. It is very dangerous for people prone to allergies. And some substances can even have a carcinogenic effect on the body (lead to the development of cancer).
Even quality detergents can cause allergic reactions.
If you still need to dry the laundry in the apartment, choose the right place for this. The bathroom is not suitable: it has constantly high humidity. The bedroom, too - in the room where you sleep, is not a place for dampness and the microorganisms developing in it. The same applies to the kitchen, it is often humid in it, and the clothes do not need mixed smells of cooked food. That is, it should be a room in which you do not spend so much time, and always with good ventilation.
It would seem that the bathroom is ideal for drying clothes, but in fact this is a bad idea
Video: why scientists and doctors do not recommend drying clothes in a living room
In principle, if your apartment has too dry air due to heating, drying wet clothes from time to time will not do much harm. Just control the humidity level so that it does not exceed acceptable standards. A hygrometer, a device designed to measure humidity in a room, can help you with this. At a constantly normal level, additional humidification will be unnecessary and even dangerous.
