Do not put laundry on the heater to dry - it harms certain groups of people

Created: 02/11/2022, 20:30

By: Judith Brown

If things have to be done quickly in winter, the laundry is often placed on the heater to dry.

However, this can be dangerous for the health of a group of people.

In terms of health, there are many things that can go wrong when doing laundry.

A hygiene expert, for example, warns against washing everything at 30 degrees and with a mild detergent.

Researchers, on the other hand, discovered antibiotic-resistant bacteria on premature babies in a neonatal ward of a children's hospital, which were transmitted via freshly washed laundry.

If you also dry your laundry on the radiator, you can also damage your health.

Do not put laundry on the heater to dry - risk to health

If you put laundry on the heater to dry, you risk mold growing in your living space.

© Simon Battensbyx/IMAGO

Not all households have a dryer.

However, if you want the laundry to dry faster, you can put it on the heater.

Although this is a simple method that can save time, especially in winter, it is not recommended.

This is because you run the risk of mold forming in your apartment or house.

While this poses a challenge for healthy people, according to Dr.

Hans Peter Seidl, microbiologist at the Technical University of Munich, told the

that there was no reason to panic. However, people with allergies should be careful.

Because of the warm-cold differences in winter, the room climate within living spaces tends to mold growth.

If clothing is now dried on radiators, the result is that the humidity in the room rises sharply within a very short time.

At the same time, air circulation is impeded.

Since these factors promote mold growth, they should be avoided.

Because mold can trigger allergies.

In most cases, these manifest themselves as asthma or hay fever.

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Laundry on the radiator can lead to mold growth: danger for allergy sufferers

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Proteins in the spores or in the threads of the fungi act as allergens that can trigger the allergy.

Those who already suffer from hay fever, neurodermatitis or other allergies are said to have a higher risk.

If there is a first contact with the fungi, then the body becomes sensitized by forming so-called IgE antibodies against the proteins.

These bind to certain immune cells, which release histamine and other messenger substances on a second or later contact.

This is how the typical complaints come about.

This article only contains general information on the respective health topic and is therefore not intended for self-diagnosis, treatment or medication.

In no way does it replace a visit to the doctor.

Unfortunately, our editors are not allowed to answer individual questions about clinical pictures.