Study: If You’ve Got Asthma, Drying Laundry Inside Your Home Might Be Unhealthy

[foraloysius]

Well, you might have responded to somebody in Chicago, but the research is still about drying laundry indoors in the UK. It doesn't matter who posted it, that doesn't change the research.

You can schlepp every other things in this discussion, but drying laundry indoors is a factor that can easily be changed, unlike cooking. Drying them outside or in a dryer is easier to achieve than cooking outside. So this all still makes sense.

 

[kenmoreguy89]

I'll no comment further....it is better so!

 

[davey7]

Yes, it is dryer in Chicago in winter (our summers are sub-tropical and very humid) than summer - one of my cousins commented on how she'd forgotten how dry it is in winter, plus a lot of heating is done with with steam, which leads to dryness inside, which leads to bloody noses etc without proper humidification.

It would make sense it's the dust mites - I had a lot of problems as a kid, but don't seem to as an adult. I would think mountains would be bad for allergy sufferers since the altitude would cause problems. In olden days allergy sufferers were sent to Arizona, but with the massive population increases the humidity has increased as have the allergies from imported plants.

 

[launderess]

Cannot Speak To The Asthma Bit

But it has long been known that drying laundry indoors increases humidity which many potential allergens such as dust mites and moulds love. This is also one of the reasons against indoor venting of tumble dryers.

Of course this is all relative. If one had dry to nearly arrid indoor conditions then what moisture comes off drying laundry may be welcomed and or not cause much harm. OTHO if one's home is already damp naturally because of climate then you might wish to reconsider.

Have a very mild form of asthma and it is triggered mainly by cold, especially sudden changes in weather. Indeed am often sound asleep and awoken with chest wheezing because the outdoor temps have dropped quite allot during the night.

 

[foraloysius]

Being in the mountains is good for people with an allergy for dust mites, because over 1000 meters dust mites are very rare.

 

[davey7]

Sorry meant asthma sufferers, not specifically allergies. In the US there are a lot more plants in the mountains that people of European heritage are often allergic to (I have never had allergies or hay fever in Europe, ever, in any season, but in the States, ho boy! Though less as an adult than a kid).

 

[launderess]

Asthma & Europe

Never forget my first trip to Paris! Started wheezing almost at once and it continued more or less the entire visit. Finally gave in and when to a local pharmacie. After telling of my symptoms and suffering from mild asthma was given to purchase rather large bottle containing a green fluid. Turns out it was a quite potent form of epinephrine! *LOL* Oh it cleared up my wheezing but sent one's heart racing! Great for a night out at the clubs but otherwise....

When one got back home booked an appointment with my GP and related the story and what one took. GP's face went pale and was advised under no circumstances to ever consume any of the said medication ever again. One also was to return home and discard the bottle at once. Think of all the "meth heads" that would have been going through one's rubbish if they knew!

Long story short it turns out the change in latitude and climate triggered the asthma attack. Contrary to what most Americans think much of Northern Europe is just that, north of most US cities especially NYC. It was also a particular cool summer coupled in the fact that Paris does not normally get blazing hot like NYC.

Here once it becomes hot it normally stays that way for several days cooling off slightly at night (but always and often not that much). In Paris it might be cool to chilly in the early AM, warm to hot by mid-day, cooling by evening and downright chilly by the time night falls/sundown (which isn't until often after 10PM). Being a delicate hot house flower that one is such wide variations just don't suit.

 

[foraloysius]

Goodness, those French! Overhere Epinephrine is only used in life threatening situations. Have never known an asthma patient that used it. They probably have it in the hospital in case of an emergency.

Apparently the French like to use heavy stuff. A friend of mine with a running ear was prescribed a huge quantity of prednisone.

I was at the GP this week. Since I was running a bit late I decided to go there by bike. Only 5 minutes, but it was raining. Arrived rather wheezy, the GP told me never to bike again with high humidity or rain. I responded to him I had planned to walk, got berated once again, walking under such circumstances wasn't very wise either.

 

[davey7]

What's a GP? (I kid)

But you would have to....walk... to your car or a bus/train/streetcar, wouldn't you?

 

[foraloysius]

Yes, I would have, but the advice was more to avoid outdoor activities as much as possible during humid weather.

 

[newwave1]

I've had asthma my entire life! I find I can breath better in winter than I can in summer. I dry clothes indoors and haven't noticed an adverse effect on my breathing!

Darren

 

[Iowegian]

Conflating home dryers and how to manage asthma is missing the point.

Different people that suffer from asthma have different triggers.

In order to avoid the triggers, it's useful to have a lot of control over the home's environmental system. Most obviously, humidification and air quality.

A European dryer that vents inside the house, spewing huge amounts of clothing fibers and moisture without an HVAC system that can deal with that is a big problem.

 

[lavamat_jon]

I'm sorry Iowegian but where do you get your facts from?

 

Dryers here either vent outdoors/through an open window (clue is in the name) - moisture being vented directly outside, or the condenser units condense the water hence do not spew any more moisture into a room than a dryer that vents directly outdoors.  The only exceptions being some compact dryer units, but again most have the facility to vent outdoors.  As for "huge amounts" of clothing fibres, again untrue due to the very efficient filter system on dryers here.

 

Back to the topic of the thread, I've been drying laundry indoors for years now and haven't noticed any detrimental effects whatsoever.  In fact I'm inclined to agree with an earlier poster - you are probably going to get more moisture inside from a shower running or pans boiling on the hob than with the gradual drying of laundry.

 

Jon

 

[foraloysius]

Jon,

Do you have asthma? Just wondered. If yes drying laundry inside MIGHT be a problem. If you don't have it's more likely it's not bad for you.

Scientific research is often misinterpreted. They have done a kind of research and drew a conclusion. But you have to keep in mind what the outcome was under what circumstance and what variables were used.

What they don't say is that drying inside is bad for everybody, nor do they say that drying inside for everybody with asthma.

Interesting is that they discovered that up to a third of the moisture inside homes was caused by drying laundry inside.

So the conclusion of the reports is that those who are sensitive to it could better avoid drying inside because up to a third of the moisture inside is caused by drying laundry indoors. That's all.

 

[retro-man]

With all this talk about drying indoors, I am going to HD today to pick up an indoor drying rack. Our vacation place is soooo dry I can't breath. I hung towels on a few things last weekend and it helped alot. So I guess retire the dryer for the winter and moisturize the air amd bring a humidifier also.
Jon