Are You Drying Your Clothes the Wrong Way? My $13 Amazon Hack Keeps Clothes Fresh and Homes Mold Free

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Better Homes & Gardens / Amazon

Your laundry habits could be causing mold in your home. What?! Well, even though air-drying clothes on a drying rack has many benefits (especially for the planet), experts agree that line-drying incorrectly can start a big mold problem within and behind your walls.

“The key to safe indoor drying is understanding that placement matters just as much as ventilation,” explained Leanna Spektor, co-founder and cloth care expert at the fashion retailer Brand House Direct. To prevent moisture-related damage, Spektor advises, “Always keep drying racks at least 30 to 50 centimeters away from exterior walls”—roughly 20 inches.

When wet clothes are placed near exterior walls—which are much colder than interior walls in the winter—moisture rises to the cold surface, creating the perfect conditions for trapping moisture and causing mold growth. Spektor recommends placing drying racks in well ventilated areas, closer to internal walls, and ideally, in a room with central heating and ample airflow. But I can do you one better: My clever laundry hack is only $13 at Amazon, and by extending clothes further from the wall or door, can prevent mold from growing.

Goffing Over-the-Door Drying Rack

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Amazon

The $13 Goffing Over-the-Door Drying Rack has quickly become one of my favorite purchases, because it’s sleek, easy to use, and effective. It hangs over any door, whether it’s in your laundry room, bathroom, or closet, so there’s no mounting required. And since it hooks over a door, it’s more likely to be placed away from an exterior wall.

The rack has a foldable design that acts as a single hook when folded, but when it’s fully expanded, a long retractable rod provides up to 13 inches of hanging space—away from the door. You can easily pull down the rod, which includes six slots for accommodating hangers or 7 inches of hanging space. And when you pull out the extender, it offers an additional 5.9 inches.

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Better Homes & Gardens

Not only do I use it for air-drying sweaters, leggings, bras, and delicate materials like silk, wool, and denim, but I also have a second Goffing hook hanging in my closet. I use the second one to plan out on my outfits for the week, and even take it with me whenever I travel. It’s so much easier to plan out outfits when you can see them in front of you. In more ways than one, this little gadget has become the most convenient accessory in my home.

As for preventing mold growth, there are a few more expert-approved tips that you can implement throughout the winter. According to Spektor, you should rotate the position of drying racks between loads; this prevents any one area from gathering too much moisture. For better ventilation, Spektor recommends opening a window for about 15 minutes a day—especially if you have no choice but to air-dry against an exterior wall. “Don’t block heating vents or radiators with wet clothes,” Spektor also advises. “It reduces your heating efficiency and can still cause moisture problems on nearby walls.”

The Goffing Over-the-Door Drying Rack is an unexpected, helpful tool in more ways than one, but it’s a particularly great hack for preventing moisture buildup when airdrying clothes in poorly ventilated spaces. Plus, it’s compact enough to take when you travel for organization or maybe last-minute hand washing. Grab one at Amazon for $13, and be sure to check out more clothing drying racks below.