Washing that won't dry, windows streaming, a clammy bed? 7 signs your home is holding too much moisture
By the Dry Home Tips team · 4 min read · Updated November 2026An airer in front of the radiator for three days. A towel on the windowsill every morning. That black line along the bathroom sealant that comes back however hard you scrub.
It feels like seven separate problems. It's really one: too much moisture in the air.
Showers, cooking, drying clothes and simply breathing put litres of water into your air every day. In winter the windows stay shut and the heating goes on, so all of it stays inside.
The good news: it's not your fault, and it's easier to fix than you think.
- Washing takes days to dry, or smells musty
- Windows wet every morning
- Black spots that keep coming back
- A musty smell in the wardrobe or hallway
- A bathroom that stays wet for hours
- Bedding that feels cold and clammy
- Drawers or doors that suddenly stick
Then your home is very likely holding too much moisture. Here's what each sign means, and what actually helps.
Your washing takes days to dry, and still smells musty
From October to March it's the airer in front of the radiator, or jumpers draped over it. The school uniform still isn't dry on Monday morning, the radiator heats the washing instead of the room, and sometimes it comes off smelling so musty it goes straight back in the machine.
It's not your detergent. Every load of washing puts around two litres of water into your air. With nowhere to go, it dries slowly, and washing that stays damp too long starts to smell.
That's why the Orbit has a laundry-drying mode. A normal dehumidifier stops once the room is dry enough; laundry mode keeps going, so the airer can go up full at night and come down dry in the morning. At about 9p an hour, a full overnight load costs around 50p. A standard tumble dryer can use 4 to 5 kWh a load, well over £1.
“My washing always smelled musty in winter. Now it's dry overnight.”
You start every morning wiping the windows
Ten minutes with a cloth before you can see outside. A rolled-up towel on the windowsill, soaked by breakfast, and the paint underneath slowly peeling.
It's not your windows. Damp air looks for the coldest surface in the house to settle on, and in winter that's the glass. What you wipe off in the morning has been hanging in your room all night.
A dehumidifier takes that moisture out of the air before it reaches the window. Many customers notice the difference after the very first night.
“I had to dry the windows and frames almost every morning.”
“But I already open a window?”
Good, keep doing it. Airing works while the window is open. But in winter you let in cold, damp air, and as soon as the window is shut and the heating is on, it mists up again. And you've paid to heat the street.
A dehumidifier works with the windows closed. That's why most customers do both: air briefly, and let it run the rest of the day.
You clean the black spots, and weeks later they're back
Behind the wardrobe, in the corner by the ceiling, along the window seal. You've bleached it three times this year and it keeps returning.
That's because the spots are gone, but the moisture isn't. Mould grows where the air stays damp for long periods. The World Health Organization links damp and mould at home to breathing problems, and keeping humidity down is the key to preventing it.
To be honest: a dehumidifier doesn't remove existing mould. You clean that off once yourself. After that, it keeps the air below the level where mould grows, so the corner stays clean. Renting? There's nothing to install, and when you move, it moves with you.
Your wardrobe smells musty, even the clean clothes
You open the wardrobe and there it is: that damp, old-house smell. Coats that were fine in October smell stale by December, and the shoes at the bottom have a grey bloom.
Wardrobes stand against cold outside walls, with no air moving behind them. Moisture collects there first, long before you see anything.
Run a dehumidifier in the bedroom with the door shut for a few days and the smell fades with the moisture. Customers often notice it in the hallway and under the stairs too.
“It smells of washing powder again instead of damp.”
“Why had I never heard of this before?”
“We should have bought this ten years ago.”
“It's unbelievable how much water ends up in the tank every day.”
“It smells of washing powder again instead of damp.”
“It feels like coming home again.”
How long does your bathroom stay wet after a shower?
A steamed-up mirror, drips running down the tiles, a towel that never quite dries. And that black edge along the sealant.
It's not your cleaning. After every shower the room is full of moisture, and a small extractor fan or a tiny window often can't clear it fast enough. Especially when the whole family showers one after another.
Switch on a dehumidifier when you step into the shower and the bathroom dries far faster. The shorter it stays wet, the less chance that black edge has.
“The mirror doesn't steam up any more.”
You get into a cold, clammy bed
The duvet feels cool and heavy instead of dry. The bedroom window is misted every morning, and the room smells stale even right after airing it.
The bedroom is often the coldest room in the house, and at night you breathe moisture into it. Bedding, mattress and curtains soak it up.
Run the dehumidifier in the bedroom during the day with the door shut, and you get into a dry bed at night. Want it on overnight? There's a quiet sleep mode.
“Finally no more clammy bedding.”
“What does it cost to run?”
The Orbit uses 330 watts. At the current UK price cap (26.32p per kWh) that's about 9p an hour. Most homes run it a few hours a day, or overnight in laundry mode for around 50p.
Compare that with damp bedding, washing that has to go through twice, or a corner you repaint every spring.
Drawers and doors that suddenly stick
The top drawer that slid open in summer now needs a tug. The bedroom door scrapes the frame. The kitchen cupboard won't quite close.
Wood takes up moisture from the air and swells. When drawers and doors start sticking in winter, it's a clear sign your indoor air is too damp, and that your furniture, frames and floors are soaking it up too.
Bring the humidity back to between 40 and 60 percent and the wood settles again. The Orbit holds that level automatically: set it once, and it switches itself on and off.
“It's incredible how much water was in the air.”
Why 25,000+ households chose Bloomfold
- Laundry-drying mode. Keeps going where an ordinary dehumidifier stops, for washing that has to dry indoors.
- Set it once. Choose your humidity, and it switches itself on and off to hold it. It stops when the tank is full.
- You can see it working. A colour light shows the humidity at a glance, and the 6.5-litre tank shows what came out.
- Never empty it, if you prefer. Connect the included drain hose for continuous drainage.
- Quiet sleep mode. For the bedroom at night.
- Made for the UK. UK plug, shipped next working day from our UK warehouse. 30-day home trial and a 2-year warranty.
Meet the Orbit 20L
Removes up to 20 litres of moisture a day, for rooms up to 40 m². One for the room where the damp is worst, or move it around on its wheels.
Get the Orbit for £199 →
A drier home for £199
Now £60 off the Orbit 20L
Washing that won't dry, streaming windows or a corner that keeps coming back? Deal with the moisture at the source. Try it for 30 days in your own home. Not happy? You get your money back.
Frequently asked questions
How quickly will I notice a difference?
Often the very first morning: less condensation on the windows. You'll see straight away in the tank how much water it pulls out of the air. A clammy bed or a musty room is usually drier within a few days.
What does it cost to run?
It uses 330 watts, about 9p an hour at the current UK price cap. Most people run it a few hours a day, or overnight in laundry mode for around 50p.
How big a room does it handle?
Rooms up to 40 m², which covers most living rooms and bedrooms. It's on wheels, so you can move it to wherever the damp is worst, or run it on the landing with the doors open.
Can I hear it?
Yes, you'll hear a soft hum, a bit like a fan. For the bedroom there's a quiet sleep mode. Many customers run it during the day with the door closed, so the room is dry by bedtime.
Do I have to empty the tank often?
At first often daily, because a lot of moisture comes out of your home. After that less. When the tank is full it stops by itself. Never want to empty it? Connect the included drain hose.
Does it remove mould?
No, and we'd rather be honest about that. You clean existing mould off once yourself. After that the dehumidifier keeps the air dry enough that it doesn't keep coming back.
I already open the windows every day. Do I still need one?
Keep airing. But in winter the window mostly lets in cold, damp air. The dehumidifier works with the windows closed, so you don't have to keep letting the heat out.
Does it have a UK plug?
Yes. The Orbit 20L comes with a UK plug and ships from our UK warehouse.
When will it arrive?
We ship next working day from our UK warehouse, and delivery is free.
What if I don't like it?
You have 30 days to try it at home. Not happy? Send it back and get your money back. On top of that you get a 2-year warranty.