Using a Dehumidifier in a Laundry Room

How a laundry room adds moisture to the air

Every load of clothes drying indoors releases moisture into the air. A vented dryer sends most of that moisture outside, but an indoor drying rack, a drying cabinet, or a dryer with a vent hose that leaks all add moisture to the room. A laundry room that stays damp is a common reason shoppers look for a dehumidifier. The listing words that matter are the same as for any room: the kind of unit, the capacity group in pints per day, and how the unit handles the water it collects.

A dehumidifier in a laundry room does what the listing says it does: it removes moisture from the air. The capacity figure on a listing is the amount of water the unit can remove per day under the conditions described by the Department of Energy, as the ENERGY STAR pages explain. The site never converts a capacity figure into a drying time for clothes, because the seller does not state that relationship. Treat the pints-per-day figure as a label that helps you compare units in the same capacity group.

Finding laundry room listings

A laundry room is a small enclosed space. Listings for this use case often carry a room word such as "small room" or "bedroom" in the title, and the capacity group is usually the 20 to 30 pint range. Some laundry rooms are combined with a basement, in which case a listing with a basement word and a higher capacity group may fit the situation better.

You will rarely see the words "laundry" or "utility room" in a dehumidifier title. Search instead by the room size words you find on the listing, and compare the floor area figure that the seller states. Area figures on listings are the seller's own labels, not a promise of coverage. The buying guides on this site are organized by the same labels, so a small-room guide and a basement guide are both useful starting points.

Read the bullet list under the title for the details that matter in a laundry room: a bucket that shuts off when full, a fitting for a drain hose, and whether the unit has a built-in pump. A laundry room often has a sink or a floor drain nearby, which changes how you compare water-handling features.

Position and clearance

The maker's manual describes where to place the unit. General guidance from the manuals this site reviews is consistent: put the dehumidifier on a level, solid floor, and keep the sides away from walls, furniture, and piles of laundry so air can move through the unit. Do not block the air inlet on one side and the air outlet on the top or front.

In a laundry room, keep the dehumidifier clear of the washer and dryer, and keep wet clothes off the top of the unit. Do not place the unit so that the outlet blows directly at a wall. If the manual shows a minimum clearance distance, follow it.

Doors and windows matter. Running a dehumidifier with the laundry room door open pulls moist air from the rest of the home and slows the drying of the room. With the door closed, the unit works on the air inside the room. If it is damp outside, keep windows closed while the unit runs.

Water handling: bucket, hose, or pump

A laundry room has three practical water-handling options, and the listing names which one a unit has. A bucket-only unit collects water in a removable tank that you empty when it is full. Listings describe a bucket full shutoff, which stops the unit before the bucket overflows.

A drain hose fitting lets you connect a hose so the unit sends water to a floor drain, a sink, or a laundry tub without emptying the bucket. On a listing, this appears as "continuous drain" or "drain hose" and the hose may be included or sold separately. The maker's manual describes where the hose outlet is and how to attach the hose.

A built-in pump pushes the collected water upward through a hose, which helps when the drain is above the unit, such as a laundry sink on a stand. A laundry room with a floor drain at the same level does not need a pump; a gravity drain hose is simpler. Read the pump and hose words on the title and the bullet list, and ask the maker about the pump lift height and the hose length, because listings rarely state those figures.

Related reading: how dehumidifier pumps work, continuous drain mode, and gravity drain versus a pump.

Capacity labels and drying clothes

Capacity labels on listings are the seller's classification of the unit by pints per day. The site groups units into ranges: small-room units around 20 to 30 pints, 50 pint units, 70 pint units, and 100 pint units for wet basements. A laundry room is a small room, so a small-room capacity group is the usual match. The ENERGY STAR page on capacity explains that the Department of Energy changed the rating method after 2020, moving the measurement temperature from 80 degrees Fahrenheit to 65 degrees, so a new listing may show a lower figure than an older unit with a similar look.

The site never states that a capacity figure dries a load of laundry in a set time. The ENERGY STAR buying guidance does describe high-load conditions such as laundry drying as a factor in choosing a capacity, but it gives ranges, not a promise for a specific room. Compare listings by capacity group and by water-handling features, not by a number the seller does not define.

Mold and moisture note

A laundry room that stays damp is the kind of place where mold can grow, as the EPA and CDC mold pages explain. This site does not advise on mold cleanup, prevention, or health outcomes. For guidance on moisture and mold in a home, read the EPA mold pages and the CDC mold pages. The EPA guidance states that the key to mold control is moisture control. This site never claims that a dehumidifier stops mold growth.

Checklists for laundry room shopping

Build a shortlist of 2 or 3 units by reading the listing title and bullet list, not by customer opinions. For a laundry room, compare: the kind of unit named in the title, the capacity group, whether the unit has a bucket, a drain hose, or a pump, and the floor area figure stated by the seller. Then read the maker's page for the details the listing does not state, such as the manual's placement guidance and the parts that come in the box.

Use the best small room dehumidifier guide to start, and narrow down by water handling. A laundry room with a damp basement behind it calls for a higher capacity group, so the basement dehumidifier with pump guide is the better fit. For budget shopping in a rental laundry closet, the small room budget guide on this site keeps the search within a price tier.

What to pick for your situation

Questions

Should the dehumidifier run with the laundry room door open or closed?

Keeping the door closed helps the unit work on the air in that room. The maker's manual describes placement; this site cannot state how the door position affects drying time. If it is damp outside, keep windows closed while the unit runs.

Does a dehumidifier in a laundry room dry clothes faster?

The listing states that the unit removes moisture from the air, which is the same process that helps clothes dry. The site never states a drying time for a load of laundry because no listing states that figure.

Do I need a pump in a laundry room?

A pump is for pushing water upward to a drain that is above the unit. If the laundry room has a floor drain at the same level, a drain hose is simpler. Read the pump words on the listing and ask the maker about lift height.

What capacity group fits a laundry room?

A laundry room is a small enclosed space, so a small-room capacity group is the usual match. Compare listings by their stated pints-per-day label, and read the ENERGY STAR capacity page for an explanation of how figures are rated.

What if my laundry room is damp and has an indoor drying rack?

Drying clothes indoors adds moisture to the air. A dehumidifier removes moisture while the rack is in use. For guidance on moisture and mold in a home, read the EPA and CDC mold pages.