ᐅ Asbestos in old tiles, washing machine damage, risk to children's health?

Created on: 2 Dec 2025 09:18

Hello everyone, we have a house from the early 1960s. It was already modernized/renovated in the mid-1990s and then converted from a single-family house to a multi-family house in 2015. The laundry cellar has become increasingly dirty since some renovation work was done again. I wanted to clean the laundry room a bit because we have been living with this construction dirt for almost a year. To my shock, I found out that either my partner or my brother-in-law had supported my washing machine with a broken tile to keep it level. Next to the washing machine, there are two whole tiles as well as two broken ones. I recently placed them in one spot without thinking. Until now. Now I am very worried that they might contain asbestos and that, unknowingly, we may have been stirring up asbestos fibers over a long period of time—especially since we do a lot of laundry with several small children in the house and also use the dryer—which could have settled on clean laundry, for example. Or even on dirty laundry, which sometimes gets tossed into baskets before washing... And then you carry this laundry into the living area, fold it, and put it on every day for yourself and the children.... These nightmare scenarios are running through my mind now, and I hope someone can give me some advice! One of the tiles says Made in Germany with the date 28.09.1975. I cannot make out the name, probably the manufacturer....

nordanney2 Dec 2025 15:07

lula2702 schrieb:

On the internet, you read about broken asbestos-containing tiles that were apparently quite common at the time (especially between construction years 1950 to 1980)

Where exactly do you read that? Once again: regular ceramic tiles did not contain asbestos – there was no reason to use expensive additives without benefit. You are reading about asbestos in connection with tiles, but specifically with broken, glued tiles. Asbestos was often found in the tile adhesive. But only there.

lula2702 schrieb:

That drives you crazy and honestly makes you fearful...

Then take a look at what the internet says about health risks to private individuals in their homes from asbestos exposure. If you find anything, I would appreciate if you share it here. Because there is not a single reliable statistic on this. The reason is that the risk compared to occupational exposure (such as tradespeople, installers, renovators, and so on) is considered negligible or extremely low.

In your case, it is even more so because—if asbestos were present—there would be no exposure at all. Fibers don’t just come loose on their own. You would have to actively work on the tile with a file or break it with a hammer for fibers to be released. And then you would have to inhale those fibers—in large amounts and ideally over years.

Touching is safe. Licking it is safe too. Swallowing it is as dangerous as eating flavored ice.

So once again: calm down. You have no problem.

lula27022 Dec 2025 15:12

nordanney schrieb:

Where exactly have you read that? Once again: asbestos was not used in regular fired tiles—there was no reason to add expensive additives without benefit. You often read about asbestos in connection with tiles, but that is in broken, glued tiles. Asbestos was sometimes present in tile adhesive, but only there.

Now check what can be found on the internet regarding health risks to private individuals in household settings due to asbestos. If you find anything, I would appreciate it if you share it here. Because there is not a single reliable statistic on this. This is because the risk, compared to occupational exposure (e.g., craftsmen, installers, renovators, and others), is considered negligible or extremely low.

In your case, the situation is even more secure since—if asbestos were present—there would be no exposure at all. Fibers don’t release by themselves. You would have to actively file or hammer the tile to release fibers. And then you would have to inhale a significant amount, preferably over years.

Touching is harmless. Licking it is also harmless. Swallowing it is about as dangerous as eating popsicles.

So, once again, relax. You have no problem.

Thanks for your answer and explanation!

KlaRa2 Dec 2025 17:19

lula2702 schrieb:

On the internet, you can read about broken asbestos-containing tiles that were apparently common at the time (especially between the years 1950 and 1980) which release many fibers (...)

That is correct.
However, what is often overlooked online is that these were floor tiles made of rigid PVC.
In the early days, asbestos fibers were indeed mixed into them.
But as long as the PVC tiles were not broken (the same applies to old, also contaminated fiber cement sheets used as roofing), no dust was generated that could be considered hazardous. During removal, these PVC tiles were sprayed with a water mist to immediately bind any dust.
---------------
What this means for you: no "danger" in sight (just joking).

ypg6 Dec 2025 17:00

#10

https://www.hausbau-forum.de/threads/blumenkuebel-asbest-in-transporter.49858/

https://www.hausbau-forum.de/threads/neue-tueren-eingebaut-abstand-tuerrahmen-wand.49877/

To be honest, if someone now asks about asbestos in various materials in an old house and becomes panic-stricken in every case, they probably should have fully informed themselves about the topic before buying the house.

I suspect you will open more threads here like "I’m afraid of asbestos contamination."

You can make life very difficult for yourself or overload a forum without gaining any benefit, as remote assessments simply aren’t reliable.

lula27026 Dec 2025 20:13

#11

ypg schrieb:

https://www.hausbau-forum.de/threads/blumenkuebel-asbest-in-transporter.49858/

https://www.hausbau-forum.de/threads/neue-tueren-eingebaut-abstand-tuerrahmen-wand.49877/

Honestly, if someone is now asking about asbestos in various materials in an old house and gets panicked in every situation, maybe they should have fully informed themselves about the topic before buying the house.

I suspect you will open even more "I’m afraid of asbestos contamination" threads here.

You can also make your own life very difficult or put excessive strain on a forum without gaining any real benefit, since remote diagnoses are simply not reliable.

Yes, you may be right. However, it is possible to gather information. Besides, I wasn’t the one who bought this house back then, and I don’t ask my partner if he has considered the “asbestos risk” when he moved in. It only came to light now through the renovation, and asbestos only becomes dangerous when it is disturbed during work.

ᐅ Asbestos in old tiles, washing machine damage, risk to children's health?

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