Detergent alone does not always kill bacteria. To kill bacteria, use
If you add it with detergent or softener, it will neutralize the sanitizer. It is designed to be used on clothes that are already cleaned. So, it needs to go into the final rinse.
Laundry sanitizers are not required for everyday laundry use. They are only needed for specific illnesses like stomach flu or diarrhea. Water and a high quality detergent are sufficient for most types of viral disinfection.
Avoid Mixing: Never mix Lysol with bleach or other cleaning products, as this can create harmful fumes. If you have any specific instructions or concerns, consult the product label or your washing machine manual for guidance.
A: Laundry Sanitizer is added into the fabric softener compartment so that it is dispensed during the rinse cycle. If there is no compartment in the machine, it is recommended to add liquid at the beginning of the rinse cycle. Thank you for your feedback!
You may notice your normal detergent is not as effective if you mix with Lysol Laundry Disinfectant. These products are not meant to be used together so we do not recommend it. There are no safety concerns, but you will not have the best usage experience for both products.
Regular washing with laundry detergent will remove some germs and bacteria, but to "sanitize" laundry means to use high temperatures or chemicals to kill 99.9 percent of germs, like OxiClean Laundry and Home Sanitizer, which also works as a great mold remover.
You can add white distilled vinegar directly to the washing machine drum or pretreat stains with the acid before tossing the items in the load. As Pozniak warned, you shouldn't mix vinegar with fabric softener, but there is also another laundry product that acid shouldn't combine with — bleach.
Lysol Laundry Sanitizer contains 0% bleach and can be used on both white and color clothing. It can be used on most washable fabrics, including your towels, bed sheets, gym clothes, baby clothes, and delicates.
Add 2 capfuls each filled to line 1 of the dosing cup to the fabric softener compartment or directly to your rinse cycle wash. For HE machines: Add 2 capfuls each filled to line 2 of the dosing cup to the fabric softener compartment or directly to your rinse cycle wash.
Using too little sanitizer may not effectively kill the germs, while using too much may leave residue on your clothes.
DON'T: Water-Resistant Materials
Like moisture-wicking fabrics, water-resistant materials and fabric softeners should never go together. Water-resistant materials don't allow moisture to enter them, so washing them is already challenging.
Household Surfaces and Items
Rinse with clean water. Sanitize using a mixture of 1 cup (240 mL) of bleach to 5 gallons of water.
White Vinegar
To use vinegar to disinfect your laundry, try adding 1 cup to the rinse cycle. Not only can it kill germs and bacteria, but it's also a great natural deodorizer. White vinegar can be used on colors and whites, keeping clothes bright, and works as an effective fabric softener, too.
As softeners are oil-based, they often leave stains on linens and even trap pre-existing stains! Studies have shown that liquid fabric softeners can make fabrics – like baby clothing – more flammable.
Many believe that to keep towels soft and fluffy, you need fabric softener and dryer sheets. However, as mentioned above, fabric softener and dryer sheets contain PDMS, which will coat the towel fibers and cause them to lose absorbency and become stiff and scratchy.
If you're looking for ease and combating static cling, dryer sheets might be the way to go. But if you want an all-around softening experience and are mindful of long-term costs, fabric softeners could be your best bet.
Add one cup of distilled white vinegar to the rinse cycle when you want to sanitize a load of laundry. The white vinegar kills bacteria, deodorizes your laundry, softens fabrics, and even helps maintain bright colors. Who knew vinegar might be the ultimate eco-friendly clothes detergent?
OxiClean™ Laundry & Home Sanitizer kills 99.9% of bacteria & viruses around the home, including laundry, couches, carpets, tile & more.
Our best overall pick is Downy Ultra Liquid Fabric Conditioner, which has a robust formula that offers seven different benefits (like wrinkle reduction, color protection, and freshness).
Add the laundry sanitizer to the softener dispenser
Use the softener dispenser for Clorox® Laundry Sanitizer. This ensures that it is added at the correct time in the wash cycle: during the rinse cycle, not during the wash cycle.
Add two capfuls to the fabric softener compartment at the start of laundry cycle. If machine does not have a fabric softener dispenser, wait until rinse cycle and add directly to drum of machine.
One of the questions that many laundry cleaning enthusiasts struggle with is whether or not laundry sanitizer damages clothing. The truth is, it all depends on what type of sanitizer you are using. Some high-strength disinfectants can be too harsh and damaging to delicate fabrics.