Hydrogen peroxide: If you're not too crazy about using bleach to disinfect your bedding, a more gentle disinfectant that you can use is hydrogen peroxide. It's great because it can be used with different types of fabrics and colors while acting as an antiseptic and deodorizer.
Sanitizing towels and bed sheets
To wash bleach-safe bed sheets and towels, machine wash in the hottest water recommended using a good detergent and ⅔ cup Clorox® Disinfecting Bleach in a traditional deep-fill washer, or ⅓ cup Clorox® Disinfecting Bleach in a high efficiency clothes washer.
It's also recommended pillowcases are changed every two to three days. All bed linens should be washed in warm to high temperatures (around 40℃-60℃) in order to effectively kill germs. Avoid overloading laundry machines and use enough soap, and make sure bed linens are completely dried before using.
“If you're taking care of someone who's ill or you're sick yourself, steam from a steamer or an iron is enough to sanitize sheets,” Richardson says.
Cleaning your bedsheets and pillowcases
What's more, cleaning our bedding with detergent doesn't always remove germs like we may think. You should make sure you use a laundry sanitizer such as Lysol® Laundry Sanitizer, which kills 99.9% of bacteria and is gentle on even the softest of fabrics.
You should use color-safe bleach for any dyed fabrics, and chlorine bleach for white bedding. Hydrogen peroxide – Unlike chlorine bleach, hydrogen peroxide is safe for most fabrics and dyes. Add 1 cup of this antiseptic oxidizer to your wash. Note: you should still spot test to make sure it doesn't cause discoloration.
Using Vinegar to Disinfect Laundry
Vinegar has acetic acid, which can kill viruses and bacteria. For a bit of added disinfectant and deodorizer in your clothes, you can add ½ cup of white vinegar to the rinse cycle.
Cleaning Instructions for Hospital Linens
Soiled or infected linens should be washed at a temperature of 65 degrees for at least 10 minutes, or 71 degrees for a minimum of 3 minutes. Hypochlorite may be used to disinfect linens, if they can withstand it.
Clothes dryers with a Sanitize Cycle can increase the heat to temperatures high enough to kill off various bugs (lice, moth larvae, bedbugs, etc.) and bacteria. This can be particularly useful for sanitizing sheets and other clothing items when you or your guests have recently recovered from an illness.
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.
Germs from respiratory viruses can live a few days, while some that cause diarrhea can live for weeks. Bacteria can live for weeks and can even multiply. You should wash any soiled bedding as soon as possible and wash sheets regularly when someone is sick.
Disinfectant spray or wipes: Disinfectant sprays or wipes are an essential tool for disinfecting bed sheets at hotels. Look for products that are effective against a wide range of bacteria and viruses, and make sure to follow the manufacturer's instructions for use.
1. Vacuum bed surfaces thoroughly to remove as much topical dust, hair, dander and allergens as possible. 2. Spray your disinfectant solution or antibacterial spray lightly across all surfaces of your mattress, including the top, bottom and sides.
Despite its technical-sounding name, hydrogen peroxide is one of the most eco-friendly compounds you can use. That's because it's a naturally occurring element formed by sunlight acting on water, making it perfectly safe for many uses—including sanitizing laundry.
Antibacterial Spray
Lysol is a popular disinfectant that you can use on your mattress.
Can you use disinfecting spray on pillows? Yes, you can use disinfecting sprays like Glade or Lysol on your pillows to eliminate germs and bacteria. Ensure your pillows are completely dry before sleeping to prevent trapping moisture. Avoid oversaturating your pillow with a disinfecting spray.
For areas like your mattress that can't be wiped down, you can use a disinfectant spray, like Lysol, to go after unseen germs. Use the spray in a sweeping motion to cover the entire surface, then let it completely dry before using the mattress or laying on the laundered sheets.
A good detergent is great for a first pass, but how sanitized do your sheets really come out of the wash? To get rid of lingering odors on your fabrics and eliminate harmful bacteria, consider adding a capful or two of this Lysol laundry sanitizer to your next washing machine cycle.
STASH DT-H is specially designed advanced laundry detergent specially designed for hospital commercial laundries. It is a super blend of cleaning agents and enzymes to give a perfect stainless washing and brightness.
Detergent alone does not always kill bacteria. To kill bacteria, use Lysol Laundry Sanitizer in the fabric softener compartment or pour directly into the rinse cycle.
OxiClean™ Laundry & Home Sanitizer is formulated to sanitize laundry♦ and for laundry virucidal action against Influenza A† in standard machines. Fill scoop to the top once (134.7g) before adding laundry.