Wash and dry your clothes at a higher temperature (100–135°F) for at least 30 minutes to ensure sufficient killing of germs. It's safe to wash a sick person's dirty laundry with other people's items. If handling dirty laundry from a person who is sick, wear gloves and a mask.
wash the clothing at a minimum temperature of 60°C, or hotter if the clothing is suitable for a higher temperature wash, and use your normal washing products.
It's OK to toss in other household laundry items with the sick person's load. If you're going through the steps correctly, you don't have to separate it. Just follow the washing instructions as usual. If your hamper bag is fabric, toss it in too.
60°C is the perfect temperature for killing bacteria, viruses and removing stains. This wash setting is also highly recommended for washing towels and bedding, but obviously this setting is going to increase running costs as the higher the temperature the higher the cost.
Further, modern clothing dyes are more colorfast. So washing in cold water with modern detergents is nearly as good as washing with hot water, but the cumulative damage to the clothing fibers and dyes is much less. If you can wash in colder water, the garment will last longer.
Towels should be washed in the warmest water appropriate for the fabric according to the care label. Generally, warm or hot water is recommended for washing towels. Use a cycle specifically for towels or a normal/regular cycle.
But don't make the water too hot. Washing heavily soiled articles with hot water can set stains. For heavily soiled clothes, prewash them in cool water, then wash them again in water that is 130°F or higher. The rinse water can always be cold without any harmful effects on the wash load.
Any lower washing temperature offers survival conditions for bacteria and induces cross-contamination in the laundry. Staphylococcus aureus and S. epidermidis, for example, have been shown to survive laundry programs at 50°C (Munk et al., 2001).
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. Use two caps filled to the correct line for your machine. To disinfect, pre-soak with laundry sanitizer.
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.
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Liquid bleach is one highly effective option: The University of Arizona laundry study found that adding bleach to the load reduced the number of viruses by over 99.99%. 1 For normal loads, a 3/4 cup of bleach should be enough to disinfect the items, according to the Clorox website.
To start, set your washing machine to the hottest water temperature possible. Water temperatures at 130 degrees and above are best at killing viruses and allergens. Add one cup of chlorine bleach to the machine.
Only low inocula of 100 CFU were found on all types of textiles with a short survival time of ≤3 days. Most bacterial species survived better at elevated air humidity. The infectivity of viruses on textiles is lost much faster at room temperature, typically within 2–4 weeks.
According to World Health Organization, temperatures of at least 140 degrees Fahrenheit (60 degrees Celsius) are enough to kill most viruses. Boiling water can kill off the bacteria on food and running your dishwasher is enough to sterilize your dishes from germs.
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According to Speed Queen, anything below (60°F) can prevent your detergent from providing a proper clean. Cold water is the preferred choice to prevent color bleed. Also, choosing cold water can make your clothes last longer by reducing wrinkling, reducing fading and preventing shrinking – all while saving energy!
Hot water (130 degrees Fahrenheit or above) is most effective in removing dirt and stains. “We always advise 'the hottest water possible' as you keep in mind the different needs of different fabrics," says cleaning expert Mary Gagliardi. "The higher the temperature, the better the cleaning.”
Sheets should be washed at a warm temperature to kill bacteria. A good temperature to wash bed sheets is 40 degrees but a 60-degree wash will be better at killing germs and should be used if someone in the house has been ill. As always, it's best to consult your bedding care labels for guidance on temperature.
Dead skin cells, bacteria, and even sweat can accumulate quickly on your towels, so using a fresh one about every three days is a simple rule of thumb—for all kinds of towels.
According to Annie Chiu, MD, a board-certified dermatologist and founder of The Derm Institute, there's a clear guidance on when to make the swap. “Generally, you should change your towels every three to four uses,” she says. “This helps prevent the buildup of bacteria and odors.”
You should try to limit the temperature to around 30 degrees when washing your socks. The reason for this is that high temperatures can cause direct damage to the materials used in your socks. High temperatures can destroy the fibres of the socks. This makes them less soft, and more likely to develop holes!