How do you ensure that your laundry is actually clean and safe from germs, bacteria, and other pathogens?
Unfortunately, sometimes your normal laundry routine may not be enough to completely sanitize your clothes, towels, and bedding. So here are a few extra pointers towards ridding your laundry from germs.
Germs inside washing machines can linger after you’ve finished your laundry for the week. So taking steps to clean your washing machine on a regular basis is the first step towards sanitizing your laundry.
Leave the door open — to prevent mold spores — after you have used it and once a week you should run the laundry on an empty cycle with a cup or bleach or vinegar in order to disinfect it. It’s also recommended you wipe down the rubber or plastic ring around the door with an anti-bacterial wipe and to clean out the lint filter every other week.
Another tactic towards keeping your clothes clean is to pre-sort them based on their use. For instance, wash your underwear separate from your kitchen towels. This will help prevent cross-contamination within your laundry.
It’s also important to remember that hot water helps to kill germs. A basic rule of thumb is that the water temperature needs to be hotter than your skin can tolerate. So if you do find yourself hand-washing any items, make sure you wash your hands afterwards to avoid the spread of germs.
And finally, the best way to sanitize your clothes when drying them is to ditch your tumble dryer and hang them up outside on a clothesline or pulley clothesline system. The sun is the most effective germ killer available!