Even if dishtowels are washed with underpants and bedsheets? I don't have enough whites to justify doing all that in separate small loads (not to mention that I'd be doing nothing but laundry all day long), but then I get grossed out and end up dumping in bleach. Am I being a complete germophobe? ;-)

I wash towels separate from clothing as I do not want to use fabric softener on towels because it makes them less absorbent. I wash bedsheets alone, one bed's worth at a time--if you crowd your washing machine with sheets and other items, you are putting too much into the machine at once and not getting your clothes that clean because they don't have enough room to agitate.

I don't use fabric softener for that reason (towel absorbency) as well as other reasons (skin sensitivities).

The OP may wish to post over on the Laundry forum. Some of those people seem to have chemistry degrees, they know so much.

Lazygardens is correct.....most germs are killed with hot water, detergent and a dryer......even underwear and dish towels together.....and what's more, fabric softener has a bit of an anti bacterial effect as well.....and if yoiu are still un easy....add some oxy clean.
I wash towels separate from most things....because I don't want fuzz on my other clothes.
Linda C

I usually have large loads, but sometimes when I have a couple items that need washed or something that needs to be washed separately, I run them in a wash cycle only, take the items out and using the same water, reset the wash cycle and run my load. I usually rinse out the item/s in my sink and after the "load" is finished washing, I throw the item/s in for a spin cycle. You could wash the underwear , spin them out and then reset the wash cycle, leaving the underwear in and add the other whites and then wash it all. That way you would feel a little better about the underwear as they would be cleaner with the rest of the wash and you would only be using one additional extra small wash and soap extra. I have washed underwear with towels, but not with my dish towels and dish cloths, just my personal choice.

I use the prewash on my husband's shorts , socks , and hankies , then add the rest of his white clothing to make a fuller load , for the regular cycle .

I add Tea Tree Oil to things like sheets(hot water) or towels and fabric napkins(hot water) that I cannot bleach. Depending on the size of the load I add from 3or4 drops up to 10. When I take the clotes out of the washer I can smell the tea tree oil but after they go through the dryer there is no smell.
Tea tree oil is antibacterial.

I use Pinesol in my wash along with Tide non-bleach detergent. I read somewhere that Pinesol (or some equivalent pine oil cleaner) does a good job of preventing germs. Since Pinesol is a bit sudsy, I guess I could forego the Tide and just use all Pinesol but I like to "cover as many bases" as I can when possible.
--Alice

generally hot soapy water will kill most bacteria. and overuse of disinfecting agents can actually cause resistant strains that become immune to disinfectants... i have started to get away from the antibacterial hand soaps - but sometimes its hard to find liquid hand soap that isnt antibacterial...

I have always washed white underwear with other clothes, never gave it a thought. I think we have all been "hyped" to death about germs/sanitize.

kali

Next time your washing machine needs to be replaced, consider a front loader. Some models have heaters that get the water up to 205 degrees. Mine, a Danby sold at Home Depot for $400, has the second highest temp on the market at 200. Most others will go to 150 or 160 and that's considered 'sanitary'. The Laundry Room forum is a great place to lurk to pick up this info - a bit overwhelming, but you can ask anyone through a private email for more info. Those heaters + oxy bleaches sure do get whites white again!

Joepyeweed - yep, I'm with you. Phasing our anti-bacterials for.....castille soap! I find the Dr. Bonner stuff too thick for the pumps and have to dilute it.

Tide with Bleach. No drips. Hot water. Don't overfill the machine with clothes; make sure that there is enough room for the clothing to agitate.

soap and hot water?

a shot of oxyclean if you're paranoid?

I tried one of the organic detergents...did my clothes fine, left a nice citrus scent...

but I slept in a t-shirt that night, and woke up to find myself a plague monkey- MIL called them hives (I've never had any kind of rash besides ivy poison- this was scary)

a shower and a dose of benadryl cleared them up- but I'm not trusting the citrus based detergents again.

I also want to know if there is a good laundry sanitizer. I know when I wash dark colored jeans, socks, underwear, etc, and go back later to put them in the dryer, i notice they have a very slight musty-smell in contrast with how my clean whites smell (hot water wash/bleach). With the darks, obviously there is still bacteria or sweat or something in there still after the soap and water have been through. I want something to add to the rinse water to deodorize/sanitize the darks. I dont want to use hot water, just warm or cold, and obviously I can't sanitize use regular bleach on darks. Any ideas??

Tic, do you put the vinegar in the fabric softener dispenser in your washing machine?

I also use vinegar in my wash, and I do put it in my fabric softener dispenser.. Ree

woke up to find myself a plague monkey

Chinacat... You gave me my laugh for the evening! I have an 8 year old who regularly gets hives (at least weekly if not more often) and now we have a new name for her!!

:) wow - it's funny to see this old thread pop up...

and you can thank my husband for the term 'plague monkey' - and Dustin Hoffman, since he had the lead in the darned movie (the name of which I forget)

I didn't even realize it was an old thread until then, and was about to ask why people are now even more paranoid than during the Victorian era, when they were promoting porcelain bathroom fittings to help combat Cholera, and created an absolute panic about germs in general that had people bathing in bleach.

Contrary to popular belief, Pinesol is not antibacterial. That is a marketing ploy that people have fallen for. I use Borax in my white loads to brighten them instead of bleach.

Isn't Pinesol a petroleum based priduct? I used to like the smell, but I sure wouldn't wash my floors or do laundry in motor oil!

Isn't Pinesol a petroleum based priduct?

No, it's really made from pine trees. What makes pine cleaner a disinfectant is not the pine oil, but the other additives, Phenols and Quaternary Ammonium Chlorides.

http://www.coastwidelabs.com/Technical%20Articles/quatbleach.htm

I wouldn't put that in my wash.

I put a cup of hydrogen peroxide in the bleach dispenser (I don't use bleach at all) with towels or sheets. Just a little extra germ killing power and it makes me feel better.

Now we have to worry about germs on our clothes??

A regular cycle with regular detergent actually does very little other than spread the germs around. Bacteria, viruses and mold must be subjected to high heat (near boiling) for at least 30 minutes or be exposed to bleach or another sanitizing agent for 30 mins. A regular cycle will do nothing, germs are more than happy to live in the warm wet environment these are optimal conditions for bacteria.

I use Shaklee Basic-G concentrated germicide. It's easier on the environment and safer for your family than bleach, is EPA registered and Star K kosher certified. It's effective against more than 44 types of bacteria, fungi and viruses. When diluted (1/2 oz per gallon of water) you don't need to wear gloves, it will not harm septic systems and it has a pleasant light scent.

Here is a link that might be useful: Shaklee Basic-G concentrated germicide

I only do a bleach white load every now and then. In between I add ammonia to the wash for any clothes, it doesn't seem to smell as much as bleach.

Whatever is in Tide or PineSol do not use it. Bleach, omg. They are among the worst products on the market for our health. And certainly never use it on or near baby's clothing or baby. Everyone, stick to the to the natural. Vinegar, natural laundry soaps. If we quit making these big companies rich they will stop producing mass killer chemicals. So many of our illnesses now are caused and/or aggravated by the chemicals we put in and on our bodies. Just look it up. You will be shocked.

The old folks where I grew up use used sunlight.

Why all this fuss about germs when there are over 2 Billion people in this world without toilets? Soap and hot water are enough.

Hydrogen Peroxide is a natural substitute of chlorine bleach. You can also use borax in place of chlorine bleach

Wash clothing any way you like, then put it in a dryer. I am sure the high heat will kill any bacteria present. Yes I am aware dryers use a lot energy and are not cost-effective.Also note the heat from a dryer may "set-in" stains. So you'll have a different laundry problem...

I know this post is really old, but just in case anyone still reads this, I will comment.

Studies continually show that detergent alone does not actually kill bacteria. In fact, studies has shown how poor detergent does. Furthermore, the temperature that is needed for bacteria to be destroyed is too hot that most household machines don't heat enough. In reality, if you truly want to disinfect your clothes, you will have to add somethings specific...and I advise you doing so.

You're exactly right, MKBERRY85. I now use vinegar in the wash and rinse cycles, baking soda, and Borax. I'm looking for a good way to make my own detergent, but for now I use Tide Free.... and I've learned that less really is more.

Boil them on the stove?

First let me say how much I appreciate the interest in my original question 12 years after I posted it--thank you all for responding and for reviving this thread!

Even though my situation has changed over the years (I acquired a front-loader with a sanitizing cycle and had 2 kids!), I'D STILL LIKE YOUR INPUT on how to disinfect laundry without bleach or high heat!

To respond to some of your comments:

-The sanitary, aka high heat wash cycle and/or drying on high heat works great for underwear and towels, but I still don't know how to disinfect fancy high thread count sheets or kids' dress clothes after potty accidents. High heat destroys delicate fabrics, but how can I get them truly clean??

-From my very basic understanding from chemistry class (25+ years ago), detergent is alkaline and an acid like vinegar would actually undermine its cleansing properties during the wash part of a laundry cycle. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

-I do use vinegar in the rinse cycle as a fabric softener, both to help remove detergent residue, and also as a possible disinfectant. (I never use fabric softener, as it mainly seems to work by adding a slick layer of petroleum goo on the fabric--blech, on several dimensions.)

-From your posts, I gather that tea tree oil, Oxyclean, hydrogen peroxide, ammonia, or Shaklee germicide might disinfect laundry without high heat. Anyone care to weigh in on their safety, disinfecting properties, and how/when to introduce any one of them into the laundry cycle??

Does anyone know of any illness that can be traced to "un-disinfected" laundry?
I thought not!
People, stop it! You are disinfecting yourselves to death, you need to develop immunity.
Remember in the not too distant past we washed all our baby's poopy diapers, and carefully avoided chlorine bleach because any residue caused diaper rash. And during those times we didn't have people fighting monster resistant staph and other mutant bacteria.
Wash and dry your clothes and don't heed the fear mongers.

Lindac92: there are dozens of bacterias that are commonly present in laundry, which can make one ill. If someone has been ill, had an infection, or immunosuppressed it is actually often recommended to disinfect your laundry. In reality, typical laundering methods have little, if any, effect on sanitizing/disinfectanting/etc.

Some people are absurd.

Even the Center for Disease Control says that in the home ordinary washing methods are safe.
http://www.cdc.gov/HAI/prevent/laundry.html

And....do you know of any documented case of illness caused by washed but un sanitized laundry? Even one??

For disinfecting more delicate/non-white clothes and linens which can't be laundered in hot water or bleached etc, I use a laundering additive made by Persil that is basically a rinse aid for clothes. I think it's called something like Hygiene Spüler 1,5L (Hygiene Disinfecting Rinse). Unfortunately, it isn't sold to the US mass-market, so I have to buy it from my local German grocery store (which I'm very lucky to have!). But when they've run out, I've purchased from Amazon with luck, though once it shipped from Japan which irked me but seemed to be the same exact product. It is expensive, though, and all the instructions are in German. It is meant to be used in cold or regular temp wash and is poured put into the rinse aid compartment and HE compatible (as all euro detergents normally are) and It really works well and doesn't leave any chemical-y residue or scent.

I've heard rumors of people using basic antibacterial mouthwash but I've never done it as I'm afraid of stained blue or yellow clothing/linens. Anyone bra enough to do so? Also, how does using the peroxide work when adding to a small front loader (I've a small older Bosch)? Where do I add it? How much? Does it not corrode stainless steel eventually? Thanks.

lindac92

''And....do you know of any documented case of illness caused by washed but un sanitized laundry? Even one??'' And....do you personally know of any case, documented or otherwise, of illness caused by washed but un sanitized laundry? Even one??

ed - I posted it. Now I am going to go look. Norovirus perhaps? Certainly handling the unwashed laundry contaminated with norovirus can be a problem.

1. Can clothes and towels spread germs? - How to stop clothes spreading germs
   Normal washing of clothes will reduce the risk of germs being transmitted. In certain situations clothes should be washed at higher than normal temperatures and with a bleach based product to minimise the transmission risk as much as possible.
2. CDC - Laundry: Washing Infected Material - HAI - common-sense hygienic practices for processing and storage of linen are recommended.
3. Norovirus | Preventing Norovirus Infection | CDC - Immediately remove and wash clothes or linens that may be contaminated with vomit or stool (feces).
   You should
   handle soiled items carefully without agitating them,
   wear rubber or disposable gloves while handling soiled items and wash your hands after, and
   wash the items with detergent at the maximum available cycle length then machine dry them.

I asked my doctor if someone could use so many anti-bacterial products you could actually lower your resistance to common bugs. She said yes, and recommended using ordinary soap and water. However...

In setting up our first home, we wondered if it would be convenient to have the laundry in the kitchen I did some research and that is a big 'no.' Food and dirty clothes should be kept separate.

Front loaders don't use a lot of water, and don't play well with high sudsing detergents. I use Tide Free HE and slop in some ammonia with it. That seems to cut some of the grease and oil in the dirtier clothes.

I am sure it's fine to have a laundry in the kitchen if you are mindful....don't store dirty clothes there. Don't load the washer when you are cooking. Doin't handle dirty clothes and them food and then back to clean clothes.y laundry is in the basement...but I walk around the kitchen....and even cook with dirty clothes on>
Use your head....if you have been working in the manure pit, don't bring those clothes into the kitchen. If you are an ER worker, keep your clothing out of the kitchen.

You're right, but practically speaking, dirty clothes are typically kept near the washing machine, because they are sorted there. Late Husband and I never worried about 'sanitizing' anything, joked about the 5 second rule when something fell on the floor, and were rarely sick. (until the two-pack-a-day habit caught up with him) My coworker spent about 20 minutes a day spraying everything at the workplace with Lysol, and was sick all the time.

I didn't read all the responses but as for the question....there's two ways to sanitize laundry, Thermal or chemical.

https://jet.com/search?term=Lysol%20Laundry%20Sanitizer

I moved to the US from Europe several years ago where I used laundry sanitizer all my life and find it to be awesome. I am glad it finally got launched in the US.

It needs to be added to the fabric softener compartment but I dont use fabric softener for all my wash loads and I sincerely hope you all arent using fabric softener on towels, baby clothes and athletic wear.

Here is my current struggle with my laundry routine

-You simply cant bleach your colours

-You cant toss everything in hot water as it will shrink or fade or bleed

-Color safe bleach is just adding scent, doesnt kill germs that cause odours on workout clothes

- Fabric softener only masks the odour bacteria in sportswear, impacts the quick dry wicking in sportswear and may impact the fibers that keep athletic wear in shape

-Also, most HE machine aren't heating up to 140F which is minimum temperature for killing germs.

This product kills bacteria even in cold water and you can use it on all fabric types.

Fabric softener contains quarternary ammonium salts which also sanitize your laundry, Color safe bleach contains perborate which releases oxygen which DOES kill germs....perhaps you are not using enough.
Try adding a little borax to your wash or washing soda....much better than something with artificial "fresh linen scent".

I was amazed that the original poster came back years later! It truly doesn't matter how many CDC documented cases there are about infections caused by unsanitized wash. The point is that someone asked the question. I could think of other valid reasons why someone may want to sanitize wash. Perhaps someone else may have bought clothes from a thrift store, and wants to disninfect any mites or odor causing bacteria. I would think your underarms could smell like someone else after wearing their clothes. I have heard Borax also is a color safe option and seemed to make my clothes fresher for longer, so I will be using it occasionally -Brian N.

Ok, since this post is resurrected and I am a nurse and also a clean freak, I'll weigh in here. Yes, the CDC recommends just soap and water. Actually, soap and water OR hand sanitizer is what we use in the hospital to kill germs on our hands. FYI, The only thing that doesn't get killed with sanitizer on your hands, according to our continuing education on infection control is C-Diff. Guess what you use for that one? Good ole soap and water. Yup, soap and water is even better than sanitizer in some cases! As for surfaces in the hospital, its bleach or cavi-wipes (not sure what's in those, some chemical you can't buy at home, I think. Bleach is the only thing to use on C-diff, once again, but bleach will kill everything else you run into in a hospital.

That being said, if you or a family member is immuno- compromised then take extra measures at home or if you are like me and work in a hospital, it doesn't hurt to be extra cautious. When I wash clothes, I am both protecting myself from patients and also protecting them from anything floating around my house, so it warrants the most stringent measures I know of. I take extra measures I wash my uniforms separately in HOT water, even though they are dark blue. Yes they do fade and wear out faster, but that's the trade off I will take. Think of that next time your nurse has a faded uniform.

Also, my new washer has a sanitize feature that steams the clothes. I plan on using that with my uniforms and anything my pets (or family) may have an accident on. I just would not feel comfortable relying on vinegar, or peroxide or even store bought sanitizer, in those cases, especially when the hospital is using bleach.

As for the original OP's question, my son is grown but I never put him into any dress clothes I couldn't wash in hot water until he was old enough to be fully potty trained and then some. After that, well, he didn't get sick much and I'm known, even now, for throwing any clothing out that I can't soak the poop, blood or vomit out of and then follow with a wash in super hot water in the washer. The rare fragile fabric that you mentioned that gets stained, yea, if I can't sanitize it in hot water after an accident, I throw out. I think I got over putting my son in expensive baby clothes really quick. One word...onesies, lots of them. Cheap, comfy, cute and disposable, if need be. :))

Also, peroxide does do a fantastic job of getting blood out of clothes, but I never use it as a sanitizer in clothes. It would have to be something like a gallon of peroxide in the wash to be any kind of germ killer.

I do pour it directly on blood spots alternating it with some sort of spot lifter like Oxy Max and luke warm water (body temp) . I've been doing this for years, even on lacy fragile fabrics ( if ya know what I mean, ladies) and that combo is what usually works, Try to treat blood as soon as you can. The longer it sits, the more it sets in. Oxy Max will eventually eat up your fabrics too, by the way.

Sorry but vinegar will not work as a laundry sanitizer. It is sui generis a fairly weak germicidal agent and works on a limited number of pathogens (most notably the tuberculosis virus) and will work only on hard surfaces, and only if left undisturbed for 30 minutes. When attenuated in a washing machine with gallons of water it is useless for this purpose.

Likewise Borax does not kill germs in the laundry, nor does PineSol.