A hot water wash will kill mostly everything.

True, but the instructions require a cold wash.

Low temperature drying is higher than cold wash. Most dryers reach approx 120°F to 125°F on low, maybe less if there's an extra-low setting.

Washing instructions are often a matter of CYA for the item manufacturer. I routinely wash cotton shirts tagged for cold at 115°F with no ill effect.

That being said, I've never felt a need to *sanitize* my bedding. Normal washing and drying is adequate.

Perhaps try hydrogen peroxide instead of chlorine bleach? It apparently kills germs on minor injuries, and is similar to oxyboosters. How much to use, I dunno.

I use peroxide in place of bleach and I just fill my bleach dispenser with peroxide instead. I've read that you can use 1 to 2 cups of peroxide.

Here's an article on steam cleaning bed/bedding you may find helpful. (See link below.) Hanging your mattress pad in the sun to dry is also a way to sanitize it, along with the other suggestions given.

-Grainlady

Here is a link that might be useful: Killing Dust Mites in Bed/Bedding

With a mattress pad, the cold-water wash is because over time, hot water will deteriorate the elastic in the pad. A dryer will do the same thing. Heat will turn elastic into a hard crumbly mess over time.

How about sanitizing featherbed or pillow?

Put some pin oil in your rinse and you'll have effectively disinfected your mattress pad without using high heat or chlorine bleach. Google it up and you can find some 80% pine oil cleaning products readily available.

I use a Lady Bug steamer on my wool mattress pad...works great. It also fluffs up the wool to look/feel brand new!

Pine OIL! Oh wait I remember you like that stuff.

I can't stand the smell of pine oil so...that won't cut it for me.

I remember living in an apartment complex and avoiding using machines that smelled of pine oil. Nothing against the smell; I just knew they had just been used by someone who was washing cloth diapers.

Are there other laundry disinfectants besides Clorox or pine oil? I've used Dettol (Reckitt Benckiser) disinfectant for my warm*) washes in the Speed Queens here at my dorm. You might wanna look for something like this.

*) These are unheated FLs so basically it's a cold wash.

Alex

Here is a link that might be useful: Dettol UK

I hang mine outside in the sun to dry (BUT we don't have allergy issues). Doesn't that take care of mites/bacteria? I know that won't work in the snowy winter climes, but at least it would relieve some wear/tear from dryer heat.

What about adding baking soda and/or vinegar? Maybe an oxygen bleach?

I have always washed in HOT water a some bleach. Never had a problem. I even did this with my down filled one.

Bleach is the best sanitizer.

rayjay1,
if you don't mind the smell of bleach and you are not overly sensitive to it, bleach might be a great sanitizer. I can't stand the smell of chlorine in towels, underwear or bedding. Even the bleach bathroom cleaners smell disgusting and they literally give me a headache. Chlorine bleach is not as healthy and safe as many people seem to believe.
I have worked in chemical labs for many years and I know some disgusting and toxic smells. Chlorine is one of them!

Besides, lots of things can't be bleached because the colors would fade quickly. Certain fabrics are also not supposed to come in contact with bleach (for example microfibers).

Bleach does wonders for any cleaning job - however, I have a steam cleaner that is powerful enough to go through the mattress pad, efficiently steaming bacteria and mites dead. I spray a tiny little bleach on the pad, then steam it, and let it hang dry (or put it in the dryer if it's not already full). Steam and household cleaners are your best bet.

Here is a link that might be useful: How to Sanitize a room

Do you avoid steaming near the elastic?

I'm wondering whether an ultraviolet system may be the way to go. We have one on our furnace and have had them for water treatment in a house with a well. Maybe something a manufacturer can incorporate in a dryer? Hopefully they'll remember reading it here first and pay me generous royalties, LOL.

Good luck with those royalties chipshot, LOL! That's a really great idea though. Anyway, I steam my mattress pads every week and wash once a month. I only do the top of the pad, not the sides. I'm a bit anal so I also vacuum the pad after steaming to pick up anything I've killed. I always wash mine in at least warm. I know it says to wash in cold but I just can't. I've not had any problems with shrinkage or reduced elasticity.