killing germs at 60c
Hello Andy for years we have had a ritual of washing (cotton)things like underwear, towels and teatowels and socks even if they are not heavily soiled at 60c just because I read that germs and bacteria can survive temperatures under 60c. But after washing, I personally prefer towels and underwear dried in the tumble drier rather than on the line because they come out nice and soft. But (and I cannot remember how hot a tumber drier get on heat2 ) but is it likely that a Tumble drier gets well over 60c inside its drum when drying clothes? - if this is the case do you think I could lower the temp of the washing machine to say 40c or 30c and that the germs and bacteria will get killed when they are tumble dried at high heat? - whats your view?
I know you can get these 'liquid additives' to soap powder these days that claim to kill germs right down to 30c but i dont really want to go down that road . The tablets we use are Biological tablets and put 2 into the soap drawer on 60c wash if this has any bearing on things.
Solution Summary
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This thread was marked as solved. Here's a summary of the problem and the fix, generated from the discussion below.
General laundry hygiene advice on 60°C washing and tumble drying
- The problem
- The question was whether cotton items such as underwear, towels, tea towels and socks could be washed at 40°C or 30°C and then hygienically finished in a tumble dryer, instead of routinely washing them at 60°C to kill germs and bacteria.
- Likely cause
- No appliance fault was reported. The discussion suggests tumble drying on a cottons cycle would probably kill bacteria, but also states that regular 60°C washes help prevent slime and bacteria building up inside the washing machine itself.
- What fixed it
- The accepted advice was that if items are always tumble dried, the cottons drying cycle would likely deal with bacteria on the laundry. However, 60°C wash cycles were still recommended as beneficial for keeping the washing machine clean internally. Another reply supported continuing to use 60°C for items such as bedding, towels and whites, with 40°C for other laundry, alongside suitable detergent.
2 Answers
Hello Andy. If you were going to always tumble dry then yes I think the cottons drying cycle would also kill any bacteria. Also even hanging laundry on the washing line in the sun can do the same apparently. However, using wash cycles at 60 degrees helps to keep the washing machine itself clear of slime and bacteria which can build up and ruin a washing machine.
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I wash all our bedding, towels and white clothes on 60 degrees and everything else on 40. 60 degrees is totally fine for most laundry hygiene standards. Plus, lets not forget that bio and non bio powders contain oxy bleach which will also help with hygiene. So a combination of appropriate cycles, temperatures and appropriate detergents is all you need.
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