Laundry bleach instead of washing at 60 degrees?

[AngelDog]

I currently wash towels, bedding, undies & washable wipes at 60 degrees. Could I get them equally disinfected by washing at 40 degrees with laundry bleach? I use Ecover oxygen bleach.

[Lweji]

It turns out that your machine is probably not even reaching 60ºC let alone staying at that temperature for long enough to have an effect, so it will be cheaper to use 40oC with some bleach.
Or a 90ºC programme, or soaking the washing in water at more than 60ºC.

www.which.co.uk/reviews/washing-machines/article/advice/should-i-wash-at-60c

[Lelivre]

Oh my I'm quite shocked at that article as I do the same as the OP, until nowI had confidence I was killing bugs and mites. Which detergents should I be looking at that will be suitable for colours and darks?

[Lweji]

For most household bugs, normal detergent and temperature should be fine, and keep the machine load low for increased dilution.
Then, drying and/or ironing should be sufficiently hot to kill most bacteria.

[noblegiraffe]

Napisan disinfects at 30.

[AngelDog]

Thanks everyone.

[PigletJohn]

It's not easy to find accurate information on water temperatures and killing bacteria and viruses.

Plumbers like to set hot water thermostats to 60C because they are told it kills Legionella quickly, and although rare, it can be rather severe.

If you have a hot water cylinder where water is kept hot for a period, it is useful to know that 50C also kills Legionella, but more slowly, and it will not multiply at 45C.

So in my own house (I have no particular risk factors for Legionella) I set my cylinder to 50C, which is a less scalding temperature. The incoming water is too cold for Legionella to multiply.

Looking at the washing machine temperature graph, it needs someone with more knowledge than me to say if the slow climb from 20C to 30C to 40C to 50C to 60C is long enough to kill the troublesome infections.

I do cottons, esp. towels, flannels and bedding, at 60C.

I have seen a special variety of Persil and other detergents, used in care homes, which contains some kind of added disinfectant.

[Lweji]

In any case, the 60ºC cycle is not supposed to really disinfect, rather it's recommended for bugs.
For bacteria, it should be the 80/90ºC if your machine does it.
Or soak the clothes first in scalding water.

[MackerelOfFact]

I've started putting normal disinfectant in with my cold washes to help with bacteria and smells. Does this do anything? I haven't noticed much of a difference.

[specialsubject]

unless someone in the house has immune system or other health problems, you don't need to do any of this in a normal domestic environment.

[Celeriacacaca]

Although washes at higher temperature will prolong life of your washing machine, if you live in a hard water area...and kill off bacteria that can lurk in washing machine and make them smell from time to time.

[mouselittle]

I've been using that new dettol laundry cleanser for a month or two now. It claims to kill bacteria at 30 degrees and I've noticed my washing (towels and bedding) smells a lot less musty.