Does tumble drying kill germs?

[IlIlI]

We are told to wash at 60 or 90 to kill germs. Stuff in the dryer seems so hot when you get it out, is that not a similar temperature to a boil wash?
So could you just do a normal 40 wash and then put things in the dryer to kill germs?

Washing bedding at the high temp is to kill dustmites, rather than germs?

I had the same thought when I put my bedding on a 30 degree wash.

Not sure what germs I am worried about but I always used to wash bedding and towels on a 60 wash.

so I hear you!

Bedding gets washed at 60 to kill dust mites and is done for eczema/asthma reasons

I am not a clean freak who worries about germs on clothing. Precious little sunlight in Scotland in November if you ARE the sort of person who worries about this.

In theory yes it should. When we have Noro in the house I wash at 60 then tumble just to make sure its really gone (emetophobe).

I’ll put it to you this way @IlIlI im a microbiologist and in my workplace when we incubate plates we incubate them at 21-25 degrees first for 5 days then we transfer them to another incubator at 31-35 degrees for a further two days. These temps are the best temps to promote growth of most microbes. We do have one other incubator that is at 57degrees that is used for biological indicators. So in theory yes…if you wash and dry clothing at over 60deg you will kill MOST. Though as a PP said there are some that thrive.

HNRTT but nurses and medics advised to wash uniforms at a minimum of 60 degrees, staph can persist in washing machines at that temperature and from what I've read, a tumble dryer's temperature and conditions cannot be relied on. In general, a tumble dryer probably won't rectify or address germ and odour left after washing.