Not to care that my fabrics have bacteria in them?

[perplexedpirate]

Washing powder that disinfects everything seems to be the latest development in hygiene products. Can't see the point.
Are we expecting smallpox blankets from the pilgrims?
Or am I just a dirty mare?

Normal clothes are fine with low temp wash; they will last longer and keep their colours better. DH will buy dark wool-rich socks - so they need cool non-bio wash and this really is sufficient.

But if I'm doing a load of cleaning cloths or suchlike, hot wash for sure.

How will I ever cope without sterilizing my linen, after all I boil my skin regularly, especially my mouth and other orifices where the nasty germs may lurk......

SDGT - ask santa for some turtle mats!

Theas - and presumably you have regular colonic irrigation to rid yourself of the kilogram or two of bacteria resident in your guts?

Can't help thinking it's no worse for the environment to put the wash up to 60 and use a nice normal washing powder, rather than washing at 30 and pumping the water table full of some sort of antibacterial slush that will no doubt kill the polywogs (technical term) that we need.

Wash clothes at 30
Towels/sheets at 60
Hot water and a teeny squirt of biodegradable washing up liquid will clean anything.
And if it doesn't give it a wee scrub with bicarbonate of soda and lemon juice.

There now.

Oh bugger so maybe not washing up liquid!

I have to at least sweep my floor or the bits are so noticeable and there is nothing worse than walking around and having bits sticking to your feet!!

The kids are in and out the bloody garden all afternoon so it really does get filthy and I like to do all the housework before bed so when I get up in the morning there's nothing to do!!

I do sometimes think I'm too clean iyswim. Not clean as such but like things put away, I say that but at the mo there are toys EVERYWHERE!!

there is this newfangled thing, invented just now a few thousand years ago: soap

I use a splash of all purpose cleaner and warm water for cleaning floors.

Oh on the washing machine idea, I use soda crystals in with the wash (We live in a really hard water area) This seems to work for stains, Please don't say I'm not supposed to be doing this too!!!

I use soda crystals too in the machine for the pipes!

Phew!

Grimma - do you think I could ask Father Christmas for a cleaner? [fhopeful]

Ecover floor soap is very nice

To kill the really horrible stuff, ie, mrsa/ecoli, etc, the temp needs to be above 70. You would only really need to do that if you were sick though. I always wash my towels on 95 since I heard that a high number of towels used in gyms which were tested for bacteria had mrsa on them. I am not as looney as the person Oldgrey is talking about but am very friendly with the dettol wipes!

SDGT - I think the amount of soot displaced by a cleaner being inserted through a chimney would be self-defeating.

At the moment I'm trapping incoming dog on the turtle mats in the utility room, making him walk round a bit and towelling paws if necessary - our garden is a mudbath, and I've got a beautiful new kitchen floor!

Thanks valium, damp cloth it is.
Procrastination saved me from ruining my floor today. Knew it'd come in handy. :)

mudandglitter - neither do I !! or veg. sometimes I even pick up spoons / food from the floor and GIVE THEM BACK TO MY CHILDREN. please dont call social services.

I suppose if someone has recently comeout of hospital then anti bacterial might be useful or if someone has things like bandages to be washed. But for normal washing, its bollocks, there is germs in the air so as soon as you get it out the washing machine it has bacteria on it, i say its a con.

Fine for very occasional use if really necessary. But pointless the rest of the time - how many people get ill from their clothes?