To think towels need a hot wash?

[FirstOfHerName]

Recently I was staying with my parents on holiday and I noticed that my mum washes everything (including towels and bedding) on a cold half-hour wash. I told her that towels probably need a warm wash at the least and she got annoyed with me, saying that she used a special washing detergent formulated to work in cold water. They're her towels so I left it at that and said no more.

However, whenever she's stayed with me, she's told me it's grim that I wash towels and bathmats together. Well it would be if I did them on a cold wash, but I wash them (and bedding) at 90 and then tumble dry after, so don't see the problem with it. Any bathmat germs would be killed off at that temperature, I would've thought.

Who is more in the right here, her or me??

(someone telling me we're both disgusting in 3...2...1...)

I wash pants, sheets, knickers and tea towels (not together) at 60 as much as possible. Towels and bath mat together usually at 40 and regular clothes at 40 or 30 if I have to...

Wow 90??
I've never gone above 60 for anything and tend to stick to 30/40 ... it's. Enter for the environment and I'm not particularly afraid of germs tbh

I just don't understand what you could be doing with your towels that would require them to be washed at 60c after every use. I thought they were for drying water off clean bodies after getting out of the shower.

My tea towels can go in the 95 wash pretty yucky (they get used for floor spillages once they're in the washing bucket) and come out looking spanking new so something must be working? Even tea stains come out.

I do everything at 30 and don't separate any of it. Haven't died yet!

We do everything at 40. Towels and bathmat every Thursday, bed every Saturday. Not dead yet.

Isnt this the second or third thread in about a week on towel washing and botty germs and usage of towels.

I am sure I mentioned on the other thread I wash mine at 60 each week.

I just don't understand what you could be doing with your towels that would require them to be washed at 60c after every use

Me either. I'm at my cleanest when I've just had a shower. Towel dries clean water off a clean body. Where in that process does it get so germ-infested that it requires immediate washing? I think there is a lot of misunderstanding about bacteria and germs. They are everywhere. There are millions of bacteria on every square inch of our skin. They are not necessarily something which needs Dettol-ing, bleaching or boiling to exterminate them.

Seriously WEIRD behaviour. And yes, totally non environmentally sound.

Thevice If you use a full cup of white vinegar with the detergent (put it straight in the drum) that gets rid of any residual smell.

Nothing needs to be washed at 90 or 95.

60 is perfectly adequate for germ-killing. And much better for the environment.

I'm agog at towels getting a wash after each use.

Some days I will have two showers - especially if I've been to the gym. No way can I keep up with all the towel washing.

Temperature wise I tend to stick at 30C. I don't think our clothes look or smell dirty

I wash everything on cold, I have never used the hot wash and haven't even attached the hose to the hot tap.

90 wash every now and again to clean the machine. You do need to do that now and again because things like bio films and fats don't get moved at 30 or 40 and can clog the machine, regardless of what detergent you use.

75 for towels, dishcloths, facecloths. We have a toddler and seem to be constantly wiping all manner of grim stuff up with towels etc.
Longer wash for bedding - I usually use 60 wash to zap dust mites as we have an allergy to them.
30 or 40 for most stuff. Hand washing for what needs it.

If you soak the dishcloths first in hot water, detergent and white vinegar , you might get away with not using 90 maybe on the stove. But not usually. I know it's not brilliant to use 90. As a rule I don't use it but sometimes it is necessary.

Pretty much everything on 40C here, I can't be arsed waiting 2 hrs for the hot wash. Now and again I'll wizz the towels through on 60C.

Bedding always on 40C.

I never use the 90 degree wash.
But I have a lovely machine that does variable temperatures for the different washes, so I used to wash nappies at 70 deg, cotton wash, stains.
I do towels usually at 60 degrees but sometimes 70 and tumbledried.
Bedding is done at 50 and tumbledried.
Knickers at 50. The elastic can't take sustained 60 degrees, and 40 isn't enough, IMO.
I tried washing something at 30 once - it was a mostly-white fabric toy - it came out the same colour it went in, so I washed it again at 40 and it came out clean. I don't have a lot of faith in the 30 degree wash because of that, although I will use it on very lightly soiled delicates.

I wash my uniform ,which has been vomited, shat, pissed and bled on at 60 with anything else that can go in at 60. everything else washed at 30 or 40 depending on what I feel like.
Very healthy family and no one has had a tummy bug in the past 10 years.

My standard cycle is 20 degrees (for over 3 hours!) and most things go in that and everything comes out clean and not smelly. I do one 60 wash a week, for bedding (I can fit either everything for a kingsize bed, or everything for two singles into it). I do a monthly maintenance cycle which I think is 90.

I make up for the energy savings by tumble drying everything though.

Maddiemookins Playing with the twin tub tongs. That was my childhood! (Misses point of thread)

I look at the labels and so most is 40 and goes on when I have a full load. Sometimes it all goes on at 30, to include the 30 items. I do a separate half load of wool/delicates/hand wash items when I have enough.. Never go above 40.
Also concerned about the environment and number of washes some people doing. I understood enzymes were destroyed and so powder doesn't work as well at high temperatures.

30-40 for everything except towels & tea towels. That's a 60 for me

There was a thread on something very similar a week or 2 back. I wash bath mat and towels together on 60 degrees. I also wash pants and knickers with other clothes!!! Shock !!!

30 degrees fine. smelly towels is due to them not drying quickly enough/in between uses - hang outside and then make sure bathroom/other place where towels are kept is well ventilated with windows open/extractor fans on if damp

Which article on subject quoting MSRA Action UK, Allergy Action UK, various professors says detergent is more important than heat.

To kill MRSA a cycle needs to run consistently at 60 degrees for over 10 minutes. 20 minutes to kill dust mites. Of 12 machines tested only 3 sustained 60 degrees for more than 10 minutes (Panasonic and Samsung) and one for more than 20 minutes (Beko). Good makes such as Meile only achieved a top temperature of 56 degrees and only maintained over 55 degrees for 2 minutes.

The 60°C program generally delivers slightly better cleaning than the 40°C program, especially when it comes to greasy stains. But it will cost you – running costs increase by more than half if you wash at 60°C as opposed to 40°C.