Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Housekeeping

Find cleaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Housekeeping forum.

Flip

1 2 3 4 5 6

Original poster

Anyone else heard this thing about washing below 60 degrees in the machine is unhygenic?

129 replies

electra · 24/10/2011 00:10

I always wash towels at 60 and clothes at 40.

Apparently knickers in particular should always be washed at at least 60.

Doesn't this spoil the clothes though?

OP posts:

Graciescotland · 24/10/2011 00:11

I wash everything at 40, including towels, not dead yet

gaelicsheep · 24/10/2011 00:17

I have started washing some things at higher temperatures out of necessity and it hasn't spoiled any clothes, nor have the colours run. Our problem is that we are washing clothes in water that comes straight from a loch, and if they are washed at 30 or 40 and stay wet for even slightly longer than usual they start to really smell. A 60 degree wash sorts that out. I think it hurts the pocket/the environment more than the clothes.

Original poster

electra · 24/10/2011 00:20

I think I will start doing knickers at 60 then. I read that it's particularly an issue if you work with food, in say a kitchen and the clothes that are soiled after work should always be washed separately.

I heard a similar programme on radio 4 about dish washers not being hygenic as washing up by hand.

OP posts:

gaelicsheep · 24/10/2011 00:21

That's interesting about dishwashers - why so? Again with our dishwasher we wash on a high temperature due to the source of the water so I figure it's much more hygienic. Couldn't use that temperature by hand.

Original poster

electra · 24/10/2011 00:23

I can't remember exactly what it was but it was something to do with a bug that lives in the machine which doesn't seem to be killed easily - I'll see if I can find information about it.

OP posts:

BertieBotts · 24/10/2011 00:26

We only wash stuff at 60 if it's likely to have bacteria on. So if someone has a tummy bug, any of their underwear, and any clothing which has got sick on it. Anything the cat is sick or poos on. I tend to wash the cloths that I change nappies on at 60, because they get poo on. The dishcloths for washing up go in at 60, and flannels as they tend to go a bit stinky when left around for a while. And tea towels, because they touch all sorts. And any cloths which have been used to clean the floor.

I've heard you should do bedding at 60 to kill dust mites, and because they tend to have lots of dead skin cells, sweat, dribble and other bodily fluids (!) - but I was worried that colours would run. I might just chance it if others have found it fine.

GoreSplattersHouse · 24/10/2011 00:29

I have never done a wash above 30. No-one in my family has gotten ill as a result and we have no problems with bed bugs or anything else. I think you get bugs if they find a way into your home, not if you don't wash at a high enough temp. Luck of the draw.

Solo · 24/10/2011 00:33

Dust mites are different to bed bugs and everyone has dust mites.
I only wash at 40 degrees no matter what I'm washing

TheMummyAbroad · 24/10/2011 00:34

I live in Costa Rica and all washing machines here use cold water. Most machines are top loaders so they use more water than UK ones, and also the type of washing powder they sell in the shops seems to be a bit stronger, but all my clothes are always well cleaned and I have never noticed any hygiene problems.

In my experience hot water for clothes washing just isnt necessary.

re: dishwashers, NEW ones are hygienic enough but unless you scrub/disinfect them really carefully and regularly they are perfect breeding grounds for bacteria, much like your dishcloth.

Original poster

electra · 24/10/2011 00:45

Apparently you should also run the washing machine at 90 once a month to kill any bacteria.

OP posts:

BertieBotts · 24/10/2011 00:45

Everyone has dust mites, but some people are sensitive to them. They are killed at ~55C. I've never had bed bugs but they are much harder to kill anyway, I think. They tend to infest in wood or other surfaces so washing won't get rid of them anyway.

tranquilitygardens · 24/10/2011 00:51

Take a look here

onefatcat · 24/10/2011 00:55

I wash bedding and towels at 60, occasionally at 90! Everything else at 40. ??

dramatrauma · 24/10/2011 00:58

Of FFS. OP, do not worry about this. Life's too short. Washing your clothes in stone cold water with a bit of soap would get them plenty clean enough. Carry on as you were, I'm sure you're perfectly hygenic just as you are!!

Original poster

electra · 24/10/2011 01:10

Well.........the DM does enjoy getting its readers whipped up into a frenzy doesn't it? Maybe I should ignore it as everything else it prints is drivvle.

OP posts:

dramatrauma · 24/10/2011 01:52

It's pointless. Honestly much of the world does not own a washing machine of any kind, and any diseases they have are unrelated to knickers washed in cold water! I'm sure you and yours are all smell just lovely in your cold-washed clothes, and no harm will come to you. And I should've guessed it was the Daily Paranoia what said it.

FreddieMercurysBolero · 24/10/2011 02:01

I worked with a group of Travellers recently and they were horrified by settled people washing their underwear along with everything else. It made sense to me for a week while and then I reverted to my slatternly ways though. They were very houseproud though.

Missingfriendsandsad · 24/10/2011 02:26

I know this is BS as I heard that there is a powder available in the US that will wash cold. Hot water helps cleaning, but its one of three things that help cleaning, one is detergent quality, but I forget the other. If you wash in cold water all you need to do is make sure that you have a powder/liquid that will cope (i.e. increase the other two factors).

Missingfriendsandsad · 24/10/2011 02:29

Very houseproud maybe, very field-proud... no

Solo · 24/10/2011 11:17

I used to know someone that washed her childs clothes separately to everyone elses because the youngest 'doesn't have bodily secretions yet and everyone else does' I kid you not! Family sweat contamination?

ASuitableGirl · 24/10/2011 11:28

I wash everything at 40. Including nappies when DD wore them. Pretty healthy household here :)

AMumInScotland · 24/10/2011 11:40

I wash most stuff at 40 and have never (to my knowledge) had any illness or infection linked to just lobbing my knickers in with everything else. I think, like a lot of hygiene stories, the fact you can show there are more bacteria left doesn't actually correlate to any increase in infections in people with normally-functioning immune systems. If people have immune problems, or are allergic to dust mites, then yes they need to think about how to reduce the risks. The rest of us can just ignore it!

The only things I make an exception for are teatowels, flannels, and hankies - those all get a 95 wash. Which means the machine gets a hot blast every month or so, just in the normal run of things, I suppose.

alemci · 24/10/2011 11:41

I wash most things at 40 but towels at 60 and some duvets. it does say 40 on the label though. I miss the 50 wash which was on my other machine.

I do woollens and silks on special programmes which are probably cooler and handwash stuff.

GothAnneGeddes · 24/10/2011 11:46

Work uniform, towels and bedding at 60, if it's a stained load of clothes, they go on at 60 too. The rest goes on at 30/40.

Lizcat · 24/10/2011 14:46

Does no one else put a cup of vinegar in the washing powder draw and run the machine empty at 90 degrees to clean it and kill the bacteria?

Flip

1 2 3 4 5 6