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

[electra]

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?

the bugs are all around us, on us, all the time so get a grip people

I do love this cartoon about bacteria though...

What do you mean "get a grip people"?

Have you seen the state of my house? If you had you would have no doubt that I am fairly relaxed about bacteria! However, if I am going to the trouble of washing my clothes, I want to do the best job I can and make sure they are as clean as possible.

I was clothes at 30, DP's work uniform and towels at 40 and bed linen at 60.

Does anyone have the same problem as me? The 60 degree wash takes a lifetime to complete - 2h24 minutes! Even the 40 degree takes 1h25 minutes! I would like to wash it all at 30 as that only takes 39 minutes.

I wash everything at between 40 and 60.

Soiled bedding - 60

My uniform - 60

Towels, teatowels and flannels - 60

Most other stuff - 40

of course bugs are all around us, we stay healthy by keeping the right bugs in the right places, i.e. no bum bugs on tea towels etc..

I don't own an alcohol gel and rarely RARELY use bleach but certain thngs do need to be heat teated!

we heat sterilise our food all the time (cooking), washing at the right temperature is not hysterical

So when I go to the loo and then wash my hands afterwards in cold water and soap, I'm not getting rid of the bacteria?

dexter technically, no. you get rid of the breading ground of the bacteria.
plus, you don't want to get rid of all of them anyway as it would not be healthy.

Running the machine at 90 is to do with keeping mould down not bacteria. You should also leave the door and drawer open after a wash (I do it over night)

My machine's 60 wash is only 20 mins more than the 40. We have an express 40 wash (32 mins) which is great for lightly soiled clothes.

DS's clothes all get done at 60 because of pooey/food stuff. We wash his separately because he has his own washing basket (for convenience - his room is not on the same floor as hours so can't be doing with sorting out his clothes from ours!). That will change when he's older I'm sure.

Sheets/towels are at 60 because I am sensitive to dust mites.

Weird, I have a 7yo machine, kept in an unheated room.
Never wash at 90, very rarely wash at 60, usually wash at 30. No mold.

Friends who keep theirs in an unheated house have mold problems, but they do keep the door closed a lot (located in a passageway).

I suspect keep door open rather than use excess energy to keep mold at bay.

Must not scan posts. I read that as 'Weird, I have a 7yo , kept in an unheated room.'

I read that using bio powder or liquid is more hygienic than non-bio.

I think the mold in the soap drawer is down to soap scum. Mine does it and cleaning it is a job I hate to do.

Good grief, I hope you lot washing at high temperatures aren't the same people moaning about your high energy bills on other threads on here. With modern washing machines and detergents nobody should need to wash anything above 30 - much better for energy saving, saving cash and saving the planet too.

I still think it is better to wash certain items on higher temperatures to kill dust mites for example in bedding.

People are moaning about high energy bills because of the way prices have shot up and for paying green taxes which in MHO are stealth taxes. I have always used 60 washes but 40 for most things.

That is nonsensical rubbish spread by the Daily Mail about green taxes on energy bills. Bills are going up because we are importing too much energy from abroad. Read the truth here:

www.goodenergy.co.uk/what-we-are-doing/good-energy-republic/2011/08/01/the-true-cost-of-energy-and-climate-change-policies-on-bills

Fair enough if you need to kill dust mites (as asthma or other allergy attack trigger). But do all asthmatics react to dust mites? And some of us don't have asthmatics in the house, anyway.

If you are worried about bacteria growth etc, then either iron the item - especially the crotch of your underwear - or tumble dry items that you are particularly concerned about.

GeorgeEliot I know the energy is mainly imported but it is still very expensive and even another 70-90 could be spent on something else. I used to work for a certain gas company in another life.

Well alemci that explains our different points of view - I work in renewable energy :)

I understand as fossil fuels are not infinite.

Towels/cloths/bedding in at 60, everything else in at 30/40.

I don;t care about germs but you need to do a hot wash a couple of times a week to keep the pipes of your machine clear.

Our skin is heaving with bacteria; I doubt that wearing clothes with bacteria on them is going to do much. Particularly if you don't lick your clothes.

How would I tell if the pipes weren't "clear"?
I wash at 60 less than once a month.
Wash at 30 the rest of the time.
The machine is > 7 years old.
Shouldn't it have unclear pipes by now? [hconfused]

I would like to know what bacterial loads are on people like me (slovenly habits, but not good enough for telly [hwink]), and on those people who wash themselves and their stuff at .

I bet there's little difference....

They start to smell - you get a pongy washing machine!