A really rather disgusting question

morganlefay

Please can someone tell me if a 30 degree wash is sufficiently hot to eradicate germs etc lurking in 'undergarments' ie just the normal drips and stains left in both ladies' and gents' pants ?

YORKSHIRELASS

I wash anything visibly dirty plus undies, bedding, towels and tea towels at 40 or 60 with Ariel washing powder.

My office work clothes, nightwear, jumpers and anything that just needs a freshen up goes in at 30 with supermarket own brand washing liquid.

Personally I dont think 30 degrees is hot enough for undies.

pigpen

no it's not.. 'most' germy things can survive at temps of up to 60'C.. some obviously survive hotter but if they do they struggle to survive at body temp.

I'd include socks in that list too.. feet are just stinky and breed lots of fungi and bacteria.

sweetilemon

I don't trust the 30 wash fad, I wash everything at 40, i wash aprons, dirty items etc with napisan which has antibacterial agents in it.

Horseunderwater

I use soda crystals in with wash powder at 50 degrees. Seems to get his white boxers much cleaner than just the powder on it's own. If I do a 30 deg wash it is with basic wash liquid on the daily quicks program - 39 mins - but it is a Beko 9kg WM. However if it is towels/bedding I will up it to 60-70 degrees & time it for after 1.30am so I take advantage of cheaper electric too.

Mojisola

When tested, most machines didn't get up to the set temperatures -

http://www.which.co.uk/news/2013/08/washing-machines-dont-reach-correct-temperature-330730/

A 30 degree wash is probably hardly getting warm at all.

Biggles

morganlefay wrote: »

Please can someone tell me if a 30 degree wash is sufficiently hot to eradicate germs etc lurking in 'undergarments' ie just the normal drips and stains left in both ladies' and gents' pants ?

The usual recommendation is always that bedding, underwear, towels and socks should be washed at 60°. The only thing that confuses me about that is that the washing labels on most of these tend to have 40° as the maximum temperature. Go figger.

savingmummy

My mum has always ironed pants :rotfl:
I thought she was weird until I then read ironing them kills any germs lurking.

Any

I also don't trust 30C fad. But not for bacterial reasons... I think that is complete fad!!
I remember my granny washing in buckets in the garden and they certainly weren't 60C or more and we are all here... that is latest fad-kills 99,9% of bacteria style advert even for things we never considered bacterias in before!!
Also think 60C too often destroys garments quickly.
Overs can go on 30C if not too dirty (or hand wash items on handwash program), otherwise everything on 40C and sheets, towels and undies on 60C once in a while.. it is also good for the machine and pipes to run 60C wash once in a while apparently.

seraphina

30 degrees is nowhere near hot enough for hygiene. You might get away with it if you add a scoop of Nappisan or similar.

Ironing pants is recommended if you have thrush - a hot iron kills most things.

wondercollie

Uhm, this entire thread is making me laugh.


Nobody in North America has these issues and nearly everyone I know uses the coldwater wash and rinse cycle. Our machine do cold, warm or hot washes only, no temperature choices other than what your hotwater tank dispenses.


Nobody had infected lady gardens or man roots from their underwear, it's a personal hygiene not a laundry issue.