A really rather disgusting question

Queen81

suki1964 wrote: »

After being plagued with thrush like symptoms for a year and being tarted sight unseen by my GP, I took the bull by the horns and went to the GUM clinic

There it was confirmed I hadn't thrush or anything else wrong with me

However the consultant dis ask me about personal hygiene and explained that at 30oC no germs will be killed, and in fact will multiply. She advised a hot (40 but prefer 60) for knickers and to keep the frilly delicates for special occasions and not every day

Not had a problem since taking her advice

Every day normal wear clothes get a 40 wash. Sheets, towels, face cloths, tea towels, all get 90 and my ( not so ) smalls get either a 60 or the more delicate get a delicate 40 wash

However I do use a biological soap, I understand that a non biological soap is better for cool washes Something to do with the enzymes needing a hotter wash to kill germs whereas the bleaches in the non bio do the job at a lower temp

I may be wrong

I read your input with interest. I too have the same problem. I wash most things at 30. I am going to try washing everyone's undercrackers at 60 now. See if that helps, cos nothing else seems to

wannabe_credit_free

Wear a long skirt and go commando...simples..:D

pollypenny

I have stopped using 30 degree washes. I don't think clothes are at all clean. Sometimes they look clean when they come out of the machine, but ironing brings up the little grease spots.

Labels on 100% cotton garments! bedding etc stating 'wash at 40 degrees' really annoys me!

lobbyludd

I was talking to dear mum (65) about this - we all have to use non-bio as all have stupid skin (the enzymes in bio allow washing to remove stains at a lower temp), so I wash everything in 40-90 degree wash.

I don't own anything that needs washing at 30 as we do best with nearly all natural fibres (obviously we throw silk garments after one wear as they ruin, dahhh-ling ).

grandma boilwashed anything that had been near a foot, armpit or nether region, including sheets and towels. Line dried if poss (UV although she didn't know it) and then she ironed everything including pants to kill all the nasties.

bear with me: I have a clinical anxiety disorder which means I can perspire more than some other people. Years ago I had been using stronger and stronger antiperspirants to stop body odour unfortunately to no avail (including a prescribed one that I was allergic to that left me with bleeding sores - but I persisted).

I also would change tops 2-3x a day (had to buy multiples of each type to do it without co-workers noticing) and washed myself with combinations of soap hibiscrub/betadine/neat alcohol several times a day to try and keep those pits dry and odour-free.

Don't any more because I now use napisan on my tops and wash them in a boil (90 degree) wash - it was not me emitting that smell - its was the bacteria still living on my clothes after washing at low temp (and they smelt just fine on sniffing after washing, the bacteria produce the odour when they feed on human sweat).

I do actually ascribe to the hygiene/biome depletion theory that allergic/hypersensitivity/autoimmune diseases are made worse/triggered by germ-phobia and too much worry about keeping "clean".

However there is a difference between maintaining contact with flora (bacteria etc) in your environment (good thing) and clothing yourself in garments impregnated with an overgrowth of bacteria specifically adapted to you (bad thing).

So we grub around in the earth, don't get excited about germs, but wash clothes and dishcloths at a hot temp.

(p.s. to the person who mentioned people not caring that others were gagging at their odour - can you imagine how you actually would feel if you knew you smelled disgusting despite an extreme personal hygiene regime that left you bleeding and yet were still forced to be out in the world earning a living day after day - for me it was very far from not caring about the effect on others)

honeythewitch

lobbyludd wrote: »

I was talking to dear mum (65) about this - we all have to use non-bio as all have stupid skin (the enzymes in bio allow washing to remove stains at a lower temp), so I wash everything in 40-90 degree wash.

I don't own anything that needs washing at 30 as we do best with nearly all natural fibres (obviously we throw silk garments after one wear as they ruin, dahhh-ling ).

grandma boilwashed anything that had been near a foot, armpit or nether region, including sheets and towels. Line dried if poss (UV although she didn't know it) and then she ironed everything including pants to kill all the nasties.

bear with me: I have a clinical anxiety disorder which means I can perspire more than some other people. Years ago I had been using stronger and stronger antiperspirants to stop body odour unfortunately to no avail (including a prescribed one that I was allergic to that left me with bleeding sores - but I persisted).

I also would change tops 2-3x a day (had to buy multiples of each type to do it without co-workers noticing) and washed myself with combinations of soap hibiscrub/betadine/neat alcohol several times a day to try and keep those pits dry and odour-free.

Don't any more because I now use napisan on my tops and wash them in a boil (90 degree) wash - it was not me emitting that smell - its was the bacteria still living on my clothes after washing at low temp (and they smelt just fine on sniffing after washing, the bacteria produce the odour when they feed on human sweat).

I do actually ascribe to the hygiene/biome depletion theory that allergic/hypersensitivity/autoimmune diseases are made worse/triggered by germ-phobia and too much worry about keeping "clean".

However there is a difference between maintaining contact with flora (bacteria etc) in your environment (good thing) and clothing yourself in garments impregnated with an overgrowth of bacteria specifically adapted to you (bad thing).

So we grub around in the earth, don't get excited about germs, but wash clothes and dishcloths at a hot temp.

(p.s. to the person who mentioned people not caring that others were gagging at their odour - can you imagine how you actually would feel if you knew you smelled disgusting despite an extreme personal hygiene regime that left you bleeding and yet were still forced to be out in the world earning a living day after day - for me it was very far from not caring about the effect on others)

I agree about hot wash and/or bleach removing the bacteria that causes the clothes to smell. If it is the case that some liquids and gels are not cleaning properly at a low temperature it is pretty shocking in my opinion, especially as they tend to be more expensive.

camNolliesMUMMY

Just thinking but would adding some cheap antiseptic disinfectant to the wash kill the germs? keeping the temp down would save some on electric and fading? Or would it be more ms just to use a hotter wash.

I've noticed and said to my hubby that the clothes don't smell really clean and I wash on the star or 30 to cut costs down, we are a family of four and hardly ill. I especially have a low immune system but I haven't been poorly for a while.

However I'm going to try a much hotter wash to do a smell test and see if I'm happier? Like an idiot I didn't think of washing hotter and instead thinking it was my laundry detergent and I have gels and powder and couldn't figure out why I can't smell clean washing? What a muppet!!!

14:58 update Well I've done a load of towels and they don't smell fresh. So I've just put it on a hot wash with bleach and in fIture will do a hotter wash as I think my machine n pipes have got nasties in them

daisiegg

If clothes labels say to wash at 30 or 40, how do I know if it is safe to actually wash them hotter than that?

pollypenny

It's a fair bet that anything of 100% cotton can take a very hot wash.

Just be careful.with any trim.

honeythewitch

pollypenny wrote: »

It's a fair bet that anything of 100% cotton can take a very hot wash.

Just be careful.with any trim.

And be prepared for a lot of shrinkage.

camNolliesMUMMY

Well I've used 2 cap fulls of zaflora bouquet from my local bargain shop for 75p a bottle in my wash instead of fabric softner and the clothes no longer smell musky and smell lovely. I guess I can wash around 30 or 40c washes and still kill bacteria on the clothes and in the machine? Anyone rose use this?