What Temperature for the Washing ?

ukwmo

What temperature do you folks do your washing at ? Only ask because I read an article in the Mail the other day which said that germs on your washing aren't killed until the temperature hits 60 degrees C. And I've never done a wash at that temperature *yikes*

Don't be disgusted, please, but I've only ever done the wash at 30, with a 90 degree wash once in a while, if the machine ever gets a bit whiffy (I put some soda crystals in the drum because, um, an old woman at the bus stop told me to do it) (honestly I believe anything !)

Seemingly the bedsheets, your underwear, sweaty shirts, tea towels etc are loaded with germs when you put them in the machine. And even though they look clean when they come out, the germs are still there and alive & kicking if you only wash at 30.40 degrees. Yuck. After reading that I felt like emptying the cupboards and drawers and washing everything again.

So. What temperature for what type of washing ? And do you ever put anything else in with your detergent to give it a boost ? What about conditioner ... do you use that or is there anything else which can be used that way to keep things smelling nice ?

:beer:

Petethespider

Bedding and knickers at 60
Towels and face cloths at 75 and a non bio powder. Bio powder stops working at 60
Dirty clothes at 60. Other clothes i.e. those only lightly worn a quick 40 wash

amersall

Whites on 60 and coloureds 30 to 40 depending on how dirty they are.
Would not wash towels or underwear under 60.

rach_k

Home washing machines set at 60 degrees probably don't stay at 60 degrees (if they get there at all!) for long enough for it to be considered a 60 degree wash anyway (I think it was Which who tested it).

If your stuff looks and smells clean and nobody gets sick from it, what's the problem? You don't need to kill every germ, in fact many would argue that's a very bad idea. Just don't use your knickers to clean your chopping board and you'll be fine!

comeandgo

Normal clothes 40 towels and sheets 60 with a 90 every now and then for the white towels.

Petethespider

rach_k wrote: »

Home washing machines set at 60 degrees probably don't stay at 60 degrees (if they get there at all!) for long enough for it to be considered a 60 degree wash anyway (I think it was Which who tested it).

If your stuff looks and smells clean and nobody gets sick from it, what's the problem? You don't need to kill every germ, in fact many would argue that's a very bad idea. Just don't use your knickers to clean your chopping board and you'll be fine!

My gynaecologist told me after being referred for constant thrush that thrush would not be killed on a 30 wash which is why I was constantly getting reinfected. I followed her advice and started washing knickers at 60 and haven't had it since

Cultures are grown in labs at 30 apparently so a 30 wash isn't going to kill nasties

Chris25

comeandgo wrote: »

Normal clothes 40 towels and sheets 60 with a 90 every now and then for the white towels.

same here - 90 also for some tea-towels and tablecloths but sometimes I boil them in an old stockpot as it brings them up beautifully white.

I think the temp to kill bedbugs is 55 and as most machines don't have that, I use 60 for the bedding.

I went to buy a new mattress cover several months ago, couldn't decide between two so bought both to compare them at home. The washing instructions on the first one I opened were to wash at 30 degrees, the second was 40. Both were returned.

Pollycat

I'm anal.
I do what the care label says.

DianneB

I wash most items at 40 but 60 for bedding and sometimes 90 for white tea towels. Always use fabric softener and I also run an empty wash with soda crystals if the machine gets a bit wiffy - I thought that was the generally agreed OS way!!

zippychick

there's also some older discussion about towels and bedsheets etc here

We wash everything at 40 generally. Towels and bedclothes are washed at 60. Underwear and teatowels too where possible but if there's no 60 wash going they go in the 40. Sometimes i do a delicate wash for my kipling bags or something like that

Zip

System

60 degrees unless it's acrylics and the like. What germs that ain't killed in the wash get baked in the tumble dryer.