Dr Pixie McKenna discusses the health implications
Washing clothes and bedding below temperatures of 60°C could have a negative effect on your health.
A new study asked mums from across the UK to donate their laundry for swab-testing in a laboratory. Half of the samples had been washed at 40°C in a household washing machine; half were dirty, unwashed items from the family laundry basket. Baby clothes, school uniform, sheets and pillowcases were among the items tested. Microbiologists found:
- 1 in 4 items washed at 40°C harboured traces of bacteria linked to faeces
- A washed bedtime cuddly toy showed the highest % of bacteria linked to faeces
- Washed laundry contained only 14% less bacteria than the dirty, unwashed laundry
TV presenter Dr Pixie McKenna says: “As a GP and a mum of a young baby I’m interested in these findings. 96% of the mums that took part in the study say they regularly wash at 40°C but low-temperature washing encourages a ‘bacterial soup’ inside our washing machines, with germs transferring between contaminated and uncontaminated items in the wash.”
Dr Pixie’s Healthy Laundry Clinic
Are germy clothes harmful?
Potentially, yes. Bacteria and viruses such as Influenza and E.coli can survive in the warm, wet environment of a washing machine and spread from item to item, increasing the potential risk of infection in your home.
What washing temperatures kill bacteria?
Doctors often recommend washing at 60°C and above, especially items that are prone to bacteria build-up like bedding and underwear which can contaminate the rest of the wash load. Items that come into direct contact with the body – baby grows, sheets and blankets – are more likely to contain pathogens.
So should we always was clothes and bedding at high temperatures?
Not necessarily. Many fabrics can’t withstand 60°C and will shrink and lose their colour.
How can I have clean clothes below 60°C?
Just because your family wash looks and smells clean doesn’t mean it’s hygienically clean when you’re washing below 60°C. For lower-temperature washes, add a laundry disinfectant to your wash, such as Dettol’s Anti-bacterial Laundry Cleanser (£4.59, from all major supermarkets) which kills 99.9% of bacteria even at 30°C.
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