How to Disinfect Laundry
With the spread of flu and other viruses on the rise, keeping sheets and towels clean in your home can help stop the spread of germs. Disinfecting your laundry can be one of the most important steps in making your home germ-free. Laundry comes in two varieties; textiles you can wash in hot water -- generally all white items -- and those that can be washed in cold water -- colored pieces. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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Place any items in the washing machine, pour in chlorine bleach according to the directions on the bottle along with regular laundry detergent. Place your white laundry in the machine. The bleach acts as an antibacterial agent in the water and along with the hot water temperature, many germs will be eliminated.
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Run colored laundry through a cold-water cycle. It is more difficult to disinfect, however, there are a few steps you can take to help sanitize these loads too. Before putting any clothes into the washing machine start to fill the machine with water. To the water add your regular detergent and a cup of white vinegar. The acidity of the vinegar helps kill some germs. Place dirty items in machine and wash as normal.
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Dry all clothes -- white or colored -- on the hottest dryer setting. Again, the heat of the dryer air helps to kill some germs.
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Tips & Warnings
If you don't have time to do sheets, try to at least wash pillowcases and hand towels every day while someone in your house is sick. These items come into direct contact with eyes, noses and mouths, which is generally how germs are spread.
Run a rinse of hot water through your washing machine after using bleach. This ensures you get all of the bleach cleaned out before using your machine for colored clothes.
If your colored laundry can handle a warm water cycle every now and then, you get better germ killing results from the hotter water temperatures.
References
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Brand X Pictures/Getty Images
