I enjoy the reference to ‘fresh air and sunshine’ as a gold standard. In the NE foothills of Melbourne ‘sunny’ is a handful of days per year re the topic of drying clothes. If left on a line exposed to the sun there is better than a 50-50 chance it will rain or mist (despite BOM forecasts to the contrary ) on any given day. Even trace rain is enough to dampen exposed clothes again.
Our line is a foldaway in a carport so the metric of line drying are temperature and humidity, and even then some things take 2 or more days in the winter. The tumble dryer gets regular use.
I think the argument that exposure to gems boosts our immune system is not altogether correct . We are living longer now than we did , we will say , 350 years ago . It is worth looking up Florence Nightingale and the effects of her changes to nursing and hygiene during the Crimean War . Many soldiers survived their wounds, who prior to her , would have died of infection .
She insisted bandages were boiled as well as bed linen etc . I would rather put additives in my wash and kill germs than to go back to a shorter lifespan .
When I lived in an old house in northern inland NSW the only way to get cool water through the taps in the summer was to turn off the water heater and wait for the water to lose temperature. Then cool water came through the hot taps, and hot water came through the cold taps.
I have a dozen, cheap, white, cotton face washers that I use (fresh one every day) for cleaning in my kitchen. I soak prior to washing in an oxybleach to remove stains then add them to my towel wash. Towel wash is cold water and a small amount of detergent. Occasionally a few drops of eucalyptus oil or a cup of distilled white vinegar if the towelling is drying stiffer. I think we should chill regarding germs and bacteria - have a giggle - ANTIBACTERIAL LAUNDRY CLEANSER | Shit You Don't Need
My Mum always hung the towels out in the sun every day, after they had been used. Washed in hot water (lord knows what temp, it was an elderly wringer machine, manually filled) weekly. We never got sick.
I always wash each type of towel separately and never together. I use the hottest wash cycle possible, which on my LG front loader is 95degrees. The cycle runs for an hour. I add detergent and for the kitchen towels, some liquid bleach and wash disinfectant such as Pine O Clean. For bath towels, again hottest wash temp and I add detergent, washing disinfectant and vinegar. Vinegar helps to make them fluffy and soft when dry. I generally dry on a clothesline outside unless the weather is wet, then I use the dryer.
Most of the strategies suggested rely on one or more techniques including adding products, use of detergents, high temperature in air or water, UV from the sun etc.
Has anyone found a test method or procedure for determining how well a towel or piece of cloth has been cleaned and sanitised?
Choice uses standard test patches for assessing the performance of laundry detergents and washing machines.
A further question is whether the science behind a technique supports the application. For which conditions is a product or techniques/methods effective?
EG UV from the sun is considered an effective control. But note assuming the sun is shinning bright one source suggests it will take 6 hours for it to adequately treat a bottle of drinking water to be safe to consume. How deeply does UV from the sun penetrate cotton towelling, assuming both sides are exposed and unshaded from other drying items?
When we add half a cup of one product or a cap full of another. Do we genuinely know once diluted if what we have done is making a measurable difference or outcome? If the product is diluted or the time not long enough is it literally money down the drain?
The web is awash with advice. Opinion even that making reference to scientific principle is missing in the wash evidence based testing.
I can recall my grandmother boiling the towels. She had a favourite stick that she used to stir the gas powered copper. She then had to (wo)man handle the steaming wet tangle into the water-powered spin dryer or get some help to hand wring them before hanging them out still dripping. All this was quite a feat since she was about 147cm tall and 43kg in weight. Her hands were very often red and rough, I am guessing the soap powder wasn’t too gentle. She complained that the towels didn’t last very long.
Technology and chemistry has improved and now much of that is not required. Laundry powder is much more effective and it all happens in one tub for most of us.
Another big change is the cost of energy.
I see several towel makers saying that hot water shortens the life of their product so some things stay the same.
This has brought to mind the infection known as childbed fever which caused high rates of maternal deaths.
About two centuries ago, after great resistance, the medical profession agreed that the infection could be transmitted by birth attendants.
Thereafter washing of hands and general cleanness saved many lives.
I use Canningvale (an Aussie Company) Towels and linen. The towels recommend a cooler wash than I use. However, I have always washed mine in very hot water and they are still as good as new 5years on.
I believe the only reason why one would need to disinfect/sterilise bath and kitchen towels is if a household member has some sort of ailment which is contagious (say an infectious skin disease such as ring worm) and is transferrable by contact with a towel. The other reason is if a household member has lice, bed bugs or other critters which can be readily transferred from person to person using towels.
Unless such poses a risk to one’s health, them standard household laundering of towels and other linen would suffice in almost all cases.
High temperature washes or use of specialised cleaner is really only necessary for other purposes, such as to assist with the removal of stains or oils/fats.
So many aspect of this survey seem to be missing can we really quantify? I think it is shaping up to be more a question of beliefs.
How long before washing are the dirty items kept? How many uses to the towel or cleaning cloth before replacing and washing? Has there been an infectious person in the home or someone with weakened immune system? I also think if someone plays a lot of sport or has very oily skin they may use more clean towels.
Not a well written article - all over the place with many claims without evidence. Note many modern day cleaning agents have enzymes that work only at low temperatures. The cleaning product industry - is there to sell cleaning products. A house is not a sterile environment and should not and cannot be. What are people scared of catching? Are they they also wearing masks outside encase they breathe in a microbe?
Amazing all our dairy farmers and animal farmers are still alive.
Cold water wash, Biozet and nothing else. They say Biozet gets the grass stains out better than other clothes detergent brands and does. Clothes and Biozet, cold water and in the washing machine clothes go poop and all, dried on the washline in sun or under the awning if raining. When the grass stains didn’t come out well on overalls, the wife said use Biozet and did, and grass stains came out. Consequently still use Biozet. I used to relief milk for the family next door with some hired help so they could have a break. Ayrshire cows are awesome.
We wash tea towels and dishcloths in 60C in a front-loader with Choice-recommended washing powder, usually Coles or Aldi. Hot wash is mainly for removing stains and oil / fat, as the detergent should be able to do a pretty good job of removing / deactivating microbes. Towels are washed in cold, or in winter 30C because tap water will be <10C and 30C is the lowest temperature our machine offers. All are hung outside on the line if weather permits, or dried in a tumble dryer otherwise.
If a washing machine is treated right, it shouldn’t build up bacteria and moulds. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions, eg wipe excess moisture off the door seals, leave the door and detergent drawer slightly open when not in use, and run an empty hot wash once a month or so if not using hot washes regularly.
I don’t understand the problem. Who uses kitchen towels with raw meat? Why would you? I use disposable wipes and throw them out. Bathroom towels I wash in the general wash with cold water, detergent and a little Napisan. Dry on the line or in the dryer depending on the weather! Do a hot wash every couple of months to flush the washing machine as recommended by the manufacturer. Germs are everywhere and we develop resistance by exposure. It’s the same with young children. If you try to over coddle them, they will just get sick as soon as they are exposed to other children at kindergarten or preschool!
Germs are everywhere.
I’m not paranoid about them.
In fact we need them to stay healthy.
Live on my own so NEVER worry about mixing clothes in my cold wash.
How was life 150 years ago? We still have it better than at any time in the past.
) on any given day. Even trace rain is enough to dampen exposed clothes again.