Washing clothes in colder temperatures can reduce environmental damage, researchers say.
A University of Leeds study by Dr. Richard Blackburn estimates that the 25 ° C dial stops the release of nylon and polyester microfibers in the water system. These can be absorbed by small organisms before they enter the food chain and are consumed by us.
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Dr. Blackburn says: "Synthetic microfibers are released every time textiles are washed. They make up more than a third of all plastics that reach the ocean."
Using a 30 minute cycle at 25 ° C gave half of the microfibers in an 85 minute wash at 40 ° C and 66% less energy. But is laundry really clean at 25 ° C ?
This is where Lynsey Hope, mother of two, finds out.
Lynsey, 38, lives in West Malling, Kent, with her husband Nick, 40, and their children Jacob, five, and Olive, two, are charged at 25 ° C and then sent to a specialized laboratory, Microtech Services, in Bournemouth, to see what bacteria are left.
In addition, Dr. Lisa Ackerley, an environmental health professional, shared her verdict and advice on superior washing.
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Dr. Ackerley says:
"Of course we want to be green. But sometimes we also have to think about what is healthy. Feeling sick and taking antibiotics is not good for the environment, so there has to be a balance.
"Since all the clothes were washed together, we expected them to be contaminated. But this was not the case. Some may have blocked bacteria in the tissues.
"We also included a sterile wash towel that produced the astonishing 64 million bacteria per gram of tissue, which shows that it was contaminated with other dirty clothes.
"It became sterile and dirty. This laundry was not clean, it was dirty."
Up in the gym
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LISA SAYS: "After washing, more than a billion bacteria were found in this pink gym shirt .
"There were 8,600 enterobacteria per gram of tissue, making it the most contaminated element of the entire batch for these germs. They can include insects such as Salmonella, E. coli and Shigella.
"These bacteria are generally poor hygiene and this washing process has not been cleaned.
"There were also a lot of yeasts. Many of them are harmless, but they can cause diseases like candida (thrush), although high temperatures would easily kill them. "
LYNSEY SAYS: "This is a top that I use to go to the gym where they tell us that the bacteria are common. I wouldn't use it again after this wash, so I'll clean it again at higher temperatures . "
Sportgamaschen
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LISA SAYS: "These are the most contaminated elements in the entire laundry that contain 48 million bacteria per gram of tissue, including 1,900 yeast cells and 1,900 Staphylococci aureus, an insect that can cause food poisoning if it enters and can enter food multiply
"It can also cause skin infections if it gets into the body through a scratch or cut. Some are resistant to antibiotics and can be difficult to eradicate. It is not uncommon for them to go to the laundry, but it is better to get rid of them in a warmer wash. "
LYNSEY SAYS: "I have been washing these leggings at 30 ° C for some time to protect the tissue, but it is clear that bacteria have been accumulating for some time. I will wash them warmer when they return from the laboratory."
A pant
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LISA SAYS: "A small pair of pants with MANY bacteria, about 20 million per gram of tissue. Again we found enterobacteria, bacteria that can cause food poisoning and a lot of yeast. They weren't clean enough after this new wash. "
LYNSEY SAYS: "Children go through so many pants that I sometimes wash them at 30 ° C to protect the fabric. However, it is not pleasant to believe that there are so many bacteria in your underwear. "
bed linen
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LISA SAYS: "It should be washed at a higher temperature. Do you want to sleep in it? After cold washing, there were still 900,000 bacteria and 400 yeast cells per gram of tissue."
LYNSEY SAYS: "It's definitely not something I want to rest at night. I would stay awake thinking of all these germs, especially so close to my mouth and nose."
Football Socks
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LISA SAYS: "These muddy socks showed a lot of bacteria after washing with 500,000 bacteria per gram of tissue, which shows that they were not cleaned well at 25 ° C. The socks also contained quite a bit of yeast and can cause infections such as thrush. "
LYNSEY SAYS: "Dirty items like this need a harder wash. Laboratory tests showed they were still infested with bacteria, but you could still see the mud inside after washing. "
Lisa's advice for better results.
- EVERYONE should increase the heat, use a detergent with antimicrobial properties, or include a clothing disinfectant.
- Wash clothes by type, not just by color. Use a temperature higher than 60 ° C for heavily soiled objects such as bed linen, towels and washcloths. If your pants or fitness equipment cannot be washed hot, add a clothing disinfectant.
- The fitness kit can collect the germs of other gym users: common equipment, floor and changing room. The damp conditions and sweat make it easier to trap bacteria. If the kit is not washed as soon as you are at home, the bacteria in the kit can multiply, making cleaning more difficult. The two fitness machines made the laundry pretty dirty, so you should be more careful when cleaning them. Use an antibacterial disinfectant if you can't raise the temperature.
- Clean the washing machine at least once a month at 95 ° C and remove any bacteria, yeast and mold that can accumulate. I do it with white towels.
- The tea towels must be washed with boiling water to keep them hygienic. You wouldn't clean your dishes with dirty panties! But if you don't wash the towels properly, that's what it does.
- Clean the washer seals with an antibacterial cleaner if you notice that the machine smells bad.
- Slightly soiled items of clothing such as blouses and sweaters can be washed at lower temperatures. They are unlikely to be as contaminated as towels, pants, and socks.
Jeans for toddlers
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LISA SAYS: "Do you want your child to wear these jeans with 22 million bacteria per gram of tissue? They also had a lot of yeast and need better washing. "
LYNSEY SAYS: " Olivens clothes are very dirty in preschool, especially because they like to be outside. She also comes into contact with many other children. I prefer to wash them warmer. "
school shirt
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LISA SAYS: "School uniforms for children are dirty and worn frequently, so they would benefit from washing at higher temperatures. Although not visible to the naked eye, this shirt contained more than 880,000 bacteria and more than 1,000 yeast cells per gram of tissue. "
LYNSEY SAYS: "Jacob's school shirt still looked dirty when it came out of the machine. They could see stains around the collar and stains on the front that would normally go away if they were washed at a higher temperature."
towel
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LISA SAYS: "As you can imagine, a towel that is used by many family members comes into contact with many germs. Many of them were still there after washing. There were almost a million bacteria per gram of tissue. "
LYNSEY SAYS: "I usually wash towels and bed linen at 60 ° C. Even if I want to protect the environment, a lot of germs have been found." We all use it after washing our hands, so I will probably continue with a warmer wash. "
dishcloth
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LISA SAYS: "How disgusting! That was over three million bacteria per gram of tissue, including 490 enterobacteria and 900 yeast cells. It was one of the dirtiest items in our experience, with enterobacteria ten times higher than most, but you can use it to clean dishes use. "
LYNSEY SAYS: "Since many things that go wrong in my dishwasher are cups and plates for small children, I don't want to dry them with this cloth. I usually wash them at 60 ° C and will continue to do so. "
Red wine stain shirt
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LISA SAYS: "It was one of the cleanest things when the total number of bacteria was observed, although some remained. It is surprising that the wine is almost gone. "
LYNSEY SAYS: "When I took it out of the washing machine for the first time, I was surprised that the red wine was barely visible despite the low washing temperature . It's a delicate shirt that I don't wear that often, so some things like this might survive with a low temperature wash. "
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