[qCGfQR9T]

Your underwear is dirty -- even the undergarments that just came out of the dryer smelling as sweet as a spring morning.

Why? Twenty-five percent of home washing machines are contaminated with fecal bacteria, according to Dr. Charles Gerba of the University of Arizona in Tucson.

How does this happen? While it has never been proven that bacteria on clothing spread illness, Gerba told The Housekeeping Channel that each pair of dirty underwear contains about one-tenth of a gram of bacteria-carrying feces, which is about the same size as a quarter of a peanut. Detergent and water remove 99 percent of those nasty organisms -- but not all of them.

Why is our laundry still so dirty?
• Wash cycles and drying cycles are shorter now, averaging 20 and 28 minutes respectively.
• Most of us do not use hot water to wash our clothes and even fewer use bleach.
• The mechanical action and proper rinsing away of soil and microbes is not as effective when a washing machine is overloaded, since overloading can inhibit the flow of water through fabrics for dispersal of the detergent.
• Microbes from one wash load can stay in the washer and be transferred to the next load.
• Leaving wet laundry in a washing machine for hours creates a prime breeding ground for bacteria.
• Some microbes even survive the dryer's heat, including salmonella, hepatitis A, rotavirus and adenovirus.

What can you do to get cleaner laundry? Gerba advises the following:
• Wash underwear with one cup of bleach added to the wash water.
• If you don't want to use bleach on your clothing, run one wash cycle with only bleach and water to disinfect the machine either before your first load or after the last.
• Wash clothes at a temperature of 140 degrees or higher. (To be honest, this is difficult for most household washing machines.)
• Use a detergent that contains a sanitizer, especially if you like to wash clothes in cold water.
• When transferring wet clothes from the washer to the dryer, wear protective gloves or wash your hands immediately afterward.

http://www.aolhealth.com/2010/05/14/...cid=webmaildl5

[Khcyhshq]

If its not bleach, I'll spray them with Shout or Oxy clean. And also clean the washer with bleach every 30-50 cycles!

[GenryDont]

I like vinegar, too. It kills the germies, but isn't quite so harsh on clothes or the environment.

I use cloth diapers so I always make sure to use tea tree oil in the wash with them, because it's also antimicrobial.

[incizarry]

Now that's just a little bit much, don't you think?!

Wear gloves while switching loads?

And I guess all my clothes are nasty, because I sort by color, not by type. All my undies (and Matt's [eew!]) go in with whatever clothes they match, and I don't wash on hot. Towels and sheets get hot water, and when I have LOTS of laundry and pull undies out separate, they get hot too.

We're going to all be super sick unless we learn to handle bacteria instead of kill, kill, kill

[obHQNsY2]

spend as much time as poss naked, that cuts down on laundry

[casinochniks]

Now that's just a little bit much, don't you think?!

Wear gloves while switching loads?

And I guess all my clothes are nasty, because I sort by color, not by type. All my undies (and Matt's [eew!]) go in with whatever clothes they match, and I don't wash on hot. Towels and sheets get hot water, and when I have LOTS of laundry and pull undies out separate, they get hot too.

We're going to all be super sick unless we learn to handle bacteria instead of kill, kill, kill

I agree... I'm not a "sanitize the shit out of everything" kind of person. The only thing I really sanitize are cloth diapers, because, really, they're kind of gross. Everything else is in the same load.

[crycleascentyv]

spend as much time as poss naked, that cuts down on laundry

There's an idea

[TopcigsCOM]

I like vinegar, too. It kills the germies, but isn't quite so harsh on clothes or the environment.

I use cloth diapers so I always make sure to use tea tree oil in the wash with them, because it's also antimicrobial.

are vinegar and tea tree oil really antimicrobial?

We're going to all be super sick unless we learn to handle bacteria instead of kill, kill, kill

I agree... I'm not a "sanitize the shit out of everything" kind of person. The only thing I really sanitize are cloth diapers, because, really, they're kind of gross. Everything else is in the same load.

I agree too except I use non scented laundry detergent, and sometimes that stuff does NOT smell good. You can't tell me it's actually clean.

[freddystone]

are vinegar and tea tree oil really antimicrobial?






I agree too except I use non scented laundry detergent, and sometimes that stuff does NOT smell good. You can't tell me it's actually clean.

They sure are!

Here's an article about tea tree oil: http://www.thenakedscientists.com/HT...ews/news/1079/

And an article about vinegar: http://www.apple-cider-vinegar-benef...infectant.html

Also, I make my own laundry soap... it doesn't give everything a huge perfumey smell... it actually doesn't smell at all (unless you use a strong smelling soap). I do it similar to this: http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/...-visual-guide/

[CatLuvkaLover]

They sure are!

Here's an article about tea tree oil: http://www.thenakedscientists.com/HT...ews/news/1079/

And an article about vinegar: http://www.apple-cider-vinegar-benef...infectant.html

Also, I make my own laundry soap... it doesn't give everything a huge perfumey smell... it actually doesn't smell at all (unless you use a strong smelling soap). I do it similar to this: http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/...-visual-guide/

cool!!! thanks!!!

you're awesome. you better stick around.

[Casyimipist]

I agree... I'm not a "sanitize the shit out of everything" kind of person. The only thing I really sanitize are cloth diapers, because, really, they're kind of gross. Everything else is in the same load.

Yeah... that's completely understandable though. It actually has poo on it, where as my tee shirts and jeans, and even my underwear being the I am not incontinent... *shrug*

[betraaaus]

If used in concentrations below 4% or particularly below 1%, tea tree oil may fail to kill bacteria and create selection pressure, which may result in them becoming less sensitive to tea tree oil and even some antibiotics in vitro.[2]
Tea tree oil may cause hearing loss when used in the ears.

[Enrobrorb]

I guess it sucks that I share a washer and dryer with the rest of my building. I hate bleach and won't use it on my clothes. Running a cycle with just bleach and water is a nice idea but the washer I use is coin operated and I guess I'd consider it a waste of money to run an empty cycle. I guess I'm screwed.

[rhybrisee]

Yeah... that's completely understandable though. It actually has poo on it, where as my tee shirts and jeans, and even my underwear being the I am not incontinent... *shrug*

I think the article is about more than just poo though!

they also are talking about just normal everyday nasty stuff that makes your clothes stink. you just can't smell them because of the scents in the laundry detergent.

[Hodstcopter]

[2CNWXAqN]

My washing machine is in the 75% that doesn't have fecal contamination.