Poll: Laundry - scientific data required

What temperature do you wash towels at?

  • 30°

    Votes: 37 19.4%

  • 40°

    Votes: 79 41.4%

  • 50°

    Votes: 3 1.6%

  • 60°

    Votes: 60 31.4%

  • Other - specify

    Votes: 12 6.3%
  • Total voters
    191
Pyro mode is good. Works wonders on oils and fat left on previously.


Cotton towels so 90degC.
 
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Poll/OP is kinda missing the point by not acknowledging the different types of detergent.

If you're going to wash at say 30 then you use a biological detergent... if you're going to wash at a high temp then you render the biological aspect of the detergent pointless as you kill it (or rather denature the enzymes), it will still work but you may as well just use a non-bio.

Probably is better to wash towels and linen at a high temp with a non-bio, but a bio-detergent containing bleach can kill bacteria too.

Bio detergents aren't necessarily great for people with sensitive skin, babies etc.. either. Also, they're not necessarily the best for things with natural materials such as silk and wool as the enzymes which break down grease can also cause more wear on the fibers of those materials.
 
Huxton said:
Towels definitely 60c or higher. No one likes a dirty towel.
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Why are your towels dirty? Surely your towels are fairly clean given that you have just showered/washed.

I reuse my towel after a shower, I hang it on the banister to dry then use it again before it goes back on the banister to dry then into the wash basket.
 
Doobedoo said:
Why are your towels dirty? Surely your towels are fairly clean given that you have just showered/washed.

I reuse my towel after a shower, I hang it on the banister to dry then use it again before it goes back on the banister to dry then into the wash basket.
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I meant in general, not just bath towels, tea towels etc.
 
Huxton said:
I meant in general, not just bath towels, tea towels etc.
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I was just chatting to my misses about this and neither of us have ever heard of washing towels at 60. I pretty much do all of the washing in our house and have never washed the towels at more than 40 and have recently even been washing them at 30.
 
I've got white "Egyptian Cotton" towels so 60'c and I generally chuck the tea-towels and bed sheets in with them at that temp too with some bleach-type stain remover for good measure and some fabric conditioner. My thought was to kill any bacteria on both with hot temps and whatever bleach type stuff is in the stain remover.

However clothes a;l get done at 40'c and I'm sure there's still going to be bacteria on those too which I'm apparently not to worried about :confused:
 
Doobedoo said:
I was just chatting to my misses about this and neither of us have ever heard of washing towels at 60. I pretty much do all of the washing in our house and have never washed the towels at more than 40 and have recently even been washing them at 30.
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Tea towels get quite dirty though and 40c sometimes doesn't get it completely clean.
 
40, quick wash (60 min) every time

What is everyone doing that makes them worried about fabric germs? You host literally billions of germs on and in your body
 
Problem with towels is they sit around damp and lot and bacteria grows. Just like wet ones and sports kit when stuck in a gym bag. If you don’t wash they can be smell like a wet dog
 
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40C for most stuff, some clothing and even some towels, etc. these days says 30C max but results seem better at 40. Bedding and stuff like towels 60C, some underwear 60.
 
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Just seen this article on why White Vinegar is such a good universal cleaner :p

www.bbc.com

Why vinegar is so good at cleaning

Vinegar is a staple in housekeeping hacks and cleaning tips. BBC Future looks at why it might just be the most useful product in your pantry.
www.bbc.com www.bbc.com

From de-greasing windows to washing strawberries or transforming toilets, it seems there is nothing this household ingredient can't do. It's being added to dishwashers, washing machines, and even used by scientists to disinfect laboratories. But what makes it so versatile?
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