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‘Energy-saving’ wash cycles could spread germs, study finds

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firemonkey
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27 Sep 2019, 2:47 pm

Quote:
“Energy-saving” wash cycles could spread germs, new research suggests.

In a bid to be more eco-friendly, lots of people wash their clothes at lower temperatures but this means they are not hot enough to kill potentially dangerous bugs, scientists have warned.

Study lead author Dr Ricarda Schmithausen from Bonn University in Germany said: “Water temperatures used in home washers have been declining, to save energy, to well below 60C (140F), rendering them less lethal to pathogens.


https://www.independent.co.uk/news/scie ... 23776.html



Sweetleaf
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27 Sep 2019, 4:00 pm

It seems as though it's a little more complicated than that. The article mentions infants getting sick after they used a washer with lower temperatures in the hospital due to build up in that rubbery part.

The article ends with "If elderly people requiring nursing care with open wounds or bladder catheters, or younger people with suppurating injuries or infections live in the household, laundry should be washed at higher temperatures, or with efficient disinfectants, to avoid transmission of dangerous pathogens,” said Martin Exner, chair and director of the Institute for Hygiene and Public Health.

So it seems like if you're healthy its ok to use the lower water setting, but in hospitals and homes where there is an elderly person needing nursing care or a sick kid its best to wash at the higher temperature in case of contaminants.


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