Does Washing Towels Kill Bacteria?

Many people are justifiably concerned about becoming infected by bacteria. Antibacterial hand wipes, hand soap and shopping cart wipes can be found in many public places. However, bacteria also lurk in people's homes. The good news is that most bacteria found in homes are not disease-causing. Indeed, many bacteria are beneficial. The bad news is that bacteria are harder to kill than many people realize. Special processes must be used to remove bacteria from household surfaces and items, such as towels.

Wash Bacteria Away?

• Exposing bacteria to heat kills most of the microscopic organisms. The standard water temperature in most household washing machines, however, does not sustain the 140-degree temperature required to kill all bacteria. The temperature of a standard household dryer, however, is high enough to kill bacteria. So, if removal of bacteria from towels is a priority for you, first place them in the dryer to kill the germs then wash them. Follow up by drying them once again.

Zap Bacteria With Bleach

• Exposing bacteria to bleach kills them. Standard laundry detergent used in most households, however, is not capable of killing all forms of bacteria. A 10% solution of bleach added to your wash will kill many forms of bacteria, although it will remove the color from many fabrics, so it should be used on only white or light-colored towels. "Color-safe bleach" does not contain the active ingredient hypochlorous acid, which is needed to kill bacteria.

Vinegar Can Wipe Out Bacteria

• Pour a cup of white vinegar, or 5% acetic acid, into the washing machine to remove bacteria from a load of towels. Vinegar denatures the proteins that make up bacteria by altering the pH levels outside of a range that bacteria can live in. Best of all, the scent of vinegar, although strong, is not harmful to humans, and vinegar is not harmful to sensitive skin that may come into contact with it. The laundry room will smell like vinegar while the washing machine is running, but once you remove the towels from the dryer, the vinegar aroma will be gone from them.

Washing Machine Bacterial Contamination

• Washing towels in a washing machine without adding an antibacterial agent not only does not remove bacteria, but also introduces bacteria to the towels. This is because all fabric that comes into contact with human skin becomes contaminated with bacteria. Certain articles of clothing, such as underwear, are much more likely to contain high amounts of certain bacteria. When towels are washed in a washing machine that contains bacteria-covered clothing, the bacteria move onto the surface of the washing machine. The next time you put towels into the washing machine, the bacteria will move onto them. The best defense against washing machine bacterial contamination is to run the machine on its hottest cycle, without any clothes in it, along with an antibacterial agent such as bleach or vinegar.