While you may be a pro at sorting delicates from dishrags and fighting stains to the death, a few missteps can leave you more susceptible to germs, allergy attacks, skin rashes—even cancer. To help boost your family’s health, adopt these laundry room habits with your next spin cycle.
- Empty the washer ASAP Why: Protect against germs
Bacteria flourish in wet areas, so take clothes out within 30 minutes of a completed cycle; if they sit for an hour, rewash the load. But wouldn’t just-laundered clothes be germ free, you wonder? Not necessarily, says Charles Gerba, PhD, professor of environmental microbiology at the University of Arizona. These days, many people are trying to save energy and money by washing with cold water, but harmful bacteria can easily survive in it, explains Gerba, whose research found that 25% of home washing machines contain fecal bacteria. Although the strains of E. coli found were fairly harmless, their presence alone indicates that bacteria and viruses can linger on laundry, he says.Though Gerba recommends using hot water to kill germs, cold is better for energy bills—and the planet. To help protect your family, don’t overload the washer, so detergent can penetrate all the fabric; and wash your hands after removing wet clothes so you don’t spread lingering germs. The dryer’s heat will kill most of the remaining bugs.
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- Wash undies alone Why: Protect against germs
Not surprisingly, the primary source of fecal bacteria in a washer is underwear. It’s best to do underwear in a separate cycle, with hot water and regular or color-safe bleach, suggests Gerba. And once a week, run an empty cycle with only a cup of bleach. “That prevents bacteria from hanging out in the drum,” he adds.
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- Wash bedding in hot water Why: Reduce allergens
Unsavory as it sounds, your sheets and pillowcases house legions of dust mites that dine on the skin cells you shed at night. Dust mites are the most common cause of year-round allergy symptoms. They live in clothes and carpeting, but their highest concentrations are in beds. To alleviate symptoms, it’s most important to wash your bedding weekly in hot water (set at a minimum of 130°F), says Robert Weitz, a microbiologist in Stamford, CT. “If you wash with cold or warm, you’re just giving them a nice swim,” he says. “And the dryer alone isn’t hot enough to kill them.”
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- Air out your washer Why: Reduce allergens
Mold spores are always present in the air to some degree, but when they find a wet surface (say, the inside of a washer), they can settle in and multiply. Exposure to mold can cause congestion, itchy eyes, and wheezing; if you’re asthmatic or allergic, they can trigger an attack. To prevent mold from growing in your machine and then transferring to your clothes, when you finish your laundry, prop the door open to air it out and dry off any. Be extra diligent with front loaders—they use rubber gaskets to seal the water inside, and mold often grows on it, says Weitz. Another tip: “Buy HE, or high efficiency, detergent,” he adds. “It makes less suds than regular kinds, leaving behind less moisture.”
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- Ventilate the laundry room Why: Reduce allergens
Moist heat from the dryer can keep humidity levels high, which creates ripe conditions for mold to grow. Leave a window open or turn on a fan when the dryer is running, and check dryer hoses. “If the vent to the outside comes loose, moisture can get trapped in the wall, and mold can grow,” says Weitz.
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- Choose unscented soaps Why: Prevent irritated skin
You may love clothes that smell like flowers or fresh rain, but it takes a cocktail of chemicals to deliver that scent—chemicals that can irritate your skin, or worse. Researchers at the University of Washington analyzed a popular detergent and found that it emitted13 volatile organic compounds (VOCs), five of which are regulated as toxic or hazardous by the EPA. “Often, laundry products can contain hazardous chemicals such as neurotoxins and carcinogens,” says study author Anne Steinemann, PhD, professor of civil and environmental engineering and public affairs at the university. “Exposure to them can cause migraine headaches and asthma attacks.“The kicker: Many of these chemicals aren’t related to the detergent’s cleansing agents but instead to the fragrances they’re scented with. It’s best to choose ones free of perfumes and dyes. “Unscented may mean a masking agent was used to cover up the detergent aroma, but harmful agents can remain,” says Steinemann. And according to her latest, yet-to-be published research, laundry detergents with natural or organic scents can be just as toxic as the regular ones.
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- Skip dryer sheets Why: Prevent irritated skin
They emit chemicals also regulated as toxic and can cause breathing difficulties and irritated skin, says Steinemann; liquid fabric softeners can have the same effect. Instead of dryer sheets, try PVC-free plastic dryer balls (available at amazon.com)—they help more air pass between clothes to cut down on static cling. As a softener, add 1/2 cup of baking soda to the rinse cycle of your wash.More Healthy Home Tips: Clues Your Kitchen Is Making You Fat
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