07/28/2021

Dirty Laundry and Germs

I have issues; if you’ve read any of my blog posts then you’ve already figured that out.  I go through periods when I feel like I’m doing a good job keeping things clean and sanitized, then there’s the rest of the time.  And of course, Covid-19 doesn’t help someone with a condition such as mine.  

One of the things that really grosses me out is handling dirty laundry.  When things are normal, I have my sweaty running clothes, Gray’s sweaty running clothes, Matt’s ‘project’ clothes (ground in dirt from laying a stone walkway or paint dust from sandblasting), and underwear to make my nose turn up.  Over and above that, we now have the regular flu, stomach bugs, and COVID.  

Germs on dirty clothes can spread to other areas in your home, so here are some suggestions on keeping them in their rightful place.

• Thoroughly wash your hands after handling both soiled laundry and when moving clothes from the washing machine to the dryer.  
• Don’t pile dirty laundry on porous surfaces, including carpeted floors or on rugs.  
• When changing clothes, place your dirty items in a laundry basket or on a hard surface and then take them straight to the laundry room.  
• Regularly clean the receptacle that holds your dirty laundry.
• Never, ever put clean clothing back into the same receptacle without cleaning the receptacle first.

To make sure germs are completely removed from your clothes, use the following guidelines.

• Use the proper amount of soap, water, and load size for each load, and be sure to follow the directions on the care label.
• Never overload your washing machine; this prevents the detergent and clothes from moving around sufficiently, causing some stains and spills to be missed and leaving detergent residue on clothes.
• Wash exceptionally dirty items in a separate load.
• Dry garments thoroughly on the highest heat cycle allowed by the care label.

Of course, if you’d like to just not have to bother with touching dirty clothes (like me), you can always use A Cleaner World’s Wash & Fold Service.  Lucky for us, the professionals in our stores don’t fear dirt and germs.