How to Disinfect Your Laundry
Today, amid the pandemic, disinfecting our laundry has taken a lot more importance. Take special care doing so especially when you’re travelling to quarantine-free places.
In this guide, we’ll teach you how to disinfect your laundry using chlorine bleach and pine oil and phenolic disinfectants.
How to Launder Your Clothes Using Bleach
Bleach is a sanitising compound consisting of chlorine and other ingredients. It’s best to be used on natural and white fabrics only.
By saying natural, we mean that you can’t use it on silk, wool, or dyed fabrics, as they may get holes or fade marks.
So here’s how to disinfect your laundry using bleach:
1) Read the label
Before you get started, read your clothes’ label first, as it indicates the proper washing and drying methods for the fabric. Check if bleach is safe to use on it.
2) Ready your white and colourfast clothes
Now separate white and colourfast garments from coloured ones. Thes first two will be the ones you’re going to disinfect with bleach.
3) Add bleach the right way
Throw the clothes into the washing machine and close the door. Insert your preferred detergent and start a wash cycle.
Meanwhile, dilute 3/4 cup of bleach into one quart of water. After approximately five minutes of the wash cycle, insert the diluted bleach into the dispenser and close it.
Why after five minutes? It’s to let the clothes become sufficiently wet so the bleach won’t settle and concentrate on a dry area and damage the fabric. You have to be careful not to pour strong bleach directly onto the fabric, as it can result in irreversible damage.
4) Let the wash finish and dry the clothes
And then go on as usual—let the wash and rinse cycle finish and dry the clothing like you always do.
How to Launder Your Clothes Using Pine Oil
Pine oil is a non-chlorine disinfectant suitable to be used on warm water at the beginning of the wash cycle. It can be used on both white and coloured fabrics.
The pine oil product should contain at least 80% pine oil to be effective at killing germs and bacteria.
Having said that, the compound can be toxic and cause allergies to pets, so don’t use it on pet toys and bedding.
Follow the steps below to disinfect your clothes using pine oil:
1) Read the label
Read the garment care tag first for each fabric you’re going to wash. It can indicate whether pine oil is safe to use for it and how much to use.
2) Add pine oil directly to the drum
Proceed to add pine oil directly to the drum, followed by your choice of laundry detergent. You can also add the detergent via the dispenser.
3) Load the washer
Load the washer with the clothing you want to disinfect.
4) Wash and dry
Afterwards, wash and dry your clothing as usual. Your clothes should be pristine and germ-free to use when it’s ready.
How to Launder Your Clothes Using a Phenolic Disinfectant
Most laundry sanitisers sold to consumers at the market contain phenolic disinfectants. These are very safe to use in any water temperature or clothing colour.
Here’s how to launder your clothes using a phenolic disinfectant product:
1) Read the label
Once again, you have to read the label on your piece of clothing. It can have information there if using phenolic disinfectant is safe and how much to use if so (perhaps two ounces or less).
Generally, you can treat the clothes with a phenolic disinfectant about fifteen minutes before starting a wash cycle. Or you can simply add the product anytime during the wash or rinse cycle.
2) Wash and dry
And then wash and dry your clothing like you always do. You may enjoy the newly sanitised clothes afterwards.