People who have to visit their local laundromat to do laundry, and to use its washer and dryer sets, may be spreading bacteria, germs, and dirt, and bringing it home with them. You might be thinking, “How is this possible, since the clothes have been washed, dried, and appear clean?” Your laundromat could even wipe down machines frequently after someone is done with them, too. However, what you and your laundromat are not always aware of is what the previous person washed in the washer before you arrived and decided to use the machine.
One of the biggest contributors to bacteria and germs found in washers and dryers comes from our undergarments and other unmentionables. Our underwear is home to a variety of bacteria and germs, which gets washed out and deposited into the machine. Even though the clothes go through a rinse cycle, there could be bacteria and germs left over from the previous load, which are redeposited right back onto your clean clothes.
Before you start to blame your laundromat, this problem occurs even in homes with washers and dryers. One culprit is using cold and warm water wash cycles, as these water temperatures are not high enough to kill germs and bacteria. Another culprit is the leftover water at the bottom of the machine at the end of each cycle.
The easiest way to ensure your clothes are coming home clean from the laundromat is to adjust your laundry habits. While it is handy to do all of your laundry in multiple machines and get all of your laundry done in one load, it is better to only use one or two machines. The first loads of laundry should be your whites and other items for which you intend to use chlorine bleach and hot water. The bleach and hot water kill germs and bacteria, including those left over from the previous load by another person.
After your bleach loads are completed, use the same machines to wash your other clothes on cold and warm water cycles. It is suggested to use a color-safe bleaching product with these loads, as the chemicals used in color safe bleaches do kill bacteria and germs, too. While your cold and warm water loads are washing, you can dry your whites and hot water loads.
Before tossing the clothes into the dryers, take an antibacterial wipe and wipe down the dryer drum and door. The wipe kills any bacteria left by the previous person. Now put your clothes in the dryer and dry as normal. In addition, use antibacterial wipes to wipe down laundry tables before putting your dry clothes on them and folding them. You may also use these tips at home if you have in-home laundry.
Contact LG Washer Dryer FJS Distributors by phoning 800-875-1533 for more laundry tips or to learn about how you can have in-home laundry with a combination washer dryer even if you do not have washer and dryer connections.
