Myths and truths about laundry

1. "Bacteria disappear at 60 degrees"

FALSE

- Bacteria are everywhere. Harmful bacteria live and spread as long as there is food (dirt and moisture). So it's better to really wash the dirt away and then use the temperature for which the detergent is designed. Water itself also contains bacteria that can grow if you don't dry your laundry quickly and efficiently. Tumble drying has been shown to have a much better effect on killing any bacteria than high washing temperatures.

2. "Sheets will start to smell good again if you wash them at 60 degrees or more".

FALSE

- A sheet that smells bad is not easy to get back to its original condition. If a garment has started to smell, washing it hotter will not help. Try a rinse in diluted vinegar and citric acid and then dry. However, Lyocell is naturally antibacterial, which counteracts bad odours and bacterial growth.

3 "Anything that can be washed in a dryer should be"

FALSE

- Obviously, there will be unnecessary wear and tear that will shorten the life of the bedding. You should never tumble dry anything that is not properly centrifuged as it becomes a very unnecessary energy drain. Drying bedding by hanging also makes it less wrinkled.

4. "You should change detergents from time to time as they have different effects"

SANT

- Some detergents are good at low washing temperatures and others require high temperatures because they contain some kind of bleach which you may want in your whites (but only works on cotton). It's also good to change detergents occasionally to get a different environment in the washing machine which can also have a lot of bacteria in it. Don't forget to open the door to dry between washers.

5. "You should use fabric softener"

FALSE

- Fabric softener is not good for the environment, most of it ends up in the drain. The part that remains on the fabric has a slightly more hydrophobic effect (and binds water), which means that the bedding breathes less well.

6. "The more detergent, the cleaner the laundry"

FALSE

- Around 80% of Sweden has soft water, which means less detergent is needed. Using too much detergent will cause a lot of foaming, which makes washing worse because there is no water for the dirt to travel and it will also be difficult to rinse afterwards. Rinsing to get rid of dirt and chemical residues is just as important for a good washing process.

Tip

Instead of washing at too high a temperature and wearing out both the environment and your clothes/bedding, there is an old trick that says to run an empty washing machine once a month at the highest temperature (90-95 degrees) with 3 decilitres of vinegar instead of detergent. This will decalcify your washing machine and keep it clean and fresh, which in turn prevents the spread of bacteria.

Another tip is to replace your cotton sheets with Lyocell. As well as being much softer, Lyocell has 10 times less bacteria growth than cotton thanks to its breathability and moisture absorption properties.