AND all the more reason to keep 'em clean........you never know when asked to strip!
Sanitising Underwear
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franksdad
Well-known member
Occasional Jock itch here due to being a heavy sweater... I wash all my underwear in a separate load in hot water with All Free and Clear and Clorox bleach. I used to use Downy fabric softener in the rinse but something someone here (can't remember who or when) mentioned they all reactions "down there" to fabric softener so I quit using any fabric softener on my underwear and I have been itch-free since.
As for Jock Itch, it's caused by a fungus called Tinea which is the same thing that causes athletes foot and ringworm (which isn't a worm btw)
It can be exacerbated by creating a too-sweaty environment / not changing often enough.
In a lot of cases it's just caused by wearing synthetic fabrics too close to your skin for too long.
Wearing looser-fitting cotton clothes and making sure you don't just have one pair of favourite sweaty shoes that you wear every day tends to eliminate those problems before they start.
Sterilising your clothes shouldn't be necessary under normal circumstances.
If you've got jock-itch you'd really want to treat it with something a.s.a.p. to prevent spread. Bleaching and boiling your unmentionables won't really achieve all that much.
Those kinds of fungi require a live host and do not survive very long on surfaces. They typically spread through things like warm, moist surfaces such as those found in water around swimming pools or by sharing towels without washing them. This is why you shouldn't really borrow someone's towel at the gym. Shared gym equipment's also a possibility if it's in constant use and people aren't using towels to sit on.
In general to stop the spread, you need to ensure that clothes are washed and most importantly dried (either in a dryer or naturally) until fully dry.
The detergent, washing action, rinsing action and the fact that the clothes are fully dried will wipe the majority of nasty pathogens out without any need for excessive cleaning.
Simply leaving clothes hanging up after being washed has a huge impact as many pathogens can't survive on dry clothes. So once the clothes are thoroughly dry and the longer they're hanging up, the fewer pathogens are likely to be in them.
Also, if you're regularly getting problems like that you'd want to get checked out for systemic problems, particularly diabetes as it can be caused by excess blood sugar.
I would also argue that it's a bad idea to add too many chemicals to your laundry, especially anything that might be a long-acting sanitiser in the last rinse.
That will remain in contact with your skin and may cause problems. Your skin is naturally home to some healthy bacteria and killing them off with those kinds of products can result in faster-growing bad bacteria taking over.
You also run the risk of growing bacteria that may be immune to the sanitiser product or just irritating your skin.
Remember, if something can kill cells, it's probably not likely to be all that great for your cells either.
I really think there's too much of an industry growing up around appealing to people's OCD nature about 'germs'. In the long run it's not healthy at all.
There's a balance to be struck between cleaning and damaging.
Also, think of the environment too!
Using huge amounts of energy (boiling) or loads of nasty chemicals (particularly chlorine) is really bad for the environment. Washing those items into a city / town sewage treatment facility actually makes life difficult for the microbes that breakdown the sewage to do their job because it kills them off.
There's so much of that gunk in sewage, that plants have to add vast amounts of extra microbes to keep up with the loss due to disinfectants.
If you have your own sewage treatment - if you live in the countryside somewhere and rely on a septic tank or some form of bioreactor / biodigester system to deal with your sewage, you can destroy the whole system by adding too many of those chemicals to the water and cause raw sewage to enter the environment as the treatment fails.
It can be exacerbated by creating a too-sweaty environment / not changing often enough.
In a lot of cases it's just caused by wearing synthetic fabrics too close to your skin for too long.
Wearing looser-fitting cotton clothes and making sure you don't just have one pair of favourite sweaty shoes that you wear every day tends to eliminate those problems before they start.
Sterilising your clothes shouldn't be necessary under normal circumstances.
If you've got jock-itch you'd really want to treat it with something a.s.a.p. to prevent spread. Bleaching and boiling your unmentionables won't really achieve all that much.
Those kinds of fungi require a live host and do not survive very long on surfaces. They typically spread through things like warm, moist surfaces such as those found in water around swimming pools or by sharing towels without washing them. This is why you shouldn't really borrow someone's towel at the gym. Shared gym equipment's also a possibility if it's in constant use and people aren't using towels to sit on.
In general to stop the spread, you need to ensure that clothes are washed and most importantly dried (either in a dryer or naturally) until fully dry.
The detergent, washing action, rinsing action and the fact that the clothes are fully dried will wipe the majority of nasty pathogens out without any need for excessive cleaning.
Simply leaving clothes hanging up after being washed has a huge impact as many pathogens can't survive on dry clothes. So once the clothes are thoroughly dry and the longer they're hanging up, the fewer pathogens are likely to be in them.
Also, if you're regularly getting problems like that you'd want to get checked out for systemic problems, particularly diabetes as it can be caused by excess blood sugar.
I would also argue that it's a bad idea to add too many chemicals to your laundry, especially anything that might be a long-acting sanitiser in the last rinse.
That will remain in contact with your skin and may cause problems. Your skin is naturally home to some healthy bacteria and killing them off with those kinds of products can result in faster-growing bad bacteria taking over.
You also run the risk of growing bacteria that may be immune to the sanitiser product or just irritating your skin.
Remember, if something can kill cells, it's probably not likely to be all that great for your cells either.
I really think there's too much of an industry growing up around appealing to people's OCD nature about 'germs'. In the long run it's not healthy at all.
There's a balance to be struck between cleaning and damaging.
Also, think of the environment too!
Using huge amounts of energy (boiling) or loads of nasty chemicals (particularly chlorine) is really bad for the environment. Washing those items into a city / town sewage treatment facility actually makes life difficult for the microbes that breakdown the sewage to do their job because it kills them off.
There's so much of that gunk in sewage, that plants have to add vast amounts of extra microbes to keep up with the loss due to disinfectants.
If you have your own sewage treatment - if you live in the countryside somewhere and rely on a septic tank or some form of bioreactor / biodigester system to deal with your sewage, you can destroy the whole system by adding too many of those chemicals to the water and cause raw sewage to enter the environment as the treatment fails.
dirtybuck
Well-known member
THANK YOU ALL!
I've wanted to address this topic more than once when my "unmentionables" weren't coming out really clean, but didn't know how to do it subtly.
Generally, I use either Spray and Wash or some other sort of stain remover on what needs to be treated before I venture to the laundromat. I wash all of my whites together in (what they consider at this establishment, and we've discussed this in the past) "hot" water with mainly a good enzyme detergent. The colored boxers are usually washed with my light colored items.
I've tried hydrogen peroxide, but wasn't quite satisfied with the results. However, on one of the few occasions when I used LCB (Walmart version), I did notice somewhat of a difference, so I'll stay with that method and use it on every other trip.
(And Yogi, I was wondering if anyone else had viewed that certain and distinct Tide commercial. Of course it would be a foreign country to produce it and not the US.)
I've wanted to address this topic more than once when my "unmentionables" weren't coming out really clean, but didn't know how to do it subtly.
Generally, I use either Spray and Wash or some other sort of stain remover on what needs to be treated before I venture to the laundromat. I wash all of my whites together in (what they consider at this establishment, and we've discussed this in the past) "hot" water with mainly a good enzyme detergent. The colored boxers are usually washed with my light colored items.
I've tried hydrogen peroxide, but wasn't quite satisfied with the results. However, on one of the few occasions when I used LCB (Walmart version), I did notice somewhat of a difference, so I'll stay with that method and use it on every other trip.
(And Yogi, I was wondering if anyone else had viewed that certain and distinct Tide commercial. Of course it would be a foreign country to produce it and not the US.)
liberatordeluxe
Well-known member
I think the oxygen bleach powders will suffice but thanks for your ideas especially laundress.
I've used quat sanitizer (GFS Quat-Clean, etc.) on fabrics that needed disinfected after getting wet when basement flooded. Everything clean and fresh smelling afterward.
launderess
Well-known member
Have Said This Before And Will Shout It From The Housetops
If required:
In the history of modern laundry practices few if any outbreaks of disease have been caused by contact with normally soiled wash and or certainly what has been laundered properly. Go ahead, name one instance of otherwise person or persons coming down with serious illness from handling soiled or clean laundry. You cannot and that is because the chances are near nil.
Leaving aside those with unhealthy immune systems and or washing from persons infected with the few classes of diseases that will transmit via textiles (smallpox, perhaps MRSA and or other seriously infectious diseases), long as one is careful to wash one's hands after handling soiled laundry, and or observes good habits you have more of a chance of being hit by a car than coming down from illness due to being in contact with laundry.
The detergent and sanitizing action of hot water along with soap or detergent is more than enough to reduce germ counts on washing. I mean think about it: for generations there have been persons who only changed their undergarments once a week (or less) and while their BO was another matter, they didn't come down with illness.
Yes, there is a good chance one's washing machine may have E Coli and other bugs inside, but what of it? Your loo especially the toilet and surrounding areas likely have just as vast if not more contamination of the same and yet you aren't worried about using that room are you?
If you swabbed and cultured common surfaces in your home, office, or car and saw what was growing you'd never feel safe in your own skin again. Trust me I've done it (assignment from microbiology class in nursing school)and you just don't want to know. Yet somehow we muddle on daily without all collapsing of disease.
@liberatordeluxe
Most if not all powder laundry detergents in EU/UK that contain oxygen bleach also contain bleaching activators (usually TAED), and as one has also stated in the past are excellent for sanitizing laundry. Indeed the difference between those "professional disinfectant" detergents and their consumer counterparts is the former usually contain a higher percentage of oxygen bleach and activator.
http://www.detergents-intermediates...WebPagesByID/63E52272050ECA40C125770A002E795C
If required:
In the history of modern laundry practices few if any outbreaks of disease have been caused by contact with normally soiled wash and or certainly what has been laundered properly. Go ahead, name one instance of otherwise person or persons coming down with serious illness from handling soiled or clean laundry. You cannot and that is because the chances are near nil.
Leaving aside those with unhealthy immune systems and or washing from persons infected with the few classes of diseases that will transmit via textiles (smallpox, perhaps MRSA and or other seriously infectious diseases), long as one is careful to wash one's hands after handling soiled laundry, and or observes good habits you have more of a chance of being hit by a car than coming down from illness due to being in contact with laundry.
The detergent and sanitizing action of hot water along with soap or detergent is more than enough to reduce germ counts on washing. I mean think about it: for generations there have been persons who only changed their undergarments once a week (or less) and while their BO was another matter, they didn't come down with illness.
Yes, there is a good chance one's washing machine may have E Coli and other bugs inside, but what of it? Your loo especially the toilet and surrounding areas likely have just as vast if not more contamination of the same and yet you aren't worried about using that room are you?
If you swabbed and cultured common surfaces in your home, office, or car and saw what was growing you'd never feel safe in your own skin again. Trust me I've done it (assignment from microbiology class in nursing school)and you just don't want to know. Yet somehow we muddle on daily without all collapsing of disease.
@liberatordeluxe
Most if not all powder laundry detergents in EU/UK that contain oxygen bleach also contain bleaching activators (usually TAED), and as one has also stated in the past are excellent for sanitizing laundry. Indeed the difference between those "professional disinfectant" detergents and their consumer counterparts is the former usually contain a higher percentage of oxygen bleach and activator.
http://www.detergents-intermediates...WebPagesByID/63E52272050ECA40C125770A002E795C
liberatordeluxe
Well-known member
TAED is indeed found in our regular powders here in the UK so there really is no need to add anything else. I have seen the Vanish Extra Hygiene but I think its marketing guff and basically a tub of enzymes, bleach and peracetic acid which is basically another oxidising agent. I even emailed Persil and they told me basically as long as you use oxygen bleach powder you can wash underwear at 40C otherwise I have found the elastic disintegrates. Can't beat white underwear with a coloured trim.
launderess
Well-known member
Can't beat white underwear with a coloured trim
No, you cannot!
No, you cannot!
liberatordeluxe
Well-known member
Love the link 
although there was probably more to the lesson than what was demonstrated...
but a helpful preventive solution for jock itch, well, first of all, like a gun, clean your equipment well and rinse thoroughly.....keeping in mind of "I was cleaning my gun and it suddenly went OFF!".....but as our BoyScout conselor showed us in detail, to use a blow dryer to dry our equipment and then some baby powder, or even jock itch powder.....
yeah, I know, hard to believe I was a BoyScout(1974-76).....and to think their letting gays scouts in now......who are we kidding, the Counselors are, and have been for years......now the Forest Rangers are a whole different subject...not for this thread!....and we all showered together....although not in the training manual...
but a helpful preventive solution for jock itch, well, first of all, like a gun, clean your equipment well and rinse thoroughly.....keeping in mind of "I was cleaning my gun and it suddenly went OFF!".....but as our BoyScout conselor showed us in detail, to use a blow dryer to dry our equipment and then some baby powder, or even jock itch powder.....
yeah, I know, hard to believe I was a BoyScout(1974-76).....and to think their letting gays scouts in now......who are we kidding, the Counselors are, and have been for years......now the Forest Rangers are a whole different subject...not for this thread!....and we all showered together....although not in the training manual...
Studies in Europe have shown that children who grow up on farms, especially pig/hog farms, have less allergies than other children.
There is something to be said for exposure to/playing in the dirt, bacteria, etc. It is how we build up immunities.
Fifteen or so years ago, parents started using sanitizing wipes year round (not just cold & flu season) on everything their children touch, etc. Some experts think this did not help the children develop strong immune systems. Nobody really knows.
I have also read that our kitchen sinks actually harbor more bacteria than the loo.
Our family members have never gotten ill from our non-sanitized laundry, but I do take care to kill the potential crud than can grow in the FL washer. I worry more about crud/sludge/mold starting in the FL, than anything else.
There is something to be said for exposure to/playing in the dirt, bacteria, etc. It is how we build up immunities.
Fifteen or so years ago, parents started using sanitizing wipes year round (not just cold & flu season) on everything their children touch, etc. Some experts think this did not help the children develop strong immune systems. Nobody really knows.
I have also read that our kitchen sinks actually harbor more bacteria than the loo.
Our family members have never gotten ill from our non-sanitized laundry, but I do take care to kill the potential crud than can grow in the FL washer. I worry more about crud/sludge/mold starting in the FL, than anything else.
danemodsandy
Well-known member
It All Depends:
"I have also read that our kitchen sinks actually harbor more bacteria than the loo."
If a kitchen sink is used the way many people use it nowadays, then yes, it's a bacteria pit.
Many people today never clean the sink properly - in fact, they never really even use it for cleaning anything. It basically serves as a catch-all for anything dirty that anyone in the house is too lazy to wash or put in the dishwasher, and as a place where stuff is thrown at the disposer's opening.
If a kitchen sink is actually used for washing-up, and washed with soap and water afterwards, it's not a bacteria pit. But I've seen many a stainless-steel sink in many a flossy new house that is brown from not being cleaned. Ever.
"I have also read that our kitchen sinks actually harbor more bacteria than the loo."
If a kitchen sink is used the way many people use it nowadays, then yes, it's a bacteria pit.
Many people today never clean the sink properly - in fact, they never really even use it for cleaning anything. It basically serves as a catch-all for anything dirty that anyone in the house is too lazy to wash or put in the dishwasher, and as a place where stuff is thrown at the disposer's opening.
If a kitchen sink is actually used for washing-up, and washed with soap and water afterwards, it's not a bacteria pit. But I've seen many a stainless-steel sink in many a flossy new house that is brown from not being cleaned. Ever.
verizonbear
Well-known member
Colored Underwear ( Spray with disinfectant before washing
I had a co-worker who sprays his colored briefs with dollar store brand disinfectant until they are damp, then washes them on cold using Tide cold water. Would this be effective in killing pathogens ?
I had a co-worker who sprays his colored briefs with dollar store brand disinfectant until they are damp, then washes them on cold using Tide cold water. Would this be effective in killing pathogens ?
dustin92
Well-known member
Oh, the HORRORS!
I wash my white underwear with whatever happens to be going into the washer, because I only own one other white article of clothing, a white T shirt with blue trim, and I can't justify waiting until all my underwear and my white shirt are dirty. I wash most loads in very warm water with plenty of detergent, then dry in the dryer, and nobody in our household (or any guests) have become ill from underwear residue contaminating towels, washcloths, or dishcloths. I have never taken a clean towel out of the drawer and said eeeww, this smells like dirty underwear, and have never noticed my clothes taking on an odor of underwear, although the odors and stains are always removed from underwear. I am personally not concerned with a few germs or bacteria, they are everywhere anyway. As I have seen on a plaque, "Germs and God are everywhere, so wash your hands and say your prayers!"
I wash my white underwear with whatever happens to be going into the washer, because I only own one other white article of clothing, a white T shirt with blue trim, and I can't justify waiting until all my underwear and my white shirt are dirty. I wash most loads in very warm water with plenty of detergent, then dry in the dryer, and nobody in our household (or any guests) have become ill from underwear residue contaminating towels, washcloths, or dishcloths. I have never taken a clean towel out of the drawer and said eeeww, this smells like dirty underwear, and have never noticed my clothes taking on an odor of underwear, although the odors and stains are always removed from underwear. I am personally not concerned with a few germs or bacteria, they are everywhere anyway. As I have seen on a plaque, "Germs and God are everywhere, so wash your hands and say your prayers!"
danemodsandy
Well-known member
Phil:
"I had a co-worker who sprays his colored briefs with dollar store brand disinfectant until they are damp...."
I think your co-worker is going to damage some undies sooner or later - the active ingredients in dollar store spray disinfectant are mostly ethanol (ethyl alcohol). Some synthetics are sensitive to alcohol, and I'm thinking it can't do elastic any good, either.
"I had a co-worker who sprays his colored briefs with dollar store brand disinfectant until they are damp...."
I think your co-worker is going to damage some undies sooner or later - the active ingredients in dollar store spray disinfectant are mostly ethanol (ethyl alcohol). Some synthetics are sensitive to alcohol, and I'm thinking it can't do elastic any good, either.
mark_wpduet
Well-known member
I've never had
that problem on my underwear..knock on wood.....but I've seen others in my life when doing laundry that do......**GAG**
I use bleach and hot water with ALL whites.....I can't imagine not having chlorine bleach in my life. It must rinse well because I've never had a problem with fabrics deteriorating (at least in a reasonable amount of time). A little bit goes a LONG way though. When someone above mentioned someone mopping with straight chlorine bleach, that's crazy. I mean, if I put just a LITTLE in a mop bucket mixed with liquid dish soap and hot water, it's still strong.
that problem on my underwear..knock on wood.....but I've seen others in my life when doing laundry that do......**GAG**
I use bleach and hot water with ALL whites.....I can't imagine not having chlorine bleach in my life. It must rinse well because I've never had a problem with fabrics deteriorating (at least in a reasonable amount of time). A little bit goes a LONG way though. When someone above mentioned someone mopping with straight chlorine bleach, that's crazy. I mean, if I put just a LITTLE in a mop bucket mixed with liquid dish soap and hot water, it's still strong.
iheartmaytag
Well-known member
Well Ya'll know me
I bleach the hell out of everything.
The dog used to be black.
I wipe counter, sink and frig down with bleach water. It doesn't take a lot, I just happen to like the smell of bleach.
In my FL washer I use Hot almost always with whites, bleach sparingly but on occasion I bleach towels. My 80 year old mother sometimes has problems making it on time to the restroom, so I bleach to keep the odors down.
You can demonize bleach all you want, but I have never had Hepatitis, Cholera, Bubonic Plague, typhoid, meningitis, Hanta virus, MERSA, or Rocky Mountain spotted fever. So it must be working.
No really, the only time I really am concerned about the laundry is if someone in the house is sick, or if something is purchased used from a Goodwill or DAV. In those cases I wash with a little more aggressive actions. I am actually more concerned with lice and bed bugs from used items than anything.
Laundry wise, as Laundress has said, a recent news spot on Ch-12 locally found that even though bacteria counts in washers are detectable, the wash action with detergent should take care of most of it, and the heat of the dryer or UV from hanging out usually takes care of the rest.
[this post was last edited: 7/10/2013-12:32]
I bleach the hell out of everything.
The dog used to be black.
I wipe counter, sink and frig down with bleach water. It doesn't take a lot, I just happen to like the smell of bleach.
In my FL washer I use Hot almost always with whites, bleach sparingly but on occasion I bleach towels. My 80 year old mother sometimes has problems making it on time to the restroom, so I bleach to keep the odors down.
You can demonize bleach all you want, but I have never had Hepatitis, Cholera, Bubonic Plague, typhoid, meningitis, Hanta virus, MERSA, or Rocky Mountain spotted fever. So it must be working.
No really, the only time I really am concerned about the laundry is if someone in the house is sick, or if something is purchased used from a Goodwill or DAV. In those cases I wash with a little more aggressive actions. I am actually more concerned with lice and bed bugs from used items than anything.
Laundry wise, as Laundress has said, a recent news spot on Ch-12 locally found that even though bacteria counts in washers are detectable, the wash action with detergent should take care of most of it, and the heat of the dryer or UV from hanging out usually takes care of the rest.
[this post was last edited: 7/10/2013-12:32]
aquacycle
Well-known member
I'm with Matt on this. Underwear and socks just get thrown I with my darks and washed on 40. My personal hygiene standards are high enough so that washing underwear separately is not a major concern. The only time I've ever washed underwear separately was when I had a bladder infection and my downstairs was like a leaky tap.
If you're going to be that anal (pardon the pun) about sanitising your knicks, why not go all out and keep them in a separate washing basket away from all your other laundry? Heck, why not even buy an air tight plastic container that you can bleach out to use as the separate washing basket and why not buy a whole separate washing machine to wash them in?
Alternatively, you could just try wiping your arse properly.
If you're going to be that anal (pardon the pun) about sanitising your knicks, why not go all out and keep them in a separate washing basket away from all your other laundry? Heck, why not even buy an air tight plastic container that you can bleach out to use as the separate washing basket and why not buy a whole separate washing machine to wash them in?
Alternatively, you could just try wiping your arse properly.
liberatordeluxe
Well-known member
Washing underwear with trousers, t shirts, shirts etc is just unhygienic and I have always done it that way. Some people do things differently and people should accept that!!
liberatordeluxe
Well-known member
Cute dog @ iheartmaytag
lavamat_jon
Well-known member
Washing underwear with trousers, t shirts, shirts etc is jus
It really isn't - I have not heard of anybody who has died because they washed their pants with their t shirts...
It amuses me how people find washing underwear with t shirts in soapy water and detergent unhygienic, whilst they will happily conduct in bedroom activities without even a thought about hygiene.
Jon
It really isn't - I have not heard of anybody who has died because they washed their pants with their t shirts...
It amuses me how people find washing underwear with t shirts in soapy water and detergent unhygienic, whilst they will happily conduct in bedroom activities without even a thought about hygiene.
Jon
liberatordeluxe
Well-known member
Well I don't agree!
I wash my tighty whities and my white t-shirts together at 70*C/158*F with a decent amount of Dixan powder. That is not unhygienic at all!
liberatordeluxe
Well-known member
If they are all white and a high temperature that's fine but we all have our way doing things. There is no right or wrong way.
Then don't say it's unhygienic.
liberatordeluxe
Well-known member
Oh for god sake get a grip!
liberatordeluxe
Well-known member
What is it with people today the heat got to them if you have a difference of opinion?
iheartmaytag
Well-known member
Cute dog
Thanks
That sweet little face has save her life a number of times. In reality she is the Anti-Christ.
Thanks
That sweet little face has save her life a number of times. In reality she is the Anti-Christ.
mark_wpduet
Well-known member
You know
I only buy white underwear and white bath towels and wash clothes for the simple fact that I want to be able to use bleach when washing them. I would LIKE to have some colors in towels and wash clothes, but I can't bleach them so I don't buy them. Admittedly, everything that is WHITE does get thrown in together, but then bleach, powdered detergent, and the sanitary cycle and once done, I assure you that it's far from unhygienic. But I would never wash those same clothes in warm water without bleach.
I only buy white underwear and white bath towels and wash clothes for the simple fact that I want to be able to use bleach when washing them. I would LIKE to have some colors in towels and wash clothes, but I can't bleach them so I don't buy them. Admittedly, everything that is WHITE does get thrown in together, but then bleach, powdered detergent, and the sanitary cycle and once done, I assure you that it's far from unhygienic. But I would never wash those same clothes in warm water without bleach.
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