Has anyone measured the temp in a Duet/KA washer on the Whitest Whites mode? Is it possible that it defaults to 153, and that's why you can't "select" the Sanitize mode?
I get great results with my Neptune 7500. For whites, I choose boosted hot water temp (130F), a 15 minute presoak, stain cycle, 34 minute extra heavy soil wash, cotton/sturdy tumble pattern, and an extra rinse(four rinses total). The stain cycle setting means the first rinse will be hot as well. The entire cycle takes about 109 minutes, about 59 minutes of that is presoak/wash. I boost Sears HE/oxygen bleach with 33% STPP. This results in brilliant, fresh smelling whites with virtually no residual staining. If the washer went up another 20 degrees, I'd use that higher temp, but I don't anticipate the results would get much better.
"Sanitize" is more a marketing term than anything else. It will never sterilize anything - that would take temps of 250F or higher, under steam pressure, for at least 15 minutes. From my point of view, the main objective should always be to separate dirt from fabric, and doing that requires the correct water temp, tumbling pattern, detergent, and cycle time.
Studies have shown that 120F plus detergent is more than enough to kill all dust mites.
