Natural Disinfectants For Your Clothes.
New Year, fresh start.
When you're in need of disinfectant, look no further than around your home. Chances are, you already have these natural disinfectant ingredients. If you are disinfecting, hot water is your best friend, and it is frequently the only thing that is required to remove a stubborn stain or odor. See below for a few natural disinfectants that are safe to use on your clothing.
Hot Water and Steam
Hot water sanitization is the most effective and natural method, but it may not be suitable for all fabrics. Washing machines typically sanitize at 165°F. That's hot enough to kill viruses and bacteria.
It matters how long you sanitize with hot water. The best way to kill germs is to use the longest wash cycle and the sanitizer setting. Do you own non-machine washable clothing? Delicate and dry clean-only clothing can usually be sanitized in a dryer that offers steam or sanitize.
Home steamers that provide steam above 212 degrees Fahrenheit can quickly sanitize individual clothing. While steam between 175 and 212°C kills many viruses and bacteria, higher temperatures disinfect more effectively and kill nearly all germs. Steamers can be used to sanitize bathrooms, bedrooms, and kitchens as well as clothes.
Ammonia
Ammonia is a very harsh disinfectant that can be added to laundry loads in small amounts to make them more sanitary. If you have a large load of laundry and you need to disinfect it thoroughly, such as in the case of an illness, use about 1/4 cup per load. Never combine ammonia and bleach because the combination produces a poisonous gas that can make you very ill very quickly.
Vinegar
White vinegar combined with your regular laundry soap or added to the wash with a cup of baking soda makes an effective laundry cleaner and disinfectant. White vinegar is a safe, natural product that can be used for cleaning, deodorizing, and laundry disinfection. To sanitize laundry, add 1 cup distilled white vinegar to the rinse cycle. It kills bacteria, deodorizes, softens fabrics, and even helps keep colors bright. Rinse again to remove any lingering odors.
Hydrogen Peroxide
Hydrogen peroxide is a powerful stain remover and disinfectant that can be used in your laundry or directly on a stain to eliminate it. It is non-toxic and kills bacteria almost immediately when used as directed. However, while peroxide can be used in a laundry load containing colored clothing, it should not be used to bleach anything that isn't white on its own. Once the water is running, add 1/2 cup of peroxide to your laundry to prevent any bleaching from occurring.
When it comes to COVID and flu season, it is important to disinfect your laundry to prevent the spread of diseases.