Thread Number: 36233
Do towels go mouldy at 40?
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Post# 539796   8/26/2011 at 17:28 (4,597 days old) by marthalover4eve ()        

some one told me if you wash towels on a 40 they go mouldy is it true ??? i used to wash towels on 40 for years and i never seen then go mouldy.




Post# 539804 , Reply# 1   8/26/2011 at 17:50 (4,597 days old) by aegokocarat (United Kingdom)        

i am a hygine freek so these are the temps i wash towels on.
colour fast towels: 60'c
non coulor fast towels: 95'c
hope it helps Tom :)


Post# 539805 , Reply# 2   8/26/2011 at 17:51 (4,597 days old) by marthalover4eve ()        

i always wash on 90 -70 now but i used to do them on 40 cuz my mum wouldent dream of anything diffrent

Post# 539806 , Reply# 3   8/26/2011 at 17:53 (4,597 days old) by SuperElectronic (London, UK)        

Of course not!

 

Only if you leave them damp for too long will they go mouldy/develop a permanent bad odour/mildew.

 

They might not be as well sanitised if you use low temperatures - I've found towels washed in warm water don't stay fresh as long. It doesn't mean they develop permanent mould!


Post# 539807 , Reply# 4   8/26/2011 at 17:57 (4,597 days old) by gorenje (Slovenia)        

gorenje's profile picture
Hi, I always wash towels at 60°C
I don't know but 40°C seems to me that it's not enough. If you think 40°C is almost our body temperature, so whay don't wash them in a higher temperature.
I think that the sour smell that used towels sometimes has can be washed better in hotter water where the oxygen present in the powder is more effective.

Ingemar


Post# 539808 , Reply# 5   8/26/2011 at 18:00 (4,597 days old) by aegokocarat (United Kingdom)        

40'c isnt sufficent enough to kill bacteria of the dead skin that is on the towels

Post# 539826 , Reply# 6   8/26/2011 at 18:52 (4,597 days old) by ultimafan ()        
I wash my towels on 60 plus a prewash...

But I don't think you get mouldy towels at 40, either its due to not drying them properly or perhaps mould in the washing machine getting on them.

As for the numerous allergens, that's why I do mine on 60. Let alone 40, most households would bung their towels at 30/cold wash which would have no chance whatsoever and getting rid of them *shudders*!


Post# 539832 , Reply# 7   8/26/2011 at 19:20 (4,597 days old) by aegokocarat (United Kingdom)        

clothes: 40'c,50'c'60'c
delecates: 30'c
towels: Colour F:60'c
Colour non F:95'c


Post# 539840 , Reply# 8   8/26/2011 at 19:47 (4,597 days old) by ronhic (Canberra, Australia)        
No, it isn't true...

ronhic's profile picture

...or the 60%+ of the Australian population that wash in COLD water would all have mouldy towels.

 

Washing at 40c is pretty much a perfect temperature if use a suitable powdered detergent as the banding won't shrink. Then hang, or tumble them dry without too much delay.

 

On the other hand, using too much fabric softener and then leaving them in the machine for a few days is going to make them very very manky....just like any washing.




This post was last edited 08/26/2011 at 23:43
Post# 539879 , Reply# 9   8/26/2011 at 22:46 (4,597 days old) by arbilab (Ft Worth TX (Ridglea))        

arbilab's profile picture
No. I wash at 40 and have no mo(u)ld in towels or machine.

Post# 539895 , Reply# 10   8/27/2011 at 01:16 (4,597 days old) by HotpointFan (United Kingdom)        
Well...

hotpointfan's profile picture
... my mum always washes everything at 30 degreees and once every blue moon at 40 and I am trying to persuade her to wash at higher temperatures like 60! I found a video on the Bosch website about constant wash at low temperatures can not kill all the bacteria and I think that is why we have gone through about three door seals which for a seven year old machine, its kinda stupid right?!

Please can you help me persuade her to wash at higher temperatures?!

Jacob


Post# 539899 , Reply# 11   8/27/2011 at 02:08 (4,597 days old) by arbilab (Ft Worth TX (Ridglea))        

arbilab's profile picture
Unless you live at 170F/75C, you can't escape common bacteria. Give it up. Some of them are actually good for you.

Post# 539900 , Reply# 12   8/27/2011 at 02:10 (4,597 days old) by ronhic (Canberra, Australia)        
Jacob

ronhic's profile picture

There could be several reasons why the door seals have gone mouldy...

 

- closing the door between uses promotes a humid environment which aids mould growth

- usingtoo much fabric conditioner provides a good food source - especially as it is used in the final rinse

- poor door seal batch

 

Prevention of mould in a front loader is very easy....

 

- use a powdered detergent

- minimise the amount of fabric conditioner used and/or

- make sure loads of washing with conditioner in the rinse are the ones done first with non-conditioned loads last

- use an old jay-cloth, face washer etc. to remove the small amount of moisture present in the seal when finished for the day

- leave the door ajar - always!

 

Everything in our house for the last 22 years has been washed at either 40c or 30c (with the exception of sheets) and I have never, ever had mould in a machine either here in Oz, or in the UK using Hoovers, Blomberg and Zanussi engineered machines.

 

BUT....I don't use liquid detergents OR fabric conditioner.

 

Mind, no matter what some of us say, there will always be someone that we know who will not listen to those of us with years of experience.....


Post# 539901 , Reply# 13   8/27/2011 at 02:18 (4,597 days old) by HotpointFan (United Kingdom)        
Ronhic

hotpointfan's profile picture
I have just finished a mixed load on Express 60 degrees and the door is now wide open thanks to your advice! I am also about to wipe the door seal with a blue kitchen cloth as well.

Thank you

Jacob


Post# 539902 , Reply# 14   8/27/2011 at 02:21 (4,597 days old) by ozzie908 (Lincoln UK)        
personally its 60

ozzie908's profile picture
I have all white towels and always wash them at 60 sometimes 90 to clean the machine. After seeing the results of a swab test from a machine only doing low temps I will stick to 40 only for darks and delicates all bedding and towels at least 60. Besides its the minimum temperature for thermal disenfection so unless you use bleach or something to kill germs your just wiping it around the household.Forgot to mention my machine is 5 years old and never had a new door seal it is in my opinion best to use biological powders as non bio liquid makes the occurence of mould seem more likely.

Austin


Post# 539912 , Reply# 15   8/27/2011 at 04:21 (4,597 days old) by gorenje (Slovenia)        

gorenje's profile picture
Jacob,

when you wash constantly at 30°C you will turn your washing machine into a stinky, slimy, moldy bucket full of germs. (that would happend much erlier if you use liquid detergent and fabric softener)

If you have ever seen some videos on youtube of the inside drum of some Japanese washers you know what am I talking about.

It is good that at least every now and then you wash on higher temperatures and you take the precautions as "ronhic" said.

But keep in mind that Australian and Asian detergents are especially formulated to be used in cold water, because overe there everyone is washing in cold water.


Post# 539914 , Reply# 16   8/27/2011 at 04:43 (4,597 days old) by ronhic (Canberra, Australia)        
True...

ronhic's profile picture

...they are formulated for cold water washing, not that I do...

 

BUT, manufacturers and consumer magazines advocate running a HOT wash reasonably frequently to prevent build up as a result of cold water use etc....

 

Washing at 30/40c, provided you minimise fabric conditioner and avoid liquid detergents, won't give you a smelly machine....

 

Cold water, liquid detergents and conditioners will do so, very quickly....


Post# 539924 , Reply# 17   8/27/2011 at 08:27 (4,597 days old) by pierreandreply4 (St-Bruno de montarville (province of quebec) canada)        
wrong about cold water wash

pierreandreply4's profile picture
your wrong about cold water wash me i wash only in cold water and my washer never smells bad or gets moldy and never had any problems with this me i will never use hot water for washing clothes i only use 2 temps cold water wash temp regular loads and warm for bedsheets.

Post# 539929 , Reply# 18   8/27/2011 at 09:09 (4,597 days old) by newwave1 (Lincoln, United Kingdom)        

newwave1's profile picture
I wash my towels on 60 but I have done the occasional 40 but they do seem fresher at 60 for longer always with Ariel Biological Powder.

However. As an experiment when I had my LGf1402fds6 I did a load of towels at 30deg on a cotton intensive cycle with steam selected.

The steam during the hour of main washing was enough for them to come out smelling equally as fresh as when washed at 60. I didn't make a habit of that it was merely to see how effective it would be.

My towels got the cotton 60 with Ariel biological powder in my Hotpoint Aqualtis last night in fact :-)

Darren


Post# 539932 , Reply# 19   8/27/2011 at 10:10 (4,597 days old) by AquaCycle (West Yorkshire, UK)        
Jacob...

aquacycle's profile picture
Hope this helps persuade your Mum, it certainly did mine...

The way I see it, body temperature is 37.5 degrees, therefore anything below this temperature is not enough to kill the bacteria on clothes caused by sweat and flaking skin cells. This is not so much a problem for clothes that have been worn once and just need a freshen up, but for anything that's been worn more than that or it's been a hot day or it's your PE kit or whatever, 30 degrees is NOT hot enough. This is especially important when it comes to bedding, as you have dust mites as well as bacteria and skin cells to get rid of. By washing at 30, it basically creates a nice, moist, warm breeding ground for millions of bacteria.

I told both my Mum and my boyfriend this, and both are now washing at 40 and 60 and have noticed the difference in that there clothes stay fresher for longer and smell much cleaner when they come out of the washing machine.


Post# 539944 , Reply# 20   8/27/2011 at 12:07 (4,596 days old) by marthalover4eve ()        

i have excema and have to use a speacial oil in the bath so all the oil is on towels so i boilwash towels and ( my bedding )

i cant use ariel powder cuz it gets to sudsy and my indesit cant rinse it ( unless i do 3 or 4 rinse cycles )

i have a massive box of vital fresh in my cuboard and when thaTS USED UP I WILL ONLY USE 2IN1 powders



Post# 539946 , Reply# 21   8/27/2011 at 12:17 (4,596 days old) by boschlover1997 ()        

all that happens on 40 is that they dont clean properly, just most of the bacteria stays on them, and also they are full of alkali, at 75c all of that is removed, at 60c most of it is removed. so its just giving them a thorough clean at higher temperatures.
Thats why Miele have a 75c cycle because its hygienic enough for towels, so anything below 60c could be classed as "disgusting".
washing them at 95c however, i see as slightly pointless, as, yes fair enough it boils them, but most towels only say 40c on the labels and and going that much over the labels especially coloured towels, will discolour them. that is ok for white towels though, because no colour comes out
George :)


Post# 539953 , Reply# 22   8/27/2011 at 12:44 (4,596 days old) by aegokocarat (United Kingdom)        

I have eczema aswell, i add extra rinses on to cycle in the candy to make sure its all gone, the candy raises water levles during the cyclw with the allergy care option added.
the hotpoint ads extra rinses not water.
the hotpoint uses lots of water so i rarely ad extra rinses on.
i never use softener on towels, a rough towel is good for healthy blood circulation and they scrape off dead skin and flakey skin left after eczema :)
so thats a tip for you Martherlover4eve :)
Tom :)


Post# 539957 , Reply# 23   8/27/2011 at 13:11 (4,596 days old) by boschlover1997 ()        
hard towels

hi tom,
i know what you mean about the rough towels, but they are uncomfortable as hell when your using them, surely a body sponge gets enough dead skin off?
thanks, george


Post# 539958 , Reply# 24   8/27/2011 at 13:18 (4,596 days old) by marthalover4eve ()        

yes george they are realy uncomfortable thats why i use 2 caps of softner
and sping them at 500 so it holds alot more water so they dont over dry


i do boilwashes to clean the machine out


i only use synthetics cuz the rinse tumble are slowwwwwww so it dont whip suds up else it has to go on rinse program or 15 min wash ( i like the 15 min wash for rinsing cuz the interm spin is short and the final ramps right to 800 rpm ) are you allergic to any detergents im only allergic to Ariel colour powder


Post# 539959 , Reply# 25   8/27/2011 at 13:18 (4,596 days old) by aegokocarat (United Kingdom)        

Yes and no realy :)
a hard towel is good for your blood circulation, a sponge removes dead skin but it does a poor job fof helping with blood circuation :)
personal preference really :)


Post# 539960 , Reply# 26   8/27/2011 at 13:25 (4,596 days old) by boschlover1997 ()        

how does it improve your blood circulation if its only on your skin? :)

Post# 539962 , Reply# 27   8/27/2011 at 13:35 (4,596 days old) by aegokocarat (United Kingdom)        

It improves the blood circulation too the skin :)
in the winter i have to keep my blood circulation to my hands and feet as i have a condition called raynaud's :)
And the winters here is South wales dont help much eather lol


Post# 539965 , Reply# 28   8/27/2011 at 14:37 (4,596 days old) by rapunzel (Sydney)        
Do towels go mouldy at 40?

Not really. People are far more likely to go moldy at 40. Fabrics only go moldy if they are put away damp or stored in a moldy, musty place. Mold spreads through spores and is an organism that is found everywhere, but it does usually require the absence of light and some degree of moisture to grow. Sunshine and fresh air are the arch enemy of mold. It doesn't really matter whether towels are washed cold, warm or hot; mold does not take hold during the wash and rinse cycle.

Post# 539968 , Reply# 29   8/27/2011 at 15:15 (4,596 days old) by marthalover4eve ()        
.

i dont realy understand how it helps blood circulations

Post# 539969 , Reply# 30   8/27/2011 at 15:20 (4,596 days old) by aegokocarat (United Kingdom)        

Low blood pressure, or hypertension, is basically caused by poor blood distribution in the body: when you sit up after lying down or stand up from a sitting position, blood pools in the leg veins and for a brief time less blood flows back up to the heart and brain. This slight, temporary shortage of blood flow to the brain causes blood pressure to drop. Weakness in the heart muscle or insufficient tension in the blood vessel walls can be responsible for low blood pressure as well. Those affected suffer from spells of dizziness, rapid or altered heartbeat and blackouts, often upon getting up suddenly or after standing for a long period. Signs of low blood pressure can also include fatigue, paleness, sweating, inability to make decisions, sleep problems and difficulty concentrating. Symptoms may worsen when there is increased blood flow to the skin; this can occur after working in hot sun or with a fever. Fortunately, a number of natural and home remedies can ease symptoms and improve circulation
that should explain it :)
Tom :)


Post# 539972 , Reply# 31   8/27/2011 at 15:31 (4,596 days old) by aegokocarat (United Kingdom)        

The roughness of the towel rubbing against the skin, causes blood too
circulate through the veins in your arms,legs,feet normaly, thus improving blood circulation :)
my sister works as an O.D.P in Llandock hospital in Cardiff, she explaind to me how it works but i forgot moast of how it works, i think ive coverd the baisics :)


Post# 539974 , Reply# 32   8/27/2011 at 15:39 (4,596 days old) by arbilab (Ft Worth TX (Ridglea))        

arbilab's profile picture
I started going mo(u)ldy at 44. It got much worse at 60.

Telling a 40 they can't be 'proper' below 75 is like telling Campbell's their soup is too salty. It is, but that's how customers like it.

Everyone has their notion what's going on in laundry, like above 'cold is too alkaline' when temperature has absolutely nothing to do with pH. I doubt even a PhD surfactant chemist could change their beliefs.


Post# 540121 , Reply# 33   8/28/2011 at 10:28 (4,595 days old) by rapunzel (Sydney)        
Toweling does help blood circulation...,

but not because the towel is either rough or soft. It is the action of toweling, which is a form of physical activity, that promotes blood flow. You are using the muscles in your arms and upper body when you are vigorously toweling yourself, which makes your ticker work harder to supply blood to your muscles. The roughness of the towel adds to the overall sensation as it stimulates the skin.

Another way of stimulating peripheral blood flow is to alternate hot and cold whilst showering. It is a very invigorating way to start the day and prevents those little spider veins that keep popping up with advancing age.


Post# 540324 , Reply# 34   8/29/2011 at 03:34 (4,595 days old) by HotpointFan (United Kingdom)        
I have rashes on my skin so...

hotpointfan's profile picture
... a soft towel is good for me! Thats why in the dryer I use low heat on towels so they don't come out really hard. On the Bosch, an Express 60 is good for towels, then 45 minutes or less in the Creda!

Thats how I now wash towels!

Jacob


Post# 540328 , Reply# 35   8/29/2011 at 05:15 (4,595 days old) by dyson2drums (United Kingdom)        

dyson2drums's profile picture
Towels are always washed on a cottons wash at 60oc, usually with steam wash selected in the LG. They stay fresh for a longer time, although I did experiment by washing a few dark towels on cottons 40oc just the once with steam wash selected and they did come out just as good, but could be becuase they weren't soiled much.

At the moment i've just put a white throw and two white towels on a cottons 95oc :) My first boilwash in the LG!


Post# 540540 , Reply# 36   8/30/2011 at 03:41 (4,594 days old) by thomasortega (El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora de Los Angeles de Porciúncula)        

Here at this part of the globe it's so normal to do everything on cold water only that only a few models have an nternal water heater and much less have hot water inlet.
Most people would say "what? hot water to do laundry? why?" Even many commercial laundries don't have hot water supply (except those that do laundry for hospitals) and as far as I know, nobody here have mouldy towels or dirty clothes.

Maybe our detergents are years beyond the rest of the world when talking about cleaning on cold water? Maybe our cold water isn't cold enough? or maybe brazilians have a different DNA from the rest of the world and our bodies are self-imune to some kinds of bacterias and germs... Maybe something in our water reacts with the detergent and boosts it.... only God knows.

As a laundry addict, i always washed my whites on hot water (60C) and then suddenly started to wash the towels and sheets on hot water too. the only difference i noticed was all the colored towels fading, so i went back to cold water.

With other detergents I decided to try cold water also on whites and.. the result was even better! My whites were always perfectly white using hot water, now they are spanking white, like new, using cold water.

one of my machines runs exclusively on cold water. I tried to fill it with hot water once, using a hose, but the heat engages the thermal clutch and makes the machine spin full of water instead of agitate. It doesn't have a single trace of mould

Coincidently I've done laundry in Europe and in the U.S., and the times I tried to use cold water I always got horrible results and had to rewash everything on hot water.

I wish I could have a clue why some washing techniques work in some regions and not in others.

Same about mould in front loaders. It's almost impossible to find mould in a washing machine here. Smelly tubs, are almost unthinkable, unless the owner is stupid enough to keep the door fully closed after the wash day.


Post# 540549 , Reply# 37   8/30/2011 at 06:12 (4,594 days old) by rapunzel (Sydney)        
How cold is tap water in your neck of the woods Thomas?

and is your water very soft?

Post# 540561 , Reply# 38   8/30/2011 at 07:56 (4,594 days old) by thomasortega (El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora de Los Angeles de Porciúncula)        

Water in Brazil is so soft that most people never heard about hard water.

When I say "hard water", some people here laugh and say "duh, hard water is ice. you mean hard water because it's so cold there that water freezes in the washing machine, right?"

average "cold" water in my building is between 25 to 35 degrees during the summer (with the chiller on). If the chiller is off, it can heat enough to cause burns and make the faucets start to fart steam. but obviously it's an isolated situation and we don't say the water is cold in this case.

usually, the cold water is ok to fill the tub and take a decent bath without feeling cold, but it also doesn't feel warm. on the hottest days i tend to throw a bucket of ice in the tub, otherwise i'd start sweating while bathing.

Some people don't believe I can dry a bobload of jeans or towels in about 8 minutes in my affinity Electric dryer. Sometimes the cycle starts with the 5 minute countdown and then go straight to the cool down, without showing that spinning sign on the display. When they come to Iguassu, the airplane door opens and they instantly understand how it's possible. it's not warm.. it's fu**ing HOT and dry. it's like stand in front of an industrial oven and open the door.

Take a look at my picture.. With this "paper bag" color, Can you believe my father is spanish and my mom is german both so white that look like bleached? I'm not blond or have blue eyes, but if I spend a month out of here, I'll be as white as paper .



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