If someone in the family has been sick and it is a contagious disease, it is particularly advisable to disinfect all surfaces in the house, but also the laundry to destroy the microbes hidden in the textile fibers. However, we know that cleaning in the washing machine is not always sufficient, especially for fragile clothes that cannot be washed too hot. In this case, there is of course bactericidal bleach and supermarket disinfectant detergent. However, these chemicals are not gentle on skin or laundry. So, when you have a baby, fragile skin or an ecological conscience, you generally look for more natural and economical antiseptic alternatives that will not irritate the skin or prove dangerous for the environment. Find out here how to disinfect laundry naturally. Enough to improve hygiene and keep bacteria away!
Remember that against the Covid-19 pandemic, the authorities have recommended virucidal washing at 60°C for 30 minutes for cleaning and disinfection of linen.
1) Some good actions for disinfecting laundry
First of all, it is necessary handle laundry with care without shaking it when picking it up or holding it against your clothes (which are clean). Use a laundry basket to transport it without spreading pathogenic microorganisms throughout the house. On this occasion, carefully collect all potentially contaminated linen: sheets, mattress pads, clothes, towels, washcloths, etc. Avoid mixing contaminated linen with the rest as much as possible. And above all, let’s remember if you do not want to use a disinfection product, you can use heat to your advantage. This involves hanging your laundry out in the sun, ironing it or putting it in the dryer to disinfect it.
2) Tea tree essential oil to the rescue
Tea tree essential oil has very powerful antibacterial properties. It is also antifungal and combats unpleasant odors in laundry, allowing it tosanitize than perfume the linen. To prepare a very effective natural disinfectant, dilute a tablespoon in a bottle containing a liter of household alcohol. You can add 1 or 2 tablespoons of this mixture to your machine (for 5 kg of textile).
3) Grapefruit seed extract
Grapefruit seed extract or EPP is a natural disinfectant very effective against mold and microbes. In terms of mixing, we stick with a very simple recipe! In fact, you just need to pour 5 to 10 drops into 4 liters of water. Then, leave the laundry to soak for 15 to 30 minutes in order to rinse thoroughly with lukewarm water. All you have to do is put the laundry in the washing machine with your usual detergent and start a cleaning cycle.
4) Lemon to disinfect laundry
In addition to fighting bad odors in laundry, lemon helps whiten it. Mixed into the laundry, a few drops of lemon juice will perfectly complement the action of your washing detergent. To disinfect wool and delicate clothing, prepare a basin with the juice of two lemons per liter of water to let the laundry bubble for a whole day. As for silk, it would be better to soap it with Marseille soap, rinse it before soaking it in lemon water.
5) Le percarbonate de sodium
Sodium percarbonate is an excellent stain remover and they act bleaching. It’s 100% natural active oxygen! Besides removing laundry and reviving it, it is also antifungal, antibacterial and disinfectant. However, it should not be used on fragile fabrics at the risk of damaging them (wool, leather, silk, etc.). To use it, simply add this powder to your usual dose of laundry detergent.
6) White vinegar: an ally of laundry allowing, among other things, to disinfect it
Deodorant, stain remover and degreaser, white vinegar is an effective disinfectant. Be careful though: it is antibacterial/antimicrobial, but not virucidal. It’s a distinction to be aware of in the event of contamination by a virus ! The king of natural and ecological cleaning products remains essential for basic laundry disinfection. To do this, prepare a basin of hot vinegar water and let the laundry soak for a while. You can then wash it in the washing machine as usual.
7) Baking soda to disinfect laundry
An excellent softener, it helps preserve colors and although it is not strictly speaking whitening, it helps in particular to preserve the brightness of white over time. Very alkaline, baking soda is however also a excellent germicidea quality that we unfortunately tend to forget! However, simply slip two tablespoons into the laundry soaking water or directly into the drum of your machine. Above all, do not combine it with white vinegar, as they cancel each other out. You therefore risk losing the desired antibacterial effect.
Disinfect the laundry… but also the machine!
The machine disinfects textiles, but sometimes also needs refreshing. Run a very hot wash cycle with 1l of vinegar in the tank. Then clean the various elements (drawers, etc.) with household alcohol. Your household appliance will remain impeccable!