Doctors Warn: Mixing Laundry Can Cause Illness
Washing machines are direct tools for hygiene, but improper use can turn them into disease transmission vectors.
According to medical experts, many people mistakenly believe that water removes dirt and also kills germs, so they wash outerwear, pants, socks, handkerchiefs, towels, bras, and other items together in the washing machine. This inevitably leads to cross-contamination, creating opportunities for disease spread. In fact, many diseases and parasites have strong survival capabilities and cannot be washed away by water alone. Common fungal skin diseases, typhoid, cholera, dysentery, viral hepatitis, as well as parasites like scabies mites and trichomonads can be transmitted this way.
To prevent disease transmission via washing machines, note the following:
Wash different types of clothing separately
Separate heavily contaminated garments such as outerwear, pants, and socks from lightly contaminated underwear;
Keep work clothes separate from other clothes
Do not wash clean items like masks, handkerchiefs, and bras in the washing machine; instead, wash them by hand individually;
Do not mix clothing of infected patients with that of healthy individuals
It is best to boil or disinfect the patient’s clothes using other methods before washing them separately;
Ensure thorough rinsing
Try to avoid leaving detergent residue on clothes, as some detergents can irritate the skin. Especially for infants’ clothing, rinse thoroughly.