Laundry sanitizer is an often overlooked but highly effective product that can benefit any household. Using a laundry sanitizer provides numerous advantages that can save you time, money, and effort while also keeping your clothes fresh and clean. In this blog post, I’ll discuss when you should consider using a laundry sanitizer and the key reasons why it’s worth incorporating into your laundry routine.
Killing Bacteria and Germs
One of the primary reasons to use a laundry sanitizer is to kill bacteria, germs, and odor causing residues that can build up on clothing even after washing. Laundry sanitizers are designed to break down and remove these contaminants that regular detergent may leave behind.
Sanitizers can be beneficial if someone in your household suffers from allergies or a compromised immune system. In these cases, eliminating all traces of bacteria from fabrics can help prevent irritation or illness. It’s also helpful when dealing with particularly smelly and sweaty clothes from the gym, athletic wear, or work uniforms which are prone to higher levels of bacteria growth.
Brightening Fabrics
Laundry sanitizers don’t just sanitize, many popular products also contain ingredients which help to brighten and restore the original vibrancy of fabrics. This is particularly beneficial on white linens and apparel. Over time, whites can start to appear dull, dingy and grayish with repeated washing.
Sanitizing agents help break down residues trapped in the fabric fibers that make whites appear darker and faded. Using sanitizer boosters and additives helps restrict graying and yellowing, bringing back that like-new brightness. This effect can help extend the life of towels, sheets, undergarments and shirts saving you money.
Softening Hard Water Effects
For those dealing with hard water which leaves behind mineral residue and limescale, laundry sanitizers can be a lifesaver for your clothes. The mineral ions in hard water can diminish fabric softness over time through repeated cycles. Laundry sanitizers are formulated to break down and remove the abrasive mineral buildup.
Your clothes are left noticeably softer without the stiff, crunchy feeling induced by hard water. Using a sanitizer prevents scratchy laundry and helps prolong the lifespan of fabrics by avoiding damage from calcified mineral deposits. It also allows less detergent to be used per wash.
Removing Musty Smells and Pet Odors
Laundry sanitizers are unmatched when it comes to removing difficult odors like mildew, mold and pet smells that can become trapped in the porous fibers of fabrics. A sanitizing soak or additive using products containing potent enzymes will help lift and dissolve the odor causing bacteria and particles.
If clothes have been left sitting wet too long before drying or stored in areas exposed to moisture, you may notice a stubborn musty stench. Running laundry with sanitizer will remediate by killing the odor inducing mold and mildew. It also helps get rid of urine, fecal and general pet smells from your linens and upholstery.
Enhancing Stain Removal
As anyone with kids or clumsy dining habits knows, stain removal can be hit or miss using regular detergents. Laundry sanitizers boost your stain fighting power by helping to break down pigments and dyes that have become trapped in fabric weaves.
The oxidizing agents in sanitizers dissolve discoloration caused by foods, oils, inks, grass, makeup smudges and other common household stains. Sanitizer solutions and sprays also excel at safely removing the yellowing effects from sweat and deodorant residue without bleaching. By thoroughly removing stains, it helps decrease the need for more aggressive chemical bleaching.
Maintaining Work and School Uniforms
For those required to wear uniforms for jobs like medical scrubs, salon smocks, athletic jerseys or mechanics jumpsuits, sanitizing laundry is vital. Work clothes are exposed to lots of outside bacteria, dirt, fluids and grime that can be transferred to the fabric fibers. School kids also tend to have germ-covered clothing thanks to recess, cafeterias and sports practice.
Adding laundry sanitizer to every wash day ensures harmful microbes gathered on dirty uniforms are neutralized and eliminated in the rinse. This prevents you or family members from inadvertently carrying illness-causing germs indoors on clothing and spreading to interior fabrics like bed sheets. Sanitized uniforms also retain a cleaner appearance and odor control between more intensive deep cleaning cycles.
Maintaining Microfiber Items
Microfiber fabrics have become increasing popular in recent years for items like athletic gear, home textiles and automotive accessories such as towels and buffing cloths. While microfiber is beloved for being plush and extremely absorbent, these properties also allow the fabric to harbor extra bacteria if not properly sanitized.
Given their frequent use for drying hands, wiping spills or sweat in sports applications, microfiber fabrics become magnets for germs, allergens and bad odors over time with repeated use. Because the textile fibers are so tightly woven and smooth, bacteria and residue can be difficult to fully rinse away. Adding laundry sanitizer ensures enhanced antimicrobial cleaning power to remove trapped gunk.
Sanitizing Delicates and Hand Wash Items
Traditionally, delicate silks, laces, woolens (cashmere, angora, mohair, alpaca, etc) and embellished pieces have required tedious hand washing to avoid damage in machines. However, specialty laundry sanitizers have been formulated to safely accommodate delicate fabrics. Using diluted ratios, these no-rinse sanitizing solutions can refresh fragile pieces and reduce hand scrubbing.
Gently submerging delicates in a sanitizing bath allows deep cleaning benefits without the risks of heat damage, stress on seams or distortion of vulnerable fabrics posed by agitation. It also eliminates harmful microbes for those with sensitive skin. Follow product instructions carefully based on material composition for best results across cashmere, intimate apparel,shapewear and embellished pieces.
Maintaining Water Repellency On Outerwear
Modern functional outerwear such as ski jackets, raincoats and winter gear is designed to incorporate water resistance and repellency through chemical applications to the fabric surface. However, cleaning procedures can gradually wear away these specialized finishes over time. Using laundry sanitizers for outerwear that contains repellency treatments preserves performance and durability of the protective coating.
Summary
As you can see, incorporating some form of laundry sanitizer into your regular wash routine provides measurable benefits beyond standard detergent alone. From killing germs to brightening dingy laundry, removing tough odors and stains to maintaining the integrity of performance fabrics, sanitizers deliver invaluable results. Review the scenarios covered to determine where adding these hardworking solutions could significantly upgrade your current laundry habits.
With so many options from liquid detergent boosters to dissolving tablets to deep soak formats, sanitizers make it easy to customize based on your particular needs. Minor adjustments like using sanitizer can extend the usable lifespan of favorite pieces saving you money and reduce the need for more aggressive chemical processing. For best results, look for plant-based formulations that allow thorough, eco-friendly cleaning.
References
[1] CDD Healthcare. “Infection Prevention in the Laundry: Evidence-based Recommendations.” American Journal of Infection Control, W.B. Saunders, Feb. 2020, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7195604/.
[2] Gabrieli, John. “How to Wash Clothing in Hard Water so It Comes out Soft and Fresh.” The Spruce, Dotdash Meredith, 9 Sept. 2021, www.thespruce.com/laundering-clothes-in-hard-water-2146369.
[3] Lysol. “How to Use Laundry Sanitizer.” Lysol.com, 2022, www.lysol.com/cleaning-topics/laundry/how-to-use-laundry-sanitizer/
[4] Persil. “Why Add a Laundry Sanitizer to Every Wash?” Persil.com, 2023. www.persil.com/uk/laundry/laundry-tips/why-add-a-laundry-sanitizer-.html
Laura has had an enthusiasm for laundry ever since she was a teenager experimenting with wash cycles. She went on study textile science in college before working in product testing.
Soon, Laura found friends and family constantly asking her laundry advice, realizing she had become an unofficial laundry guru. The questions kept coming in, so Laura decided to start sharing laundry tips online to help more people. The enthusiastic response led her start the blog “Laundry How”.
Now in her late thirties, Laura uses Laundry How to tackle all kinds of laundry topics – stains, fabric care, detergents, and more. She provides advice from both her studies and experience testing techniques out firsthand. Laura continues to grow an engaged community of laundry learners, feeling fulfilled empowering people to make laundry an easy, confidence-building ritual rather than a dreaded chore.