British doctor Zand van Tulleken has issued a striking warning about a common mistake when washing clothes, pointing out that the choice of water temperature greatly affects the effectiveness of killing germs and viruses.

During an appearance on BBC Morning Live, Tuliken explained that washing clothes at 60 degrees Celsius is the best option when an infection is suspected at home, especially when intestinal viruses such as norovirusare circulating, emphasizing that the high temperature and the use of detergents help kill microbes.

Low heat is not always the answer

The doctor pointed out that warm temperatures (such as 30 or 40 degrees Celsius) do not do the job. He described them as “expensive and not efficient enough,” while 20 degrees Celsius is sufficient for daily laundry and saves up to 62% of energy consumption compared to 40 degrees Celsius.

However, he warned against relying on cold water, explaining that it may lead to the accumulation of bacteria inside the washing machine itself, calling for a periodic cleaning cycle according to the manufacturer’s instructions, and the need to ventilate the washing machine after each use.

Common mistakes that reduce laundry efficiency

Appliance maintenance expert Ian Palmer-Smithtold the New York Postthat there are a number of technical mistakes that users make, most notably the overuse of detergents, which confuses the spinning and draining cycle of the washing machine.

He added that loading the washing machine with a large amount of clothes leads to an imbalance inside the tub, which automatically pushes the machine to extend the washing time, calling for distributing the load evenly to avoid malfunctions and unnecessary delays.