Your Laundry Room Is Surprisingly Dirty

Your Laundry Room Is Surprisingly Dirty

Some spots in your house, like the bathroom or kitchen sink, are obvious hangouts for bacteria. Your laundry room is another surprisingly bacteria-ridden spot, though.

Photo by Mike King.

As Prevention points out, there are a few reasons your laundry room might be dirtier than you think. For one, there’s bacteria:

Bacteria flourish in wet areas, so take clothes out within 30 minutes of a completed cycle; if they sit for an hour, rewash the load. But wouldn’t just-laundered clothes be germ free, you wonder? Not necessarily, says Charles Gerba, PhD, professor of environmental microbiology at the University of Arizona. These days, many people are trying to save energy and money by washing with cold water, but harmful bacteria can easily survive in it….

Mould spores can grow inside the washer, too, so they recommend leaving the door open to air out the machine after it’s done. Front loading machines also have rubber gaskets to seal in the water, and this can be another mould hangout, so you want to wipe it down every so often. For more tips on keeping your laundry room clean, head to their full post at the link below.

Is Your Laundry Making You Sick? [Prevention]


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