The real worry isn’t the germs on your clothes; it’s the water that might splatter onto your hands, into your mouth, or onto a cut you forgot you had. Ever get a papercut while folding socks? Yeah, me too. So here’s the rule: Don’t touch your face while loading the washer. Use gloves if you have them. And once the cycle is done, wash your hands with boiled (or bottled) water before you snack.
Also, a total pro-tip: run an empty hot water cycle before you start the laundry. This flushes out any contaminated water sitting in the pipes. My friend Karen emphasized this, and she once linked me a PDF about salmonella, so I listen. It takes 30 minutes but saves you from turning your socks into a biohazard project.
Boil Water Advisories | City of Hendersonville, NC
The Drying Game Changer
Here’s where it gets fun. The dryer is actually your angel. High heat from a gas or electric dryer (above 125°F) will annihilate any remaining nasties. So if you’re worried you didn’t wash hot enough, just crank that dryer to “high” and let it run for 45 minutes. I call this the “extra insurance” cycle. You’ll feel like a germ-warrior.
But if you hang-dry—like I do because I’m pretending to be eco-friendly—you need to be careful. Sunlight kills bacteria (UV rays, baby!), but clouds and humidity? Not so much. If it’s raining, skip the clothesline. Instead, stick everything in the dryer on high for 20 minutes before hanging. Or just use the dryer fully and tell yourself you’ll save the planet tomorrow. We’ve all done it.
One last weird thing: don’t use fabric softener during a boil water advisory. It can coat the fibers and make it harder for heat and detergent to work. Save that lavender-scented goo for next week. Your clothes will still smell clean—I promise.
