Washing machine: cleaning the seal regularly

Nowadays, it is washed at low temperatures, with little water and without bleach. Moisture, heat, and nutrients can lead under such conditions that the Laundry to actually be clean, contaminated. Researchers from the University’s cheeks have examined how it looks like with the bacterial colonization of the washing machine carefully.

Einspülkammer, the seal of the bull’s-eye and the sump tank of 13 washing machines, as well as each of the fibers of the washed Laundry, the researchers have reviewed on bacteria and is a total of 229 different species found. Among the ten most abundant species per unit 30 to 60 percent, which can trigger diseases were found.

Machine to Dry, let it stand open

The bacterium Moraxella osloensis is known for bad odors cause. It was found in nine of the thirteen bull’s-eye seals and was the most common representatives. "Clothes and machine smell prevent this, you should clean the seal regularly and the machine is left to Dry open to werden", Markus Egert, Professor for Microbiology and Hygiene at the University of Furtwangen declares.

What washing programs, the machines were operated, had little impact on the bacterial colonization. "Wash at 60 °C and hotter the Beste&quot is for Laundry hygiene as before;, says Egert. In the case of more frequent washing, however, it was found a greater diversity of bacteria in the Einspülkammer courses with 60 °C. Egert believed that this could be due to the radiation of heat at higher wash temperatures.

ZOU