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Home washing machines fail to remove important pathogens from textiles

  • Katie Laird and colleagues tested six home washing machine models in 2025 in England to assess their ability to disinfect textiles contaminated with bacteria.
  • The study responded to concerns that many machines do not reach or maintain the recommended 60°C temperature needed to kill harmful bacteria on healthcare uniforms.
  • Half of the machines failed to disinfect clothing during rapid cycles and one-third still failed during standard cycles, with bacteria and antibiotic resistance genes persisting on fabrics and inside machines.
  • The authors highlight that household washing machines frequently do not eliminate antibiotic-resistant bacteria from fabrics, which poses a risk for the persistence of these pathogens.
  • The findings suggest revising laundering guidelines for health care workers and using on-site industrial machines could reduce hospital-acquired infections and antibiotic resistance spread.
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According to a recent study, home washing machines are unable to completely remove certain dangerous pathogens from clothes – a particular problem for healthcare workers.

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If you have to go to the hospital, you want to leave it healthier than you came in. Not only doctors and nurses are needed for this, but also personnel who care about hygiene in the hospital – from the operating room to the cleaning team. The experts from the Francis Hospital explained to us how complex this is and what simple measure is the most important.

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Medical Xpress broke the news in on Wednesday, April 30, 2025.
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