You're washing your socks WRONG: Microbiologist reveals how to clean yours properly – and why you should always IRON them

Daily Mail​

5 days ago

With so many different chores to keep up with, it can be easy to forget about washing all your odd socks.
But scientists say that falling behind on the laundry could lead to more than just smelly feet.
Dr Primrose Freestone, a microbiologist from the University of Leicester, warns that your feet are a 'miniature rainforest of bacteria and fungi'.
Thankfully, Dr Freestone has revealed the proper method for keeping your socks clean and fresh for as long as possible.
Dr Freestone told the Daily Mail that you should use water which is 'at least 60°C (140°F) with an enzyme-based detergent'.
Dr Freestone says: 'The enzymes detach the bacteria from the weave of the sock fibres, and the high temperature kills the bacteria and fungi which are adapted to living at human foot temperature.
'If your washing machine cannot manage a 60°C sock-microbe-killing temperature wash, then a hot iron will do the job – especially if the steam function is used.
'This helps the iron heat to penetrate deep into the sock, which will kill any bacteria, verruca virus or athlete's foot fungus.'
Even though they stay safely inside our shoes for most of the day, our feet are among the dirtiest places on our bodies.
Studies have shown that feet can have anywhere from 10 to 100 million microbial cells living on every square centimetre of skin.
This is because our feet are warm, dark, and humid, a combination which helps bacteria thrive.
Your feet, especially between the toes, are packed with sweat glands, which keep conditions ideal for microbial growth.
To make matters worse, our socks pick up dirt and bacteria from everywhere we go.
Socks act as 'microbial sponges' for bacteria, fungi, and fungal spores from soil, water, pet hair, and general dust.
In one study, socks had the highest bacterial and fungal counts of any piece of clothing after being worn for just 12 hours.
Those microbes collected by your socks then make their homes in the comfortable environment of your feet, where they rapidly multiply.
How to wash your socks according to a microbiologist
Turn your socks inside out before washing.
Use an enzyme-based detergent to break down sweat and skin residue.
Wash at least 60°C (140°F).
Iron or steam after washing to kill any remaining microbes.
'Feet can be a host for up to 1,000 different bacterial and fungal species, some of which can eat the sweat your feet produce, and their malodorous waste metabolites are what cause smelly feet, socks and shoes,' says Dr Freestone.
Those bacteria range from relatively harmless residents to potentially dangerous pathogens such as Aspergillus, Staphylococcus, Candida, Histoplasma and Cryptococcus.
Staphylococcus bacteria are the cause of staph skin infections, which cause blisters and painful abscesses.
In serious cases, staph infections can even lead to infections such as blood poisoning and toxic shock syndrome.
Aspergillus, meanwhile, is a fungus which causes the respiratory condition Aspergillosis, leading to a wheezing cough that may bring up lumps of blood.
Once bacteria are growing your socks, they are unlikely to stay put.
Studies in hospitals have found that slipper socks worn by patients carried microbes from the floor into beds, including antibiotic-resistant pathogens.
However, the biggest infection risk from your socks is from more common skin infections.
Dr Freestone says: 'You can pass on infections from dirty socks, such as verrucas, which are caused by the human papillomavirus and are highly contagious, so not washing socks and then walking on floors could infect others with your virus.
'Athlete's foot fungus also lives in socks and can spread via unwashed socks.'
In addition to changing your socks every day, Dr Freestone stresses that it is very important to wash socks properly to avoid being exposed to infections.
The problem is that regular laundry temperatures between 30-40°C (86-104°F) are well within the limits that microbes on your feet have evolved to survive.
'Washing socks in detergent does help clean them, but I have done lab research which shows that some residual bacteria remain in socks if the wash is not a very hot one,' says Dr Freestone.
Washing at higher temperatures or going over your socks with the iron will ensure that no unwanted pathogens survive the wash.
Dr Freestone adds: 'My own socks got a hot wash with an antibacterial detergent and follow-on hot ironing, and so are sparkly clean- as are my feet!'
Why do towels get so smelly so quickly?
Towels are the perfect home for a swarming community of bacteria and fungi.
They hold many of the key ingredients for hosting microbial life - water, warm temperatures, oxygen, a neutral pH, and even food in the dead skin people leave behind after a thorough dry.
The human body also boasts these ideal living conditions, which is why our bodies are host to trillions of bacteria throughout our lives.
As a towel is used to dry the body, microbes sitting on the surface of the skin are deposited onto its damp, warm surface.
When we smell towels, we often perceive a musty or sour odour, which is from the waste products deposited by growing communities of mould and bacteria.
Don't throw a wet towel into the laundry basket, as the damp and dirt will still be an ideal place for microbes to breed.
By the time you get to doing your washing, the towel and the other laundry around it may have acquired a bad smell. And it can be difficult to get your towels smelling fresh again.
Instead, put the damp towel straight into the washing machine, or, if it's a while before it's getting laundered, hang it to dry first.