This household appliance may be a breeding ground for superbacteria — and cleaning agents can make it worse
Talk about a dirty little secret.
One everyday appliance — a staple of domestic hygiene — may actually be harboring microscopic nasties that no amount of disinfectant can scrub away.
3 This staple of domestic hygiene could be harboring harmful bacteria, a new study says.
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While you might be eyeballing your toilet or your trash can, a new study says it's actually your washing machine that could be teeming with antibiotic-resistant superbugs — and, shockingly, using detergent may only be making them stronger.
Published in the journal PLOS ONE, the study tested several machines and found that — even when set to hot — half of home washing machines don't achieve high enough temperatures to effectively kill bacteria.
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Even worse, common cleaning chemicals such as bleach-based disinfectants and antibacterial detergents may actually tip the evolutionary scales in the bacteria's favor by eliminating weaker microbes while letting the resilient ones multiply.
While hospitals have long known the risk of cross-contamination through laundry, this new research highlights how the average home washer may be quietly cultivating a similar microbial threat.
And with cold or eco-friendly cycles on the rise, many households are inadvertently making things worse, as most bugs can survive washes under 140 degrees Fahrenheit.
This isn't the first time sickening superbugs in washing machines have made headlines.
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3 Detergent might actually be by eliminating weaker microbes while letting the resilient ones multiply.
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In 2019, harmful pathogens were discovered in the knitted caps and socks used to keep babies warm in the ICU — the bacteria was traced back to the German hospital's energy-saving washing machines.
At the time, researchers said this had 'implications for household use of washers' as 'resistance genes, as well as different microorganisms, can persist in domestic washing machines at those reduced temperatures.'
More recently, content creator @thatcleanhome shocked her followers by revealing just how gross her washing machine turned out to be when she put it through an empty self-cleaning cycle.
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3 Researchers recommend cleaning your washing machine regularly and getting it replaced every four years.
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To mitigate the risks, the researchers of this new study advise shooting for temperatures above 158 degrees Fahrenheit — especially if you're washing clothing that is likely to be heavily soiled or bacteria-laden, such as the hospital clothing worn by healthcare workers.
They also recommend cleaning your washing machine regularly and getting it replaced every four years.
If possible, you might want to steer clear of doing your laundry at home altogether and opt for professional laundry cleaning services instead, they said.
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