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Germs are all around us and every cough or sneeze makes us susceptible, including shaking hands or merely touching, especially as we try to stay quarantined during the coronavirus pandemic. Clothes, in fact, are considered among the biggest carriers of germs. It’s time we make safe practices. Disinfection of clothes is an integral part of our lifestyle. Cleaning and disinfecting are different processes — cleaning involves removing dirt and germs while disinfecting requires the use of chemicals that kill germs. The coronavirus can survive for hours on various surfaces including your clothing, so proper laundry is an important part of your hygiene process. Disinfectants contain germicidal ingredients that can destroy contagious disease-causing germs. They can very effectively disinfect laundry if you use it the way it should be used Here are some tips on how to best disinfect your clothes when you come home from outside.

1) Wash As soon as possible: Take your clothes off as soon as you enter your home. This will limit the spread of germs that may be on your clothes. Put those clothes immediately in to the wash. These cloths can be washed with others.

2) Store dirty clothes in one area: if it’s not possible to wash dirty clothes immediately after work then you may store them in one place. If possible, place a disposable bag liner into the hamper rather than simply tossing dirty laundry into the bin.

3) Use hot water to wash clothes: Wash your clothes using the warmest appropriate water setting possible (140–194°F) and dry items completely. As for the laundry process itself, never forget to wash your hands before touching anything, wear disposable gloves, and then wash your hands again immediately once you take them off

4) Use chemical disinfectants to wash clothes: If the material of the clothes is not resistant to high temperatures, chemical disinfectants can be applied. Using household disinfectants, such as bleach, may also help inactivate viruses. However, it is important to exercise caution when adding bleach to a load of laundry, as it can damage colored items. People may wish to look for color-safe bleach products to prevent this from occurring.

5) Always clean your washers: Do wash your machine before performing the act of washing clothes. Add two cups of white cleaning vinegar to detergent dispenser. Run it through a complete cycle. Run another cycle on the highest level and at the hottest water temperature, this time adding one-half cup of baking soda to the drum. When cycle is done, wipe inside drum of washer with a damp microfiber cloth

6) Dry clothes in the washing machine dryer. Dry items in accordance with their drying instructions. Use a high spin. Use a high spin setting on your washing machine so that as much water as possible is removed from your clothes before they’re even ready to dry. Use low spin speeds for delicate fabrics.

7) Select the “extra rinse” option: Be sure to run an extra rinse cycle to ensure no bleach is left behind.