Is the washing machine clean socks? Cross infection with underwear? The dispute has finally been answered

 "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

"What's wrong again?" The husband walked over slowly.

"I told you eight hundred times, don't throw your socks in the washing machine, they are so dirty!"

"Oh, I forgot." While taking out the socks, the husband still mumbled: "Where is it dirty, I don't have athlete's foot..."

In our lives, in order to facilitate some people, it will wash clothes and socks together, but there is some very exclusive use washing machine wash your socks, that this is unhealthy behavior, and even some couples often do this to argue. From a scientific point of view, is it hygienic to wash socks in a washing machine?

1. News review: panties and socks found in public washing machines in colleges and universities

Many colleges and universities are now equipped with public laundry rooms, which have public washing machines for students to use. However, many students said they would not use these washing machines because they felt they were not hygienic.

A few days ago, many students from the University of Arts complained about the public washing machines of the school. Some students disclosed on the Internet that many alumni are not very civilized and do not pay attention to using public washing machines. In addition to ordinary clothes, they even put their underwear in and wash them together. , Sometimes you can see smelly shoes and smelly socks.

Many students thought it was too dirty after seeing this situation.

A female student said: "Sometimes when I go to wash clothes, I see socks or underwear in the washing machine and even shoes. After seeing these things, I don't want to use the school's public washing machine at all."

However, some students disagreed with this. A boy said: "I will put the clothes and underwear in the washing machine together, and the laundry detergent should feel quite clean. I usually store the laundry for a few days and wait until soon. When you have no clothes to wear, you can wash them together. The main reason is that you are too lazy and don't want to wash it by hand."

In addition, this classmate saw everyone’s complaints and continued to express his personal opinions. He believed that the washing machine in the school was public, and there was no stipulation on what can be washed or not. He paid for the laundry. What to wash is everyone’s freedom.

It seems that a lot of people wash socks and clothes together, but some people are used to washing socks by hand and think that socks are dirtier than underwear. Is that true?

2. Socks or underwear, which is dirtier?

Let's first take a look at what exactly is on the socks and panties we wear.

·sock

Studies have found that sweat (salt, water, urea, and lactic acid), old keratin, and fungi are mainly present on the worn socks. If people with foot odor pass through, there may also be fungi such as leucorrhea and some odor metabolites.

·Underwear

Urine, secretions or even feces may remain on the underwear worn. Investigation and research found that each pair of underpants contained an average of 0.1 grams of feces, and the feces may contain rotavirus, hepatitis A virus, E. coli, Salmonella, and other viruses and bacteria.

From this point of view, the degree of soiling of underwear and socks is about the same, and even underwear is even dirtier than socks.

Although it is psychologically unacceptable to wash underwear and socks together, some people find it too troublesome to wash by hand. Under what circumstances can we wash socks and underwear at the same time?

3. Socks and underwear can be washed together, but need to...

1. Only your personal clothing

If the washing machine is usually used by yourself and the laundry is your own, then there are not so many restrictions. You can wash your socks and underwear with other clothes without worrying about infection with other viruses or bacteria, and you don’t need to consider other things. Human psychological feelings.

2. Good health, no infectious diseases

Under the premise of good health, socks and underwear can also be machine washed. But if you suffer from foot diseases, such as athlete's foot, athlete's foot, and other skin diseases, it is best to wash socks and clothes separately to avoid cross-infection of bacteria after washing.

3. Dry weather and ventilated environment

If you need to machine wash the socks and underwear together, they should be dried in time after washing, and they need to be dried in a dry and ventilated environment so that the washed clothes do not have to worry about the breeding of germs and the infection.

TIPS: It is important to clean the washing machine regularly

Many people are concerned about whether underwear and socks can be washed in a washing machine, but they ignore the importance of cleaning the washing machine regularly. Here is a reminder that the washing machine must be cleaned regularly, otherwise, not to mention machine washing socks and underwear, even washing other clothes will not be clean.

Generally, washing machines have a sleeve structure. During the washing process, residual dirt, fluff, and dander will inevitably be intercepted, deposited in the interlayer inside and outside the tub, and in the complex gully at the bottom, and bacteria will continue to breed. If the dirt remaining in the washing machine is not cleaned up in time, it is easy to cause secondary pollution to the clothes. In this way, the washed clothes, whether mixed or washed separately, may cause allergies and other skin diseases.

Therefore, if you want to mix laundry in the washing machine, in addition to your own health, you must also clean the washing machine regularly.

Mankind invented the washing machine in order to make life easier. If the conditions for washing can be met, it is okay to be lazy and wash the underwear and socks together.