Disinfectant for clothes

[fatfather]

Can anyone tell me what kind of disinfectant for clothes can be purchased in Thailand? I'm looking for something which is added to the normal washing process and is capable to kill bacteria and fungus. High temperatures are no option for my clothes won't take it. Thanks for any info

(I live in the sticks, so shops in Pattaya, Bangkok etc. is no option)

Fatfather

[h90]

How hot can you go?

I think at 60 degree with a modern washing powder (there are lots of nasty things in the powder) almost all will be dead....of course it won't be sterile in medical way but pretty good I guess.

40 degree I don't know...

Don't know if some powders are better than others?

[fatfather]

60 is to high already. I'm looking for something like I used in Europe i.e. Sagrotan, it is added into the draw where you usually put the softener in. Just run the required washing program and your clothes are sterile.

Fatfather

[h90]

60 is to high already. I'm looking for something like I used in Europe i.e. Sagrotan, it is added into the draw where you usually put the softener in. Just run the required washing program and your clothes are sterile.

Fatfather

would be interesting how much is living after 40 degree in the washing machine. The powder has a very high pH I think and lot of nasty things in it (protease). If someone works in a lab it would interesting putting an old jean in the wet land for 2 days, wash it with commercial powder and than cultivate. I think there isn't much anymore that lives but I could be complete wrong on that. Some bleach may help.

Maybe import that Sagrotan or ask them if they have a distributor in Thailand (maybe different name)?

I saw several disinfecting things in Thailand (my wife bought) but have no detailed informations....I'll check our bathroom when I am back.

[attrayant]

If your clothes are too delicate for hot water, then I suppose they're probably too delicate for bleach? That would be my first choice, followed by drying in the sun. UV should kill whatever survives the bleach. What makes you think that your regular laundry detergent isn't doing a proper job in the first place?

I had never heard of Sagrotan, so I did a bit of searching and interestingly, google translate changes the brand name "Sagrotan" into "Dettol", which is a popular washing reagent brand here in Thailand. My guess is that Dettol is the local trade name for Sagrotan. They also have something called "Sagrotan waesche hygienespueler" which google translates as "Dettol laundry hygienic rinser".

http://www.sagrotan.de/products/fuer-ihre-zuhause/sagrotan-waesche-hygienespueler/

[h90]

If your clothes are too delicate for hot water, then I suppose they're probably too delicate for bleach? That would be my first choice, followed by drying in the sun. UV should kill whatever survives the bleach. What makes you think that your regular laundry detergent isn't doing a proper job in the first place?

I had never heard of Sagrotan, so I did a bit of searching and interestingly, google translate changes the brand name "Sagrotan" into "Dettol", which is a popular washing reagent brand here in Thailand. My guess is that Dettol is the local trade name for Sagrotan. They also have something called "Sagrotan waesche hygienespueler" which google translates as "Dettol laundry hygienic rinser".

http://www.sagrotan.de/products/fuer-ihre-zuhause/sagrotan-waesche-hygienespueler/

UV does only surface, it doesn't go into the material. Gamma rays would, but a bit hard to get them and difficult to handle

Yes the purpose would be interesting.

Most things are easy to kill and the difficult one don't make troubles in clothes.

[2fishin2]

There are antibacterial soaps

[tolsti]

Buy your self pure cotton clothes from now on..... forget nylon mixes and false silks. Wash in good temperatures and dry in direct sunlight if you can.

By the way....even if you use a sterilising liquid in the washing machine.. the moment you take them out of the machine they are no longer sterile.

Relax with the Teutonic Ordnung and live... you will still survive.

[attrayant]

Depends on the fabric. Denim, being tightly woven and thick, is a good blocker. Other materials are semi-transparent to ultra violet. UVA can actually penetrate the upper dermal skin layers and reach the subcutaneous tissues beneath the skin.

Most microbes will not live more than a few minutes without some sort of life-sustaining moisture. They'll last longer on hard surfaces that can retain a film of moisture such as glass or door knobs, but on dry materials they'll expire rather quickly. That's why I think simple washing and drying ought to be enough for just about anything except for hardened parasites like fleas and mites.

Edited February 24, 2015 by attrayant

[attrayant]

There are antibacterial soaps

The list of microorganisms that is developing resistance to triclosan (the active ingredient in many antibacterial soaps & hand sanitizers) is growing quite long. What is worse, it may help make them resistance to other, more clinically valuable antibacterials.

[wpcoe]

Something else to consider is your water quality. You could wash your clothes in superhot water with bleach and detergent, but if the rinse water is some trucked-in stagnant pond water from a water tanker, you might have bacteria problems.

[2fishin2]

Thai water isnt the best quality

[h90]

Thai water isnt the best quality

But here it has so much chlorine it kills everything....

[fatfather]

Thanks for the replies. As mentioned in earlier posts, Dettol does the job. I thought that I caught a very bad athletes foot and reinfect myself with my socks. It became that bad, that I had both feet infected and started to have problems to walk. Fungus is killed at temperatures higher than 60 Celsius, which my clothes can't take. Finally I went to see a dermatologist and she diagnosed instantly that I suffer from dishydrated eczema... No fungus infection. Some pills and the problem was gone. Should have consulted the doctor earlier... The reason for dishydrated eczema is not clear, but it seems to be a mixture of an allergic reaction and mental stress. After the diagnosis it took only four to five days to get rid of the infections.

I learned that Dettol is a suitable disinfectant and I learned to consult a doctor early, not only when it is almost too late

Fatfather