20% off all laundry and dry cleaning

We hope you and your loved ones are keeping safe, healthy and well and that your lives are all benefiting from the further easing of restrictions.

With the weather looking like it is turning back to sunshine, more and more people participating in outdoor activities and shops/services starting to re-open, it looks like we are gradually moving back towards normal, or at least a ‘new normal’.

With many people already back to work and with more to follow in the coming days and weeks, it means that there is likely to be more and more activity with people out and about and as such it is important that we all continue to use caution wherever we can and follow the government guidelines.

Can clothes, towels and bed linen spread germs?

Many of our customers have contacted us with questions about how to best wash their clothing (especially work clothing), bedding and towels during the current pandemic.

A recent study into the coronavirus has found that it can survive on clothes for up to two days and indications are that there are 3 main ways that germs are spread by clothes and towels:
When towels or bed linen are used by more than 1 person germs can spread between them
When someone handles dirty laundry they can spread germs onto their hands
When clothes are washed, germs can spread between items in the process of being washed

So, do you need to wash your clothes every time you come home from being out?

Not exactly.

If you have remained two meters away from other people, and haven’t sat on or grazed past any surfaces, or if no one has coughed near you, then you shouldn’t need to. If you do, it’s a good idea to.

How to stop clothes spreading germs

Normal washing of clothes will reduce the risk of germs being transmitted. In certain situations clothes should be washed at higher than normal temperatures and with a bleach-based product to minimise the transmission risk as much as possible.

The NHS lays out some exceptions that you may want to wash separately, at a higher temperature and with a bleach-based detergent – such as a biological powder for whites.

Wash these at 60°C with a powder detergent:

• Sports kit; Clothes which come into contact with a lot of bodily fluids, such as sportswear, will have a great number of germs on, so could pose a greater risk. Also avoid wearing sportswear more than once between washes.
• Towels; Shared towels in your home can harbour many germs, so could quickly spread coronavirus. Wash shared towels often and at 60°C . If there is someone who is self-isolating or at risk, make sure they use their own separate towel.
• Baby clothes and reusable nappies; Any items that come into contact with vomit or faeces are a germ risk. The most common of these will be baby clothes, which you’ll need to wash separately at 60°C to avoid spreading germs to your child.

If you’re looking for more specific advice, such as how to deal with clothes used in food preparation or healthcare workers’ clothes, the NHS website has some more advice.

How can we help?

Love2Laundry operate a non-contact collection and return policy, ensure staff follow all government guidelines to minimise the spread of the virus and use market leading cleaning processes and products so to ensure your laundry is taken care of as expertly as it possible. Further, to help you out in this difficult time, we are offering code; STAYALERT20 for 20% off all laundry and dry cleaning orders.