How Guys Can Keep Germs Off Their Clothes

We pick up so many germs as we walk down the street, go to work, and go about our daily routine. While you may wash your hands regularly and shower each day to get rid of germs on your body, what are you doing to rid yourself of germs stuck to your clothes? Some of us may wear the same clothes several days in a row, particularly coats, hats, and jeans. But how do you make sure that your clothing is free from germs and not passing on bacteria to other items in your home or onto family members?

You can disinfect your clothes just as you would disinfect other surfaces. You may need to use different methods, though, and we will show you the best ways for guys to keep their clothes germ free. As you come into contact with people who have illnesses or you touch surfaces that house bacteria, you will collect germs on your clothing. You can worry about it or do something about it. 

Be sure to take precautions when disinfecting clothes so that you don’t spread germs onto other surfaces or make yourself sick. A lot of what we will show you will be common sense, but knowing all the necessary information is important if you are going to keep yourself and your loved ones safe. 

Use Hot Water

The simplest and probably most obvious step to take for keeping germs off your clothes to wash them with hot water. Most germs cannot stand up to water temperatures of 149 degrees Fahrenheit or hotter. At that temperature, the majority of bacteria dies, as well as germs and other living contaminants that you don’t want on your skin, much less in your body. Fabric absorbs germs and bacteria very easily, especially when we sweat, and these things stick to our wet clothing.  

Hot water is very hygienic, killing most germs on contact and sanitizing your clothing, at least partially. It almost makes your clothes less likely to house bacteria for a while. Hot clothing will be free from most bacteria until it cools down. By washing your clothes in hot water, you make germs very uncomfortable to be around you. 

Utilize Heat Drying

How do you dry your clothing after it is washed? If you use a clothesline or other natural drying method, you may be missing out on some advantages gained by using an electric dryer. Natural drying relies on sunlight, of course, so you cannot effectively dry your clothes when the sky is overcast or there is rain. Secondly, and perhaps most importantly, using an electric dryer will kill germs very effectively. Natural drying methods simply don’t make your clothing hot enough to disinfect them, but most dryers will heat your clothing so much that they kill germs quickly. 

If you prefer not to wash your clothes in hot water because you are concerned about bleeding fabric colors or damaging sensitive clothing, then you can always wash them in cold water and then place them into a heated dryer for disinfecting.

If you want to wash the clothes in hot water, though, and then stick them into the dryer, that will provide double disinfection. With this method, you can be even surer that you killed all the germs, and you can feel better about the sanitary condition of your clothing. Why let germs worry you if you have an effective way to get rid of them? 

You can also use a washer dryer, if you have one. This will wash and then dry your clothes for you, so you don’t have to take the clothes out of one machine and place them into another. This saves you time and avoids the issue of having to touch bacterially infected clothing so much. 

Steam Your Clothing

You can also try steaming the clothes to kill germs fast. Steam cleaning uses a steam cleaning machine to get rid of stains and kill bacteria while making the clothes look and smell fresh. You can use a small portable machine to do it yourself or take the clothes to a dry cleaner that uses steam cleaning methods.  

This method gets bacteria off of your clothes and sanitizes them using a gentle finishing technique. It is a great way to freshen your clothes without damaging them, and it is often thought to be the best method for ridding clothes of allergens. 

Tips for Minimizing Germs on Your Clothing and Yourself

If you work out, play sports, or do some other activity that makes you sweaty, it is a good idea to shower and change your clothes. Germs will stick to you more easily when you are sweating. Take this opportunity to wash your clothes as well, killing germs quickly so that they don’t have a chance to spread. 

Use powerful cleaning products to kill germs and yet be careful about damaging your clothes. Some cleaning detergents are so strong that they face colors or make holes in your soft fabrics. If you have a cleaning service doing your laundry for you, be sure they know what detergents you prefer and what one will work best for protecting your clothes while killing germs. Have a discussion about detergents before hiring them so that you can feel at ease with them cleaning your clothes. 

Fabric conditioners can be very hygienic tools for treating your clothes, as they freshen the clothing, retain the right texture for the clothes, and also kill germs. Look for fabric conditioners that have anti-germ properties listed on the packaging. These will be most effective at ridding your clothes of germs and keeping you safe. 

Try these methods to get rid of germs and don’t just assume germs will die off or fall off on their own. They are sticking to your clothes every day and need to be dealt with before they can make you or others ill. The techniques we have provided you with will be helpful in minimizing your contact with germs on your clothing.