Does the building captain know that your husband has only one kidney, and that cleanliness is very important to his health? If not, start by telling him that. I wouldn't go over his head if he doesn't know that important fact.

Would it be at all possible for you to get your own apartment-sized stackable washer & dryer for inside your condo? If you could do that, you could use very hot water, if that's how you have your water heater set. Yeah, it's an expense, but the savings from not using the coin-operated laundry would go towards the cost of the machines, and your peace of mind would be worth a whole lot, too.

Whatever happens, I wish you and your husband the best!

You need a water temperature of at least 140 to effectively kill most germs. Your super isn't going to go for that because that makes the tap water too hot.

Your best bet is to clean the washing machine before using it. Use bleach to wipe down the insides. You could even do a quick cycle without clothes of water and bleach to clean out the hoses.

Lindsey's suggestion would probably work best for you - provided your hot water tank is set to the highest temp.

Have you checked the temperature of the hot water tank at your home? There's a good chance it isn't 140 to 160.

Here is a link that might be useful: germs

This post was edited by maire_cate on Wed, Sep 4, 13 at 9:35

Before you go through all this, I would talk with your husband's doctor about whether it is really necessary.

While it is possible that immune-suppressed people may need a higher level of cleanliness, it may turn out that simply washing the clothing in warm water with detergent is sufficient to keep him and you healthy.

As a worst case scenario, suppose there are germs on his clothing. If he doesn't wipe his eyes with his sleeve or otherwise put the fabric into his body, maybe the germs are not going to hurt him. In the course of the day you and he come in contact with the germs of others, touching a door handle or a railing with your hands. If you keep your hands away from your face, those germs are not going to enter your body.

But all that aside, yes, you should take it up the chain to get the result you want. What I would do is first measure the temperature of the water. Then get a letter from your husband's doctor explaining that he is immune suppressed - assuming he is. Next I would ask permission to have a small high efficiency washer placed in your unit - at your expense. They are likely to refuse and counter with raising the temps on the shared machines.

I think I'd talk to him one more time and tell him that why you feel like you do and let him know you intend to go up the chain if needed. Give him a chance, but only one last chance. Just my opinion.

:)

Hmm, interesting. I never thought of laundry as being a potential germ-spreader. I never wash with hot water (warm usually) as it seemed like a waste of energy. I figured between all that time in the washer and dryer would do the trick.

My guess is that it's either a cost issue for them (raising the water temp would need to be passed on to the condo owners) or a safety issue so that people don't burn themselves. I certainly think there's no harm in trying - maybe write a letter and cc the management company on it, so at least it's less likely to be ignored.

You could also try some non-bleach disinfectants. Below is a link I found with some different options depending on whether you wanted to go more natural or not. Vinegar and grapefruit seed extract are good disinfectants.

Here is a link that might be useful: How to disinfect laundry

Don't forget if you put items in the dryer, that is a long exposure to high temps.

As for wiping out the machine, that won't help much. There can be a lot of gunk clinging to the outside of the tub which you cannot see. You could purchase a washing machine cleaning product to run a cycle before your own laundry.

You might want to consider another's suggestion of your own stackables. Additionally, there are small portable machines which you can roll around, attach to the sink faucet.

I am a certifiable germ a phobe! If you are cleaning the machine with bleach before use I wouldnt worry.If there are germs then they will at least be your own and you should bed immune!! Make sense!?

With all the cold-water detergents available and the number of people I know that wash in cold water only, I never gave germs a thought, and I use the local laundromat because it's cheaper than our washer in the apartment building.

I wash in hot for whites, and lukewarm for my colours and darks.
I also hang the clothes outside.

Like others have said, I would think the heat of the dryer would kill any germs.

I have washed my clothes in totally cold water for over 30 years. Apparently the heat in the clothes dryer is what can destroy germs so there is no need to wash in hot water. I think your husband and you will be safe with using the lukewarm wash water as long as the clothes go in the dryer.
Joann

Clorox 2 for colors has peroxide in it and will kill some germs....

But I'd want that hot water tank set hotter myself. I know people who never wash in anything but cold, but I'm not one of them. My own tank is set at 148, and I use the Affresh tablets in a washer cleaning cycle every month or so. (A cup of bleach would do the same thing but I got a bargain on the Affresh washing machine cleaning bleach tabs on Ebay in bulk :))

So, where is the tank for the laundry room? About 8 minutes, reading glasses and a screwdriver and you could change both element settings yourself.

My mom was a germaphobe. She regularly cleaned the washers and dryers closest to her condo unit. I think she used 409. It made her feel better. I wash everyithing in cold water and only dry my towels on the hot setting here at home.

If the condo has front loading washing machines, the advice is that they need to have a hot water cycle with some frequency to kill mold and odors. If that is the case, first I would try to do as Morz8 suggests and do it myself. Otherwise, I think I would threaten to report the situation to the local health department, if that would do any good.

My mom was a germaphobe. She regularly cleaned the washers and dryers closest to her condo unit. I think she used 409. It made her feel better. I wash everyithing in cold water and only dry my towels on the hot setting here at home.

They are warning us I hear of this new SARS that is from Australia and there is no vaccinations at all to protect yourself from it.

Its awful diarrhea and they are saying if you catch it or someone in the household to wash everything that it gets onto with the hottest water you can.
And use bleach to wash down everything it comes in contact with.

So, that is a thought to share with them to have your own washer and dryer in your own place.

I have never thought of germs as I wash with cold water and nothing has happened and its shared with parents.

We are not permitted to have our own washer/dryer, even if there was room for it, which there isn't. The condo is only around 900 sq. ft.

My DH is extremely handy, but even HE wasn't willing to try turning the thermostat up on the water heater himself after reading the directions. (and he actually INSTALLED the one in our unit!). He does not like messing with 220 electric!

I don't have a problem with washing in cool water when necessary. I just am not happy with washing my undies and linens in tepid water. At least THREE of the people sharing the laundry room have daily home health aides which make me leary about what their individual health issues are. That and the fact that we always seems to feel sicker here in Florida than we do up north.

I think my next step is to find out the actual temperature of the water. I'd guess it is in the 98 degree range if I remember what baby formula felt like when tested on the wrist. Till then, I guess it's chlorine and non-chlorine bleach and perhaps spending the extra money to run an empty load before washing our clothes.

Make sure and wash whites first using extra bleach.
This should clean out the machine and kill any germs.
Then wash colors as normal.

Pooh Bear (aka Fluff For Brains)

just be glad you don't have the lady I had in our first condo! not only did she generate loads of laundry that would choke a horse, she USED our machines as well as hers and 2 others in the drive...it was just she and her dh...thinking now she must have been ocd....

I've changed the settings on my own :) And I'm about electrical enough to change lightbulbs, DH too. Unfortunately, neither of us are clever with wiring or plumbing. My BIL put new hot water tank in our former house for me and set it at about 115F I think. I went downstairs, took a little cover/plate (2 screws) off near the top and an identical one near the bottom, found a little slide on a bar each place that indicated the temperature for the elements. Moved the slides - fingers. Put the plate back on and was done.

This house has two and the one that serves the kitchen, laundry and guest bath has dial/knob type settings, take off the covers/plates, turn the knob to desired number, put the plates back.

But, even after all the discussion, there's still what Maire-cate said:

"You need a water temperature of at least 140 to effectively kill most germs. Your super isn't going to go for that because that makes the tap water too hot."

Actually, I believe that water that is hot enough to kill most germs is too hot to want running through your pipes and out of your faucet. There could be a great danger of burns.

I liked the idea of talking with your husband's doctor first, to see if the laundry situation is actually a danger to him.

I also liked the idea of doing the whites first, with bleach, to disinfect the machine before doing the other loads. You could even take the extra precaution of running an empty load with bleach, then the whites with bleach, then the other loads.

I'm really doubtful whether there is any law that says that apartment water temperatures must be a certain level. But I could certainly be wrong about that.

Well if there's a new SARS in Australia this is the first I've heard about it. I've just double checked the main national news service and absolutely no mention of it, thought there is some concern about measles (for which there is a vaccine) in Queensland.
I suggest you may have misheard the information or else someone is making it up out of thin air.

So, if I leave the laundry sitting in the washer too long and it gets stinky, why does it still stink after going through the hot dryer? I always have to wash it again, well, not that I let this happen much......

Well, Colleen, you just read it on the internet, so it *must* be true! They can't say things that aren't true on the internet. I know that because I saw it on a TV commercial! LOL

Dedtired, I'm with you.

Forget about washing - having a lukewarm (not hot) temp in a water heater is a health problem. That fosters and encourages bacteria growth of multiple kinds. There's lots to read about this, including on the NIH or CDC site ( I forget which ).

I don't think you need to be a germophobe to understand the filth problem of a public facility that has only lukewarm water. Effective washing using cold water is a myth, if it worked, you'd find it in lots of things (like dishwashers, and you don't). I think I'd go to a laudromat, you know you can find hot water at those. And the whites first with bleach idea is probably a good one.

Colleen, here's a link to info. on this outbreak:

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/breaking-news/new-respiratory-virus-worse-than-sars/story-fn3dxix6-1226666723633

I have always used warm water settings on my washer, but I've never had to 'share' my machine with anyone except family members living with me, so I might reconsider if I used a public machine.

Here is a link that might be useful: New respiratory virus outbreak

For what it's worth, my water heater is set to 120 degrees and We have plenty of hot water for our laundry,dishes and baths. My plumber recommended 120 years ago because we had young children. They've all moved out and I had a kidney transplant in 2012. No problems here.

Kayjones, if you read the article you've posted the link to, you will see that, while the article was published in The Australian newspaper, the outbreak itself is in the Middle East, having originated in Saudi Arabia. Nowhere in the article does it say cases have been reported in Australia.
.

Tested the laundry water today with a pool thermometer. 96 degrees with the setting on HOT and there were no clothes in the machine. Tested as soon as it had filled enough to agitate.

redcurls, I think the water in the machine will be cooler than in the tank because it will lose heat to the cold machine innards. So it's probably a little warmer than your reading in the tank, but that would seem to be very much too low a setting.

Here's probably more information than anyone will read. It seems the safe temp is 135 deg or higher. Anti scalding devices (to add cold water to the hot as it leaves the heater) may be needed in homes with children or elderly people. They're cheap and simple.

http://homeguides.sfgate.com/turning-water-heater-up-kill-bacteria-54596.html

https://www.osha.gov/dts/osta/otm/legionnaires/hotwater.html

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2094925/

In South Florida, nothing much gets cold to the touch. Today it is a pretty typical 90+ degrees. They open shelters if it gets in the 40's. I'm from "up north" and find that fact amazing. I think we occasionally have a couple of days of winter (in the 40s or 50s) in late January. That MIGHT cause me to wear a long sleeve shirt and jeans instead of shorts. We have never in 11 years had our furnace on.

I really don't think you can catch anything from sharing washing machines. When I think of all the outbreaks of polio, AIDS, etc during my life time and the numbers of people who wash their clothes at laundromats or in the laundry rooms of apartment complexes, I had never heard of them being dangerous. The worst thing that ever happened to me at a laundromat was that someone stole my favorite sheets out of the washer.

If you are really concerned you could take the clothes to a public laundromat.

I really & truly don't think you have anything to worry about in terms of "catching" anything from washing clothes in lukewarm water in a community washer. You're probably extra cautious because of your husband only having one kidney. I think his dr could reassure you on that point.

People often times have misplaced fears about germs. Hands are the single most significant cause for spread of disease, thus hand washing is vitally important. I read recently that restaurant menus are very contaminated. I hadn't thought of that...now I use hand sanitizer after looking at a menu!

A "cold" washing machine = a machine that doesn't have hot water in it.

Run water that's 110 deg in the tank through pipes and then into a Florida machine at 85 deg and the water will probably be 100 or less.

I know the weather through the South and in Florida, Especially in the summertime, it's not for me.

why not check with dh's dr???

I don't think you have anything to worry about.

I never use hot, hot water for my wash. I don't think it's necessary to boil my laundry. I don't use hot water when washing my hands with soap either, and I get the germs off. I'm on immune suppression medication and I don't give it a second thought.

Soap and water do the job. I really don't think you need to worry.