I wash sheets at 140F to 145..that's plenty hot enough, your washing your bedding not trying to kill a deadly bacteria. I have been using the Target Threshold sheets for many months now, I have white ones and white with a charcoal design. I use them on 3 beds in the house that get washed every 3 to 4 days and have noticed no fading on the printed one, of course your talking about dark solids. Sadly sheets arnt made like they were in the past and they arnt vintage linen so they won't hold up long in extreme hot temps. They are gonna fade, and the threads are gonna break...the elastic on the bottom sheet will suffer. What temp is your sanitary? You can drop the temp down to 135 even and get clean sheets, your washing them weekly and not allowing the oils to turn waxy so I'd go at around 135--140F. And see if that helps.

I wash sheets...printed, solid colours or whites at 140F. Wash fills with cool water and then heats to Target temp of 140F. When the sheets are brand new, I will use my 120F cycle. After a few wash and drys....it is 140F!

itguy08...

Lethal temps. for dust mites are 113F for 200 minutes, 122F for 30 minutes or 140F for 8 minutes.

Tumble drying can also kill the mites (high temp. for 20 minutes).

Line drying (direct sunlight) is also effective at killing dust mites.

If you have a Steam cycle on your washer that should be good too.

I would wash in regular hot water with a steam option and then line dry (preferably) or tumble dry (using very dry setting - high temp.)

My sheets (all bedding) are solid white so I can use bleach and high temps, that way I don't have to worry about fading colors.

George do you know what the dryer temp should be to kill the dust mites?

My boys Allergist said if Chips bedding is washed at 125 in a top loader for 20 minutes along with a 30 minute soak than dried at normal dryer temps that will kill the mites..what say you???

Dryer should at least reach 130F but most "high" heat settings go well above that.

Sparky, it seems they have updated their web pages. you have to look up the clinical info. The video shows a tech spraying a tee shirt with ragweed pollen and washing it But, talk about suds city!! Looked like he put an amount of detergent for a full load. How would it be any different than Tide F/C?

I did not see any vids on dust mites or anything else I thought would be pertaining to them. Just thankful that we don't have sensitive skin.

For the most part I wash mine in hot water, sometimes warm, sometimes I let them soak but not often. And dry on med or on delicate, which I use for the majority of loads. I think gas dryers tend to get hotter than electric? I would think that with agitation, water and chemical reactions that would take care of dust mites?

Bea, I've also wondered about the ALL detergent and what makes it any different from Tide Free or any other detergents for that matter in regards to killing dust mites. Does the ALL have some ingredient in it to target mites that other detergents don't? I thought killing mites were more about the heat than the detergent brand? Personally I always thought that it was a ploy by Sun Corp to target the allergy users whom many have reactions to mites and perfumes to give them a incentive to buy the ALL free detergent. ..not that its the only detergent that will do the job.

"I think gas dryers tend to get hotter than electric?"

A gas and electric version of any given model will have the same thermostat or thermistor value to control the selected drum/exhaust air temperatures.

That being said, there may be a difference in the temperature of the heated air stream that flows into the drum from an electric element vs. a gas burner. Gas units typically have a higher-temp limit thermostat on the burner housing to protect against overheating (such as if the airflow is obstructed), while electric units have slightly lower-temp limit thermostats.

Some dryers in the past had a modulating gas burner that could vary the flame size (Kenmore's "Soft Heat" feature started at a higher input then reduced it toward end of the cycle). I don't know if any nowadays have that feature. Some electric models may have dual heating elements ... running one element for low temp (so the input air stream is gentler on delicates), both elements for high.

Notice that the All ragweed test shows that All cleared the pollen but it doesn't say that other detergents won't do that.

Wow. I figured you guys would have some great tips and you all didn't disappoint!

After reading it all I'm thinking on just using the Bulky/Bedding option in the washer with steam and then a heavy duty cycle in the dryer and that should get things clean with minimal damage to the fabrics. Maybe run a sanitize once or twice a year for extra cleaning power. That should keep whatever we or the dog brings at bay.

Yep, what dadoes said. That "All" web site claim is misleading. They aren't lying, but it is misleading.

Any detergent will remove allergens from anything. HOT enough water will kill dust mites, not detergent. I know; I'm allergic to dust and dust mites, and have been washing bedding in HOT water for decades.

itguy08 - Sanitize temp will definitely take its toll on any fabric, over time.

Cavimum is correct..temps that high arnt for modern day fabrics unless of course you have a nasty bacteria or viral infection going thru the household. It could affect fabrics first time or over several washes. Years ago linen could and did with stand boil washes, but today our textiles arnt made of vintage linen. Frankly with todays surfactants and enzymes, extreme high temps are not even needed.

No All Free and Clear doesn't say its the only detergent that will kill dust mites, it just alludes to it, misleading people....actually hot water alone will kill the critters.

I'd be more concerned about pet dander, ticks and other critters from the pup than I would dust mites. With a pet in, I'd absolutely wash on Sanitary and at the lowest on 140F. That can cause fading since printing is done on bed linen -- it's not woven in.

I'd get a nice print comforter and go with white or other light color sheets.

Mild chlorine bleach solution (doesn't take much) may be safer to sanitize temperature-sensitive items. Does it also kill dust mites?

There are detergents made just for allergies(dust mites etc), Allerwash, Anti-Allergen if you want to try those.

I wash bed linens at 120F. Hot enough to remove body oil without quickly fading them.

Also, if you will go to Google, type in "Does All free clear detergent kill dust mites", then when it carries you to the next page, select prnewswire-laboratory test pit all free clear laundry detergent. This was an article from Jan. 1999. Talks all about the mites and the test and the All. In fact it even mentions killing the mites in cold water which All's website also states so that sounds like an ingredient in it that would kill them--like Allerwash because it states the same that using it also kills mites in cold water. It even gives an ingredient list.

This All was when it was Unilever. As I said before I just read this stuff, I don't do the test or write the articles but I do know All works well and is what allergist say to use--at least the ones I have used or heard others say theirs told them to use. You will not get rid of the dust mites because they are too many places that you cannot wash or get into the freezer, but it is good for us to know we are doing what we can to get rid of them. Minimal water temp to kill them also is 131 from what was in another article unless you use a product that can kill them in lower temp water. That is why they say to freeze blankets and pillows to kill them. Can you see a mattress in a freezer? Lol

How's about post a direct link to the article? :-)

Laboratory Tests Pit 'all Free Clear' Laundry Detergent Against Dust Mite Allergen, Perfumes and More

Thanks for all the tips and information. Got a lot to digest.

My concerns for mites is not due to any allergies but as an example of something the dog may bring along with her. I'm far, far from a germaphobe but it just seemed like a good thing to do.

I did do a load on bulky/bedding with steam and the final wash temp in the KenmoreLG was only 40c but for an hour and a half so I think that cycle + Hot instead will be where it is at. Maybe a sanitize once or twice a year.

Sounds like a good hot wash and a good hot dry on the Heavy Duty cycle may not be as harsh on the fabrics. The elastics on our old stuff seem none the worse for wear having been subjected to years and years of Sanitary washes.

I wash all bed linen at 140, regardless of color. I want them hygienically clean, and I do not ever tumble dry my sheets. I buy L.L. Bean percale sheets and they last for years and years. Sanitary cycles only hit about 155, 160 at the most. On a modern washer with dumbed down temps, hot is usually less than 120. Allergen cycles are about 130, I think. Too bad there is not a setting between hot and sanitary to be approximately 140.

I am a dog-lover. I have had three of the greatest dogs in the world. But I would never, ever have a dog in my bed. Dogs have their own set of germs and bacteria that belong only on them, not me or my bed. For your own health, I think you should re-consider having them sleep with you. Taking better care of yourself means taking better care of them.

I 100% agree with Pat z5/6!!! I love my beagle almost as much as my son! I'd do virtually anything for her. But...she has NEVER once touched our bed. Dogs have dog beds, and people have people beds!!! I think this is very important!!!

My little girl sleeps with me...she's well groomed, sees the vet every 4 months, is tested four time a year for parasites, is flea and tick free..if I suddenly didn't allow her in my bed omg her heart would be broken, she's my baby and she knows it lol. She very rarely sheds so that's a relief....oh no my baby sleeps with Mama lol

Any bacteria a dog is carrying is going to be all over the house even if they arnt in a bed.

Interesting perspectives. Everyone needs to do what they feel best and as long as you are not mistreating your animals I doubt that they mind bed vs no bed.

A properly vaccinated pet will not give you anything by sharing the bed that they won't give you by merely sharing the same house. Outside of some small and rare exceptions (and those with weakened immune systems), they don't transmit diseases to us normally. Yes you could get fleas, ticks, mites, etc but you would get them anyway just by sharing the house.

I believe in a healthy immune system is based on thousands of years of evolution and that exposing yourself to all sorts of germs is the best way to stay healthy. I rarely use hand sanitizer (just wash up), play in the dirt and generally just live. No diseases, rarely get sick, etc. We camp, I've been known to sit and lay on the floor, etc. Outside of some relatively rare diseases, just showering daily or when appropriate is all you need. Your body has been designed to fight stuff off.

Sharing the bed with the dog is no worse than, say, wearing sandals or flip flops. Now those things are NASTY - confirmed Staph, MRSA, etc on the footbeds of them. Just gross. :)

We all have to do what we are comfortable with and what our dogs are comfortable with. Our last dog - she had the bed when we were gone but wasn't into sharing. This one, she's a cuddle bug.

Itguy - that final temp you site is off target. I also have an LG Kenmore. Bulky/ Comforter with Steam runs the wash temp to 143F consistently, then it will add additional water and cool the load and continue the wash,bleach. I think that's the final temperature you may be seeing, although still low. After cool down my machines runs anywhere from 47 - 52C for the remaining duration. This is actually a hidden Allergene cycle, although not present or part of the core dial cycles. Functions identical to the LG 8000 Allergene cycle. It's also a very long cycle, 2 hours and 10 min with 3 rinses. The heater continues to operate after the cool down water is added.

Could be that I grabbed the temp at the end of the wash cycle. I was checking it periodically and it was going up but then got distracted and caught it right as it was draining.

It is a 2010 or 2011 (we bought in April 2011) Kenmore that was made by LG and does have the steam generator. So the cycle temps may be different than the newer ones. IIRC this one fills with cold or warm and then cranks up the steam generator. It's not like the new ones that heat the water in the bottom go the tub.