Eradicil laundry pre-wash kills microbes even in cool water 
(01/07/2009)
While we are encouraged to switch to the lower temperatures of 40 or even 30 degrees, these temperatures are inadequate to destroy many of the pathogens that cause common skin and nail infections like athlete’s foot and impetigo, and more serious diseases caused by E. coli and MRSA. Freshly washed clothes may still harbour contaminated skin flakes in the fibres, and these can act as a source of infection.
Researchers have found that 75 per cent of people surveyed still use a hot wash for sheets and towels to kill disease-causing organisms, despite being aware of the environmental and economic costs of high temperature laundering.
Although washing clothes at 40 degrees uses around 40% less energy than washing at 60, and less than half that of a 90 degree wash, many survey respondents registered dissatisfaction with the results of low-temperature washing. One reported that at 30 degrees: “washing is not quite clean when it comes out of the machine,” while another stated that, “30 degrees leaves the washing machine with lots of goo in it.”
But David Draper, co-founder of Vidant Pharma, points out that there is a more sinister side to this ‘yuk’ factor. “Research has shown that infectious diseases can be spread from one individual to another via laundry and even that faecal matter is left in the washing machine between cycles,” he comments.
Vidant Pharma has launched Eradicil, a laundry pre-wash that kills disease-causing organisms even in a low temperature wash. Many of the people surveyed said that they would be prepared to wash at lower temperatures if they could guarantee that their laundry was coming out ‘really clean’.
“Even advice from government about infection control is quite contradictory,” says David Draper. “They recommend relatives use low temperatures to wash patient’s pyjamas and other soiled clothing at home to save energy, while insisting on high temperatures in hospitals – but the same microbes are present in both places!”
Eradicil – the ‘laundry bug killer’ – provides the elderly, young, those with persistent skin infections or weakened immune systems, with peace of mind as it will eliminate the microbes in the wash and leave clothing items disinfected and safe, even when washed in cool water.
“By using Eradicil, it’s now possible to care for your family’s health as well as that of the planet,” says David Draper. “Eradicil is as effective at 30 degrees as a traditional boil wash, and will leave your laundry free from bugs – and your washing machine free from ‘goo’!”
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