How and When to Sanitize Your Laundry

Experts explain when to sanitize laundry and how to do it without ruining your clothes

You've probably noticed the "sanitize" cycle on your laundry machine or have spotted laundry sanitizing products at the grocery store, but for many of us, knowing when it's necessary to sanitize our laundry is still a mystery. Do bath towels and kitchen towels need to be sanitized, and what about sweaty gym clothes? Doesn't a regular laundry cycle kill germs, too?

To answer these pressing laundry questions, we reached out to cleaning pros. Here's exactly when they recommend boosting the germ-fighting power, plus how to sanitize laundry the easy way.

The experts agree that you should regularly sanitize your germiest laundry. Yes, we're looking at you, blanket that your sick, sniffling child has been carrying around the house. But you don't need to sanitize every single load of laundry. Regular washing with laundry detergent will remove some germs and bacteria, but to "sanitize" laundry means to use high temperatures or chemicals to kill 99.9% of germs in addition to detergent.

"Using the sanitary setting on your washer is a great option, but it doesn't need to be used every day," says Laura Johnson, consumer analyst for research and development at LG Electronics. "The extremely hot water temperatures the setting uses can be hard on clothes and can cause fading over time."

The cycle is designed to remove 99.9% of bacteria, so it's great when you really need it—for instance, to help prevent the spread of germs from clothing and bedding if someone in your home has been sick. When a family member is sick, sanitizing their bed sheets, bath towels, and clothing can help keep the rest of your household healthy.

If your washing machine has a "sanitary" or "sanitize" cycle and you're washing textiles that can withstand high temperatures, this is one of the easiest ways to get germ-free laundry.

"Cottons and the like can be washed in the extra hot temperatures using the sanitize cycle on your washer—but you want to be careful with other items that can't handle those high temperatures (think elastics, spandex, wools, etc.)," says Johnson. Check the care label on clothing or towels before you sanitize them.

For items that can't be washed in water but can handle high temperatures, the "steam sanitary" cycle on your dryer may be the answer. "This is a great option for things like stuffed animals and pillows (not down pillows though!)," explains Johnson.

If your washing machine doesn't have a sanitize cycle or the garments can't handle high heat, adding a laundry sanitizer is the solution. "While using bleach to wash bleach-safe laundry has been the go-to for laundry sanitization for decades, now laundry sanitizer products can help take care of the items you can't add to your bleach load," says Mary Gagliardi, Clorox's in-house scientist and cleaning expert

If used properly, a clothes steamer can actually kill germs and bacteria, thanks to the high temperatures. A luxuriously low-effort option: invest in a steam closet, which will sanitize and de-wrinkle your blouses, jackets, face masks, and more without harsh chemicals.

For everyday loads, regular washing with detergent is usually sufficient to remove dirt and some germs. However, sanitizing becomes important when someone in your household is sick, or when washing items like towels, bedding, or underwear that are prone to bacteria buildup.

Gym clothes and underwear can harbor bacteria due to sweat and close contact with the body. While regular washing helps, sanitizing can provide a deeper clean, especially if you’re dealing with persistent odors or skin sensitivities. Use a sanitize cycle or a laundry sanitizer to target bacteria.

Vinegar and baking soda are great for deodorizing and softening laundry, but they aren’t EPA-approved sanitizers and don’t kill 99.9% of germs. That said, they can boost your detergent’s cleaning power and help remove buildup. For true sanitization, use products specifically labeled as sanitizers.