Integrated low-temperature washing and drying for sustainable hygiene of domestic laundry

Fink, Rok (avtor), Vozel, Blanka (avtor), Lunder, Manca (avtor), Čuk, Nina (avtor), Tomšič, Brigita (avtor)

Low-temperature laundering is promoted to reduce the environmental impact of domestic textile care; however, washing at ≤ 40 °C is insufficient for hygienic decontamination, rendering the drying stage critical, as microbial survival strongly depends on moisture availability and drying conditions. This study systematically investigates the antimicrobial efficacy of low-temperature washing combined with different drying methods under controlled, household-relevant conditions, and directly links hygiene performance to environmental impact using life cycle assessment (LCA). Cotton carriers inoculated with representative bioindicators were washed at 30 °C using a commercial detergent and subsequently dried by high- and low-temperature tumble drying, controlled indoor air drying, and simulated outdoor solar exposure (Xenotest). Low-temperature washing alone resulted in limited microbial reduction, whereas drying led to substantial additional inactivation. Both high- and low-temperature tumble drying eliminated most microorganisms (>7 log CFU cm⁻²), while simulated indoor air drying achieved significant reductions (∼6 log CFU cm⁻²), indicating that moisture reduction is a dominant mechanism of microbial inactivation, even without elevated drying temperatures. In this respect Xenotest treatment was less effective. The LCA showed that drying accounts for more than 50 % of the total environmental impact of the laundering process, with low-temperature tumble drying reducing overall impacts by approximately 20 % compared to high-temperature drying due to lower electricity consumption. By quantitatively linking microbial hygiene outcomes with environmental impacts, this study provides decision-relevant evidence for optimising domestic laundry practices, demonstrating that energy-efficient drying strategies can compensate for the hygienic limitations of low-temperature washing while significantly reducing the environmental footprint of textile care.

• Jezik: Angleški jezik
• Ključne besede: laundry, low temperature, washing, drying, microorganisms reduction, environmental impacts
• Vrsta gradiva: Članek v reviji
• Tipologija: 1.01 - Izvirni znanstveni članek
• Organizacija: ZF - Zdravstvena fakulteta ; NTF - Naravoslovnotehniška fakulteta
• Status publikacije: Objavljeno
• Različica publikacije: Objavljena publikacija
• Leto izida: 2026
• Št. strani: 11 str.
• Številčenje: Vol. 41, art. 104763
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-178894
• UDK: 677
• ISSN pri članku: 2352-1864
• DOI: 10.1016/j.eti.2026.104763
• COBISS.SI-ID: 266818563
• Datum objave v RUL: 02.02.2026

Gradivo je del revije

• Naslov: Environmental technology & innovation
• Založnik: Elsevier
• ISSN: 2352-1864
• COBISS.SI-ID: 522921753

Licence

• Licenca: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Priznanje avtorstva 4.0 Mednarodna
• Povezava: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.sl
• Opis: To je standardna licenca Creative Commons, ki daje uporabnikom največ možnosti za nadaljnjo uporabo dela, pri čemer morajo navesti avtorja.

Sekundarni jezik

• Jezik: Slovenski jezik
• Ključne besede: nega tekstilij, nizka temperatura, pranje, sušenje, zmanjšanje števila mikroorganizmov, vplivi na okolje