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

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

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.

• Language: English
• Keywords: laundry, low temperature, washing, drying, microorganisms reduction, environmental impacts
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: ZF - Faculty of Health Sciences; NTF - Faculty of Natural Sciences and Engineering
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2026
• Number of pages: 11 str.
• Numbering: Vol. 41, art. 104763
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-178894
• UDC: 677
• ISSN on article: 2352-1864
• DOI: 10.1016/j.eti.2026.104763
• COBISS.SI-ID: 266818563
• Publication date in RUL: 02.02.2026

Record is a part of a journal

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

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: nega tekstilij, nizka temperatura, pranje, sušenje, zmanjšanje števila mikroorganizmov, vplivi na okolje