Should children's clothes be washed separately in a washing machine?

No need

In general, children do not really need a special washing machine to wash their clothes. The design and function of today's washing machines can effectively remove dirt and germs from clothes, which is enough to ensure that children's clothes are clean and hygienic.

Specifically, washing machines are equipped with specific washing programs and detergents that can effectively clean most bacteria and other microorganisms. The cleaning effect lies in the chemical action of the detergent, the mechanical action of agitation, and the dilution effect of rinsing. As long as the washing is done according to the normal program and rinsed thoroughly, children's clothes can be washed with adult clothes.

There have been scientific studies before, and the results suggest that sharing a washing machine does not significantly increase the risk of disease in children. To further reduce this risk, you can also follow the instructions for using the washing machine and clean the washing machine regularly (to ensure that there are not too many microorganisms left inside the washing machine).

On the other hand, from an economic point of view, the cost of purchasing and maintaining a dedicated washing machine is high, and for most families, this investment is not necessary.

Only in some special cases, such as when there is an infectious disease patient in the family and the infection can be transmitted indirectly through clothing contact, it is indeed possible to consider washing clothes separately temporarily to prevent cross infection. However, this situation is relatively rare.

In short, it is not necessary for children to use separate dedicated washing machines. The key is to maintain good laundry habits and maintain the laundry equipment.

Author: Tang Jiaoqing, MD, attending physician of dermatology

Review | Feng Jun, deputy chief physician of the Dermatology Department of Sinopharm Tongmei General Hospital