As you may know, one of the reasons athletes's foot and jock itch fungus are so hard to kill with OTC medicines like Lotrimin and Lamisil is because after you treat it, it is extremely difficult not to reinfect yourself with the fungal spores by re-wearing the same clothes and sleeping in the same bed sheets. Doing laundry properly is of paramount importance.
I've read on certain sites that in order to kill athlete's foot fungus spores on clothes, you need to wash your laundry with ultra-hot water (140 degrees Fahrenheit). I have some clothes and a fleece blanket so washing them with hot is not an option because I don't want them to shrink. So assuming I can't use hot water, what is the best combination to kill the fungus?
- Bleach (?) - I've read that bleach will kill fungus such as athlete's foot on hard surfaces, but when used on fabrics it doesn't always penetrate deep enough into the material to completely kill the fungus roots. I've also read a post where the guy made the following comment:
Bleach removes fungus and mold but also promotes it’s later development... Fungus thrives in high PH environments caused by Bases like bleach... If you must use bleach you should neutralize it with a post acid rinse like vinegar or lemon juice.
Borax Laundry Booster (?) - Some people have said that adding 20 Mule Team Borax to your wash cycle can kill athlete's foot on fabric. But I've looked at the Borax product packaging and there wasn't any mention of this benefit so I'm a little skeptical.
Oxygen bleach (OxiClean ?) -This has also been mentioned, yet I see nothing on the product packaging that says it kills fungus.
Vinegar (?) - Vinegar has long been touted as a natural cure for athlete's foot on skin. Will it work on fabric? (Note to others: Do NOT mix bleach with vinegar as that can give off toxic gases!)
Something else?