Zoflora is a popular brand of disinfectant marketed to be used in a wide area of applications around the home which includes door handles, hard floors, shelves, kitchen sink and bins, refrigerators and many more. Certainly, one of the areas of application of Zoflora is the washing machine.
Zoflora can be used in the washing machine to achieve disinfection. It is very effective against a broad range of bacteria and viruses and it has even been proven through laboratory tests to be effective against strains of COVID-19 virus. Achieving disinfection through Zoflora is easy, use 1 capful in every 400mL of water and run a hot cycle. Follow up with a rinse cycle and you’re done.
In the subsequent headings we’ll discuss how to properly use Zoflora in the washing machine to achieve disinfection. Also, we’ll talk about how to use Zoflora to sanitize your laundry and what other options are available aside from using Zoflora to sanitize the washer.
Zoflora is a super disinfectant
Absolutely, there is one important story about Zoflora you probably didn’t even know. Zoflora isn’t just a disinfectant, it’s a super disinfectant.
It has the capacity to kill many strains of coronavirus when used in a 1:40 dilution with water and also given a contact time of 60 seconds. Pretty impressive and efficient if you would ask me.
But let’s not divert from the theme of focus which is to learn whether or not Zoflora can be used in the washing machine, and if yes, what it does and how to use it.
With regards to that, surely, Zoflora is absolutely safe to put inside the washing machine to disinfect it.
Zoflora is a very good disinfectant you can use interchangeably with bleach and many other household disinfectants in the washer. It can kill a wide range of bacteria, viruses, mold and fungi and in addition to that, remove odour and put in its place, a beautiful fragrance.
Via email, there’s a specific way the company opted to praise the use of their product in the washing machine which I loved.
“Using Zoflora can keep your washing machine hygienically clean and beautifully fragrant.”
Now that’s a sure way to sell a product!
When to put Zoflora in your washing machine
There are many ways and signs that would indicate to you the time has come to put Zoflora in the washing machine.
The simplest and most obvious is when you have a persistent odour coming out from your machine. In case you didn’t know, odour coming out from your machine is a direct indication of a healthy population of bacteria thriving in there.
Another reason why you might want to disinfect your washing machine is when you have cleaned a sick person’s clothes, especially clothes having bodily stains on them like vomit, urine, mucus, blood, etc.
The stains can actually contain pathogens like bacteria and viruses which can be retained in the washing machine. Some of these pathogens held back in the washer can end up transferring to other clothes and end up in the body to make you sick.
Another sign is the presence of dirt, grime and gunk inside the washing machine. When you see this, then it’s probably time to give your machine a very deep cleansing.
How to use Zoflora to disinfect your washing machine
In order for Zoflora to be very effective against bacteria, viruses, and other forms of microorganisms on surfaces, it has to be in a ratio 1:40 with water. The Zoflora product label recommends using 1 capful of product with 400 mL of water. You can use this solution to wipe the exterior of your washing machine clean.
For the interior, they recommend adding 2 capfuls of the product into an empty drum, and then running a hot cycle and then afterwards, a rinse cycle. That should do the trick of disinfecting your washing machine clean.
If you discover that there is still a smell coming out from your washing machine even after using two capfuls of Zoflora, then you can always run another cycle.
The above tip is going to be very useful for people using high-efficiency washing machines. They use less water than the standard washing machines and as a result they may not be able to clean every single part of the interior during that wash cycle.
Another important mention, is that when using Zoflora and any other disinfectants, ensure that you employ gloves, heavy duty gloves for that matter, and even after that, that you wash your hands thoroughly.
Also, you want to make sure that you’re not mixing Zoflora with bleach or any product that contains bleach, and also with sodium carbonate. It could result in a very toxic gas or compound that could prove lethal to you.
Read: Can You Put Domestos In The Washing Machine?
Only use Zoflora in the washing machine or bleach in the washing machine but do not mix the two. Disinfectants are mostly 99% effective at what they do, so you have very little to worry about.
Additionally, you also want to do the cleaning in a well ventilated space. The last thing you ever want to do is to inhale anything coming out from a disinfectant as these products are built up with very tough chemicals and compounds that could actually affect your health once get into the body.
Can you put Zoflora in the washing machine with clothes?
One very impressive quality Zoflora has that not many disinfectants have, is the ability to use it in the washing machine alongside your clothes. Meaning, that you can actually use Zoflora to disinfect your laundry. It is 99.99% effective against bacteria and viruses that you find in everyday laundry.
The standard ratio that Zoflora recommends is 1:40 meaning that you add 1 part zoflora to 40 parts water. If you look at it closely, a capful of Zoflora is 10 mL, so that means that you use one capful to 40 parts water or (400 mL) in order to achieve a concentration strong enough to destroy bacteria and viruses found in normal laundry when you soak them.
Can you mix Zoflora with fabric softener?
As far as mixing Zoflora with any other laundry product is concerned, the answer is a big no. And it has been clearly stated on the Zoflora website that their products should not be combined with any other product as there might be chances that things might go wrong.
What else can you use to disinfect your washing machine?
Aside from using Zoflora, there are a host of other disinfectants you can use to clean your washing machine. You can use bleach which I guess is the most popular option out there and the most readily available to janitors.
When using bleach, make sure to use chlorine bleach and avoid oxygen bleach which disinfects but not to a satisfactory degree compared to chlorine bleach.
Another option you have is pine oil. It may be difficult to find a standalone product of pan oil, so instead, you can go ahead and look for products that contain pine oil as an ingredient or a main constituent.
Make sure the percentage in there is at least 30% otherwise it won’t be of great disinfection help, especially when you’re tackling a much serious problem.
When you find products having pine oil and other disinfectants mixed together, go for them first, as they would have a wide range spectrum of bactericidal properties which means better cleaning.
Another household product you can use is hydrogen peroxide. Use 1 cup of hydrogen peroxide in an empty drum and run a hot cycle and then follow up with the rinse cycle.
Because most bleaches like the oxygen bleach have peroxide as their main constituent, you’ll be able to achieve a very good disinfection with hydrogen peroxide.
Also, phenolic compounds serve as a great alternative to Zoflora too. If you have a product that contains phenolic compounds, then you have a very great disinfectant hand.
Phenolic compounds work by stopping the enzyme system of microbes and through this mechanism, they are able to put an end to the life of microorganisms.
Finally, for the more professional approach, you can opt for washer sanitizers. These are sanitizers specifically designed for disinfecting washing machines.
You can find brands like Lysol that offer a wide range of products in this line. These products may or may not contain bleach, but regardless, they are very effective at disinfecting washing machines and keeping them clean.
Final Thoughts
Zoflora is an impressive product to use to disinfect your washing machine and also your favorite toys and clothes. Unlike many other disinfectants, Zoflora, apart from giving you disinfecting properties, also helps add a soothing fragrance to suppress odor.
Whenever you have Zoflora at one end of the house and a stinky washing machine on another end, don’t hesitate to bring the two together to achieve a miraculous wash!
