Lysol Laundry Sanitizer Is a Game-Changer for Cold and Flu Season

I put off doing laundry for as long as humanly possible, and I only have access to doing laundry at a laundromat (yes, those two things are connected). Because of that, I’m typically looking for products that are not only super effective, but can also be used across my entire collection of clothing so I’m not lugging a lot of items.

When I want to sanitize and remove stubborn stains, smells, or even germs, I use bleach from time to time, but it only works on my small selection of white towels, sheets, and clothes. So when I got a chance to try Lysol Laundry Sanitizer, a bleach alternative that kills germs, sanitizes clothes, and eliminates odors, all while being safe to use across color and white clothing, I knew I had to see if it would become a part of my laundry essentials.

Lysol’s Laundry Sanitizer is a liquid laundry additive that sanitizes and deodorizes your stinkiest and germiest laundry — for my use, it’s perfect for my workout clothes, sheets, towels, and all of my dog’s bedding, but it’s also good for undergarments, delicates, and even baby clothes.

To use it effectively, you add two capfuls of the sanitizing solution to your machine (up to line one of the dosing cup for standard machines and line two for high-efficiency machines) to the fabric softener compartment or directly to your rinse cycle wash. Put your washer on a rinse cycle for 16 minutes. Do not mix it in the main detergent compartment, and do not use it on silk, wool, or products that you shouldn’t be washing in a machine anyway.

It’s also a bleach alternative, which means that while it kills bacteria, it’s safe to use on both colors and whites, and it can be used in cold water. Lysol Laundry Sanitizer is EPA-registered (EPA Reg. No. 777-128) to kill 99.9% of bacteria, including Staphylococcus aureus and Klebsiella pneumoniae, when used in the rinse cycle as directed.

Lysol Laundry Sanitizer is great because it gives me peace of mind that I’m not just soaking my fabrics in scents and perfumes and then washing them out. I’m actually getting them properly cleaned, deodorized, and sanitized — even if I’m treating them as delicately as they need. This is especially important during cold and flu season.

Plus, it has a nice, crisp linen scent that’s strong enough to be noticed, but not so strong that I feel it competes with my other laundry scents. It’s great to have on hand every few washes — especially if my husband and I are recovering from sickness. But even if we’re all healthy, having a dog in a big city is enough of a germ-bomb. This bleach alternative is a great tool to have in my laundry arsenal to fight odors and germs. 

Buy: Lysol Laundry Sanitizer, $5.79