[e12e]

You really want to uv treat your cold washed clothes, though (hang them outside). It kills bacteria about as well as bleach - see this subthread and story:

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17069083

In particular (the now moved) :

http://www.dranniesexperiments.com/sunlight-testing

[Scoundreller]

Sure, if you can. But if you can’t...

Dunno how necessary it is to UV disinfect clothes after washing. We don’t live in a sterile world.

[e12e]

Note I said your "cold washed clothes". If you wash at 60C, there's no (great) need for additional sterilization.

Wash cold, and your just evenly distributing bacteria from your dirtiest items to your cleanest items...

[perl4ever]

Well, we live in a world that's bombarded with UV, so there could be some drawback to living in an environment artificially shielded from it. Both may be nonsterile, but that doesn't imply they are the same.