[gardaani]

Underwear should be washed on 60 degrees to prevent any germs spreading.

[shawnz]

I have seen mixed evidence about hot water being more effective than cold water when washing. Do you have a reputable source?

[amanaplanacanal]

Does the detergent not sterilize everything?

[dehrmann]

It doesn't sterilize, but it does bind to viruses and bacteria so they can be washed away. It's the reason why you don't need antibacterial hand soap: you don't need to kill, washing off is enough.

[scotty79]

It doesn't. But drying in high temperature does.