Efficacy of Newly Emerging Detergents, Laundry Bleach, and Toilet Soap against Bacteria Isolated from Fairly used Clothes, Male/Female Underwear
Authors: Osuntokun O. T. , Adu B. O. , Thonda O. A. , Aladejana O. M. 
Published: April 2022

The aim of this study is to determine the potency of newly emerging detergents, laundry bleach, and toilet soap on bacteria isolates from fairly used clothes and Female Underwear. The current study included sample collection from used clothing and female underwear and compared the efficacy of detergents, toilet soap and laundry bleach (Jik),to reduce the microbial load in the used cloth. Organisms were isolated from the used cloth and female underwear, identified, and microbiologically characterized using the conventional method of microbiology assay. i.e, biochemical test,a compilation of cultural colonial and characteristics. Test Samples were washed using four (4) types of detergents and five (5) types of toilet soap and laundry bleach.  The results of the colony-forming unit (CFU) before and after washing with detergent and toilet soap and laundry bleach were recorded, washing with detergents and toilet soap. The results showed that detergents were more effective in reducing bacterial load than toilet soap in all test samples. the addition of laundry bleach (Jik) also shows the effectiveness in reducing bacterial load in fairly used clothes and Female Underwear The antibiotics susceptibility test were determined using disc diffusion and agar well diffusion methods respectively.  Eight (8) bacteria were identified include Aerobacter aerogenes (3), Bacillus polymyxa (5), Staphylococcus aureus (2), Veillonella parvula (5), Escherichia freundii (1), Escherichia coli (3), Enterobacter aerogenes (2) and Aerobacter cloacae (1). Bacillus polymyxa, and Veillonella parvula were the most common organism isolated and followed by Escherichia coli from fairly used clothes and Female Underwear. In this study, some of the Gram-positive(+ve) bacteria isolates were sensitive to commonly used antibiotics like Streptomycin, Tarivid, Reflacine Ciprofloxacin, Augmentin, Gentamycin, Ceporex, Nalidixic acid, Septrin, and Amplicin. Gram-negative bacteria isolated were sensitive to Ciprofloxacin and all the isolated organisms were resistant to Ceporex. Gram-positive (-ve) bacteria were sensitive to Streptomycin and were resistant to Rifampicin. To determine the growth dynamics and killing kinetics of the isolated organisms, from fairly used clothes and Female Underwear, an Ultraviolet spectrophotometer were used to determine the wavelength and killing kinetics of isolated organisms from fairly used clothes and Female Underwear. The addition of antibiotics to the isolated organisms at the 48th-hour speed up the death rate of the isolates from fairly used clothe washed with different detergent Laundry Bleach and toilet soaps. It can be deduced that this study validates the efficacy of newly emerging detergents, Laundry bleach, and toilet soap against bacteria isolated from fairly used clothes. It is also recommended to wash fairly used clothes using different methods of soaking the fairly used clothes and female underwear in the Laundry Bleach for some days before finally washing in detergents and ironing before use. This method will drastically reduce and remove bacterial load in the fairly used clothes and female underwear.