However, damp kitchen cloths, a load of underpants, or sick people’s laundry should be washed at 140 degrees Fahrenheit (60 degrees Celsius) or more. Most E. coli bacteria are killed by temperatures above 104 degrees Fahrenheit (40 degrees Celsius), and 158 degrees Fahrenheit (70 degrees Celsius) is enough to kill off tougher Salmonella bacteria.
