Patients' dresses were washed at 40 degrees C using an ordinary detergent for 1 week and a novel detergent with added 'Triclosan' for the following 2 weeks. The bacterial load on the finished laundry was acceptably low using either detergent. The killing of residual bacteria on washed clothing by drying in a tunnel finisher was demonstrated. This preliminary study did not show any benefits to be gained from the addition of 'Triclosan' to detergent for the low-temperature laundering of patients' clothing.