During the past three years a research program has been carried out on the survival of bacteria on fabrics and the use of disinfectants in home laundering as a means of preventing transmission of bacteria by textiles and clothing. The types of bacteria isolated from wash and rinse water at both ‘hot’ and ‘warm’ settings, with and without disinfectant, have been recorded. Over 300 strains have been studied in considerable detail. In addition to morphological and biochemical characteristics, these studies included consideration of the relationship of these bacteria to wash temperatures, detergents, disinfectants, and antibiotics. The isolation of species of Staphyloccocus, Pseudomonas, Alcaligenes, Aerobacter, and Sarcina was of especial interest. The increased use of communal laundry facilities and the prevalence of warm-water laundering have made this ecological niche important in current environmental sanitation.