The dryer will not kill all germs since many dryers don't get hot enough. You should always wash your clothes with detergent before putting them in the dryer.Some other things you can do to keep your clothes germ-free are avoiding contaminated surfaces and hang-drying your clothing on a sunny day if you do not have a dryer. This article was medically reviewed by Tania Elliott, MD, who specializes in infectious diseases related to allergies and immunology for internal medicine at NYU Langone Health.Visit Insider's Health Reference library for more advice.Pathogens, like infectious viruses and bacteria, start dying at 113° Fahrenheit. However, 140° Fahrenheit or higher is required to disinfect your clothing, says to Ryan Sinclair, PhD, MPH, Associate Professor of environmental microbiology at