HI
@Aerose91,
Practicing mold avoidance has different rules than just regular people worrying about mold in washing machines.
In mold avoidance, you are also trying to avoid the toxins that are made by some species of molds. So washing machines and dryers and particularly the ones in laundromats are dangerous because of cross contamination from other people's clothing.
Hand washing and line drying are ideal. If you can't do that, a top loading washing machine might be okay if it hasn't had anyone's contaminated clothing in it recently. What people who are sensitized do is they stick their heads in the washing machine opening and breathe in and see if they feel sick.
Dryers are usually more contaminated with mold toxins than washers, so that's why line drying is preferred if possible. Sticking your head in the opening of a dryer can be very unpleasant, but it's the only way to tell if it is going to be toxic. I wish I had some better advice for you.
Personally, I avoid laundromats. And the laundry rooms at campgrounds. They're usually so full of mold toxins. But in your situation, you may have to make some compromises in order to have clean clothes at all.
If some of your new clothing gets exposed to a bad building briefly, there is a good chance the toxins will wash out. Occasionally there can be a building that has toxins that are so bad that it wrecks the item of clothing. In that case, washing doesn't help. You will have to see how it goes for you and how you feel wearing the exposed, washed clothes.
I hope that things go well for you on your desert trip! At least out there it should be dry enough to line dry clothes!
Forebearance