You’d be forgiven to think that the hot water temperature setting is the main way to get your clothes washed. However, you should also utilise cold water settings. In this blog, we’ll guide you on what you need to know about washing clothes in cold water.
Understanding The Temperature Settings
Your washing machine temperature settings are all different. Typically, 60 degrees is a hot wash while 30-40 degrees is a warm wash. If you want to wash clothes in cold water, all you must do is press the cold wash setting button and just like the name suggests, no heated water will be used in the cycle.
The Benefits of Cold Water Washing
While hot water certainly does a great job of eliminating bacteria and germs, washing your clothes in cold water can be just as effective with more benefits. This is because cold water setting is gentler on the fabric because it improves the life-span of your clothes.
Also washing clothes in cold water does reduce the chances of clothes shrinking and forming wrinkles.
Perhaps most importantly, you will save more energy because you are using less heat and less detergent.
What Clothes Should I Wash In Cold Water
Some clothes don’t react well to heat. Delicate garments like shirts, blouses and cardigans are best washed in cold water for the best results.
In addition, if you have bright colours or new clothes, it’s usually best to wash them in cold water settings. The reason being is that hot water does have a tendency to fade the colours of your brightened clothes and causes the dye to run quickly.
As always when it comes to laundry, always read the care labels on your garments. Washing at the wrong temperature can lead to unwanted laundry mistakes.
The Risks
Just like with everything, when there are benefits, there will also be risks. When washing in cold water settings, be cautious. Make sure you separate your clothes by colours as cold water can cause colours to bleed.
You should also check if your washing machine is cleaned properly because if it isn’t, bacteria and mould will grow in a cold water cycle. Check out our blog for the signs that your washing machine needs cleaning.
Washing your clothes in cold water is mostly good and does the job of cleaning your clothes in tip-top condition. We hope this blog has given you the answers to your questions!
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