When to Use Warm Water – For man-made fibers, knits and jeans, use warm water (90°F). Most of your clothes can be washed in warm water. It offers good cleaning without significant fading or shrinking. When to Use Cold Water – For dark or bright colors that bleed or delicate fabrics, use cold water (80°F).
Warm washing machine water between 90 and 110 degrees is ideal for most of your laundry needs. Most of your clothes can be washed in warm water including man-made fabrics like polyester, nylon, and rayon items, and spandex. The water temperature is also ideal for natural fibers like cotton.
Warm water can help to loosen and remove dirt and stains from clothes more effectively than cold water. This can be especially useful for heavily soiled or dirty clothes.
Cold: The cold setting is ideal for washing delicate items, dark colors, silks, and synthetics. Cold water is gentle on clothing and helps prevent shrinking or bleeding of dyes (1). Warm: The warm setting is commonly used for washing cotton fabrics and everyday clothes that wrinkle easily.
The chance of cotton shrinking increases the warmer you wash. At 90 degrees, the fabric will shrink more than at 60 degrees. Do you want to prevent shrinkage? Then preferably wash lower than 60 degrees.
Clothes are much more likely to shrink when exposed to hot water or high dryer settings. Washing clothes in cold water goes a long way toward preserving the “off-the-rack” size. Avoiding heavy duty cycles, fast spins and high-heat drying can also prevent shrinkage.
New garments often have excess dye that hasn't fully set, and this dye can easily transfer to other items in the wash. Which is why, before washing new clothes, soak them in a mixture of water and white vinegar or salt. This helps set the dye and reduces the likelihood of it bleeding during future washes.
Use delicate cycles for soft fabrics and heavy-duty settings for tougher stains. Water temperature affects cleaning power and energy use. Warm water is good for most clothes, while cooler temperatures protect delicate items. Extra options like extra rinse or steam clean can boost cleaning effectiveness.
“There's a common misconception that people should wash clothes on the hottest possible setting to kill bacteria, but it's unnecessary. Tests have proven that washing your clothes at 60°C, with a good detergent, is perfectly adequate to kill bacteria.”
Towels should be washed in the warmest water appropriate for the fabric according to the care label. Generally, warm or hot water is recommended for washing towels. Use a cycle specifically for towels or a normal/regular cycle.
Con: Hot Water Can Damage or Discolor Clothing
Hot water can cause bright colors to run and fade, and can shrink certain types of fabric. Hot water can also damage certain synthetic fabrics like polyester, nylon, and vinyl. The heat breaks down the fibers and can ruin the fabric.
Cold temperatures are perfect for delicate items and any clothing with colors that may bleed or fade with higher temperatures. Cold water will never shrink your clothes and can be beneficial for a variety of clothing types including black clothing, bright-colored clothing, lingerie, swimwear and wool.
A good temperature for washing towels and sheets is 40 degrees, but a 60 degreewash will be better at killing germs. Changing your sheets and towels once a week can help to keep them fresh and clean**. Use ourlaundry tips section for guidelines on different fabrics.
The best temperature to use when doing laundry can depend on the type of clothing or materials you're washing—and how clean you need them to get. Hot water (130 degrees Fahrenheit or above) is most effective in removing dirt and stains.
A regular cycle is best for sturdy and dirty clothes, while the permanent press setting is fine for the average load. Use the delicate cycle for lacy and loosely woven fabrics. Use hot water for white loads, warm water for the average load, and cold water for bright colors.
Remember, fabric softener is completely optional, and your garments will likely pop out of the dryer feeling fresh, clean, and soft without it. However, “For some, it might make doing their laundry a little more fun to use an extra product that smells very good and is colorful,” Fulford says.
Warm washes (40°C) are best for items that have come into contact with body fluids, such as underwear. Wash such garments on warm temperatures with Ariel. Cold washes (15-30°C) should be used for lightly- to moderately-soiled daily items.
Most brands of washing machines have a hot water setting around 130°F, warm water setting between 90°F to 110°F, and cold water between 60°F and 80°F. Cold water is perfect for washing delicate items such as lingerie and hosiery.
When to Use Warm Water – For man-made fibers, knits and jeans, use warm water (90°F). Most of your clothes can be washed in warm water. It offers good cleaning without significant fading or shrinking. When to Use Cold Water – For dark or bright colors that bleed or delicate fabrics, use cold water (80°F).
When to Use Cold Water – For dark or bright colors that bleed or delicate fabrics, use cold water (80°F).
Color catcher sheets are a very useful tool when washing clothes, especially if you're concerned about colors bleeding or transferring between garments. These sheets are designed to absorb and trap any dyes that your clothes may release during the wash. This prevents them from staining other clothes in the load.
You can get past the major bleeding stage faster by washing and drying the denim 3-4 times before wearing. The hotter the water, the more the dye will come off—using a little detergent will also help.