Hot water removes stains by breaking down and dissolving the stain-causing substances. Cold water has a different mechanism – it prevents the binding between proteins from the stain and the fabric, making it better for protein-based stains like baby food or blood.
Hot water will set some stains, particularly protein based stains. Use cold or warm water on these before washing in hot water. Always test to be sure that a stain removal product will not damage fabric by applying to a small part of the fabric that is not easily seen.
Protein stains such as dairy, blood, egg, glue, and white deodorant marks should always be washed in cold water. Hot water can actually cook the protein, causing it to absorb into the clothing fibres, and making it almost impossible to remove.
Typically, cold water works great on blood, as well as food, beverages and water-based paint, while hot water works best on protein-based stains. Unfortunately, there's no golden rule to stain removal. For example, most food stains should be soaked in cold water, unless it's egg, mustard or a tomato-based product.
Some people say you need to stretch the stained fabric over a bowl and then pour boiling water in a firm steady stream to ensure that it goes through the stained fabric, but I've never bothered with that step and it always works fine.
While boiling might seem like a quick fix for a tough stain or funky smell, it's not worth the risk. Stick to regular washing methods (machine or hand-washing, for example) and follow the care labels on your clothes. Treat tough stains with pre-treaters and opt for longer wash cycles instead of cranking up the heat.
Blood is full of proteins, and when exposed to hot temperatures, a protein will vibrate until it breaks the bonds that hold it together, causing the protein to clump. At that point, water loses the ability to wash them out, which is why you should always use cold water when cleaning blood from cloth.
Removes Stains
Vinegar is a great solution. "Especially on white fabrics, vinegar can tackle stubborn stains by being added directly to your laundry or used as part of a pre-treating soaking solution," says Morgan LaLonde, laundry brand manager for Whirlpool.
White vinegar
This is great for a wide range of stains, including blood, sweat, and any general yellow marks on white clothes. Try gently rubbing the vinegar onto the stain before putting it straight in the wash. White vinegar can also be mixed with baking soda.
The heavy-duty or stain removal cycle works best for tough stains. If your washer has a pre-wash or steam function, use it for added cleaning power. Hot water settings are ideal for greasy stains, while cold water helps with protein-based stains. For delicate fabrics, stick to a gentle cycle to avoid damage.
Key Takeaways. Some of the toughest food stains to remove include coffee, tea, gum, peanut butter, mustard, berry juice, tomato-based sauces, baby food, red wine, chocolate, cooking grease and butter.
Many types of stains can be easily removed with cold water. Using hot water can potentially “bake in” stains by causing molecules to coagulate and bond with the fibers of the fabric. However, you may need to pretreat oily stains with warm water to dissolve the oil molecules before throwing them into the wash.
Possible agents include hydrogen peroxide or white vinegar applied with a sponge. You can also use lemon juice on white fabrics. Rinse well. Repeat with detergent followed by mild bleaching agent until the stain no longer appears.
The second step, rinsing, involves washing the fabric under cold running water. This step might seem counterintuitive; one commonly hears about hot water being the superior choice for cleaning. But in the case of poop stains, cold water proves more beneficial.
Generally, warm or hot water is recommended for washing towels. Use a cycle specifically for towels or a normal/regular cycle. A sanitizing cycle can also be used, but may not be recommended for every wash, depending on the towel fabric.
When mixed with water, baking soda is an effective stain remover that you can use on almost any stain to lift the dirt and leave the stained item looking clean and fresh again. Mix the baking soda with some water to make a paste and apply it to the stain you wish to remove.
For best results, pre-soak the sweat-stained garment OxiClean™ Odor Blasters™ Versatile Odor & Stain Remover. Yellow sweat stains and stubborn sweat smells will bow to the deodorizing and stain fighting power of OxiClean™ Odor Blasters™.
Douse the stain with white vinegar, then apply a paste made of equal parts baking soda and vinegar. If this doesn't work, immerse the item overnight in a bucket of water containing a few tablespoons of detergent and vinegar. Rinse and wash the following morning.
Hydrogen peroxide is a mild bleach that can spread through multiple layers of a surface and tackle staining properties such as yellow stains on your white clothes.
Adding vinegar directly to the wash with your laundry detergent may compromise its cleaning performance. Laundry detergents are formulated for specific pH levels, which may be disrupted by the acidity of vinegar, leading to less effective cleaning. It's best to avoid mixing them to ensure optimal results.
White vinegar, also known as distilled vinegar or spirit vinegar, is made by fermenting grain alcohol (ethanol) which then turns into acetic acid. Water is then added to the vinegar, so white vinegar is made of five to ten percent acetic acid and ninety to ninety-five percent water.
Why Does Hot or Cold Water Matter for Stain Removal? Hot water can set some stains into fabric but can dissolve others depending on the composition of the stain. One example of a stain that requires cold water is a blood stain.
For our best overall pick, we love Shout's Advanced Grease Busting Foam, which is simple to use and formulated to remove tricky oil and grease stains. We were impressed that it can pretty much tackle just about any stain you throw at it.
Pre-treat the ketchup stain with Tide Ultra OXI High Efficiency Liquid by pouring it directly onto the stain. Gently rub the fabric together or use a soft-bristled toothbrush to work the detergent into the fabric. Let the detergent sit for five minutes before rinsing the garment again.