Is It Permissible to Clean All Items Using Cold Water?
The aroma of freshly laundered garments can be invigorating, yet the labor involved - deciphering labels, partitioning, flipping shirts inside out, and hauling baskets throughout your dwelling - can be exhausting. Add to that, managing multiple loads and ensuring each item gets washed and dried at the ideal temperature. Cheers to this delightful news! You can now wash all laundry in cold water - a decision that brings considerable energy savings. Below, we decipher the reasons behind why you should wash your clothes in cold - and when it's wiser to opt for warm water.
Advantages Of Washing Clothes In Cold Water
By now, it's common knowledge that delicates preserve longer when they're washed in cold water. However, there are additional merits to washing the majority of your clothes in cold. Warm water can induce fabric fibers to shed, dye to bleed or fade, and clothing to gradually (or drastically) shrink. Using cold water eliminates such issues across all clothing and linens, thereby extending their lifespan. Cold water even performs better as a stain remover when it comes to organic stains such as grass, blood, and urine.
Washing everything in cold also makes your abode more energy-efficient. According to Energy Star, 90% of the energy needed to operate a washing machine is allocated for heating water. Mere transition from hot to warm water can decrease energy consumption by 50% for a single load. Cold Water Saves, a project by the American Cleaning Institute, proposes saving $200 per year by making this switch. Though it may not sound like a substantial saving, if you factor in additional financial benefits on clothing and environmental preservation, it seems an attractive prospect.
Circumstances Requiring Warm/Hot Water
Depending on the nature of the stain or the material, you might still require warm or hot water:
- Warm water is more competent in eliminating greasy stains, tending to heavily soiled clothes, and neutralizing odors. Bath towels and olfactory burdensome socks should ideally be cleaned with warm water.
- You'll need to employ hot water to sanitize articles of clothing and linens if someone in your household has been unwell. Cloth diapers should also receive the hot water treatment.
After all, many detergents do not disperse adequately in exceptionally cold water - requiring water temperature closer to room temperature to activate stain-removing agents. If your water drops below 60 degrees Fahrenheit, apply warm water during the wash cycle and cold to rinse.
Tips For Washing In Cold
To achieve optimal results while washing your laundry with cold water, adhere to these guidelines:
- Opt for liquid detergent: Majority of powdered detergents demand warm water for thorough dissolution.
- Select cold-water detergent: If your home's water frequently drops to around 60 degrees, opt for detergent formulated specifically for cold water.
- Pre-treat stains: Pre-treating (and soaking, if necessary) enhances the likelihood of stains remitting during washing.
- Pre-soak: For fabrics heavily soiled in cold water, use the pre-wash or heavy soil cycle.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does washing in cold water exterminate germs? To eliminate bacteria and other germs, you must wash your laundry in hot water, at least 140 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Does cold water cause clothing to shrink? Cold water decreases the likelihood of your clothes shrinking, but you should also dry clothing on low heat or air-dry them to preclude shrinkage.
Washing your clothes in cold water, as suggested by Southern Living, can help preserve delicates and extend their lifespan by preventing fabric fibers from shedding, dye from bleeding or fading, and clothing from shrinking. This energy-efficient method can save you up to $200 per year, according to Cold Water Saves, by significantly decreasing the energy consumption required for heating water.
However, certain stains and materials may require warmer or hot water. For instance, greasy stains, heavily soiled clothes, and items with strong odors may benefit from washing in warm water. Additionally, if someone in your household has been unwell or you're dealing with cloth diapers, hot water can help sanitize these items.
