Should I wash clothes in hot or cold water?
Washing with the right water temperature helps increase cleaning efficiency and preserve the durability and newness of clothes; So is it better to wash clothes with hot or cold water?
Choosing water temperature when washing is often overlooked by many people, while this factor directly affects fabric quality, longevity, color of clothes and cleaning performance.
Should I wash clothes in hot or cold water?
In fact, choosing water temperature to wash clothes depends on certain factors such as fabric material, stain characteristics, soil level…
Is washing clothes in hot or cold water cleaner? (Photo: The Spruce)
When should you wash clothes with hot water?
Hot water is suitable for removing grease stains, stubborn stains, removing mold, bacteria, stains on white clothes… However, before washing with hot water, you should see the additional label. on clothes to see if the product is suitable for washing at high temperatures.
In addition, hot water is effective in killing germs and bacteria. Therefore, if you have clothes or items in your house that are suspected of being contaminated, such as towels, bed sheets, etc., washing them with hot water is a good way to disinfect them.
For particularly dirty clothes, such as sportswear, socks and underwear, hot water is a good choice to ensure that your clothes will be truly clean and odorless after washing.
White or light-colored clothes with light fabrics are better washed in warm water.
Choose the appropriate temperature for each different type of fabric to ensure the durability of the clothes. (Photo: The spruce)
When should you wash clothes with cold water?
All fabrics can be cleaned with cold water. However, with stubborn stains, cold water will take more time to wash.
Cold water is recommended for fabrics such as silk, wool, linen, hand-dyed clothes, clothes with protein stains…
For clothes with mixed light and dark colors, use cold water to wash because they will help prevent fading, discoloration, and stains on other clothes. Hand-dyed colors are also susceptible to fading when exposed to hot water, so choose cold water to wash this type of clothing.
For difficult-to-wash fabrics like wool and silk, use a cold wash to protect the fibers from damage and shrinkage.
One of the main benefits of cold water washing is energy savings. By regularly reducing the washing temperature, you will save more energy, protect the environment, and save your family money.
If you want a balance between cleaning and saving electricity, choose a washing water temperature between 40°-60°C. This is a great, all-round choice for most types of clothing such as jeans, neutral colored clothes.
How to choose the appropriate temperature for each type of fabric
Setting the appropriate washing machine temperature for each type of fabric will help wash effectively and keep clothes looking beautiful longer.
- From 30 degrees C – below 40 degrees C: Suitable for thin, easily torn, easily faded fabrics, clothes made from synthetic fibers and pure wool.
- 40 degrees Celsius: Suitable for cotton, pure wool, fleece, blankets, bed sheets… With special fabrics such as silk, silk, sportswear, dark colors, wool, you cannot choose this temperature level and higher levels.
- From 40 degrees C – below 60 degrees C: Suitable for underwear, towels, diapers and some clothes made from synthetic fibers.
- 60 degrees Celsius: Suitable for colorfast clothes and fabrics made from cotton and linen.
- From 60 degrees C – below 95 degrees C: Suitable for washing children’s clothes, thick underwear or clothes made from non-fading materials such as shirts, pajamas, and white cotton.
