A Dash of Cold Water
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iheartmaytag
Well-known member
I have tried Tide Cold water and have noting bad to say about it. I prefer the Cold Water Free & Clear as the regular is too perfumey. (is that a word?)
There are still many stains that my daughter generates that needs to be pretreated, and several that even with warm washing still remains. I use the cold cycle for delicates, but I still prefer that my towels and sheets are washed in hot so I use Sear's detergent there.
BTW--Downey has a Free & Clear fabric softener that is pretty good. You get the softness without the smell.
There are still many stains that my daughter generates that needs to be pretreated, and several that even with warm washing still remains. I use the cold cycle for delicates, but I still prefer that my towels and sheets are washed in hot so I use Sear's detergent there.
BTW--Downey has a Free & Clear fabric softener that is pretty good. You get the softness without the smell.
maytagbear
Well-known member
Since it is just me,
(Rosa does her own laundry, and heats her own water), I will keep using hot water for towels and underwear. I rinse towels and underwear in cold water.
I'm willing to wash everything else in cold, however. But, and this is big, I do not feel like buying a separate detergent for cold water!
Lawrence/Maytagbear
(Rosa does her own laundry, and heats her own water), I will keep using hot water for towels and underwear. I rinse towels and underwear in cold water.
I'm willing to wash everything else in cold, however. But, and this is big, I do not feel like buying a separate detergent for cold water!
Lawrence/Maytagbear
lordkenmore
Well-known member
Someday I might consider trying Tide Cold Water. But at a distance, I have some concerns:
-Tide is so expensive that part of the cost savings going cold water will go down the laundry tub.
-I tend to avoid Tide in general. I have sensitive skin, and I wonder if regular Tide use (any type of Tide) wouldn't be a problem based on reports from others with similar skin problems. I hear of others who've had huge problems with skin trouble after switching to Tide Cold Water.
-Tide--at least regular Tide--heavily uses optical brighteners, which I don't like.
-I wonder if there are issues with unwanted build up in hidden parts of washers if Tide Cold Water and cold water are used exclusively.
-What is the fun of having and using only one detergent brand? I like to switch regularly.
Still, it's nice that Tide has this option--some people appear to be really happy with it.
-Tide is so expensive that part of the cost savings going cold water will go down the laundry tub.
-I tend to avoid Tide in general. I have sensitive skin, and I wonder if regular Tide use (any type of Tide) wouldn't be a problem based on reports from others with similar skin problems. I hear of others who've had huge problems with skin trouble after switching to Tide Cold Water.
-Tide--at least regular Tide--heavily uses optical brighteners, which I don't like.
-I wonder if there are issues with unwanted build up in hidden parts of washers if Tide Cold Water and cold water are used exclusively.
-What is the fun of having and using only one detergent brand? I like to switch regularly.
Still, it's nice that Tide has this option--some people appear to be really happy with it.
yogitunes
Well-known member
Exactly....wheres my savings if I have to spend more on detergent to save on the cold water setting..........we in AW have discussed ways to work around cold water, and have not come up with good results.....
besides I think we already save a lot on the cold rinses alone.....
Tide Cold Water may be more advanced in cleaning most stains in cold water.....but now your gonna have to spend money also on a Washing machine Cleaner to get rid of the mold/mildew build up in the machine because of the cold water washes.....theres another one, running an empty machine to clean itself.....
dollar for dollar.......I think your better off using warm or hot water, all cold rinses.......a simple detergent like Sears UP, and bleach on ocassion........your clothes and machine will be cleaner, and more cash will stay in your pocket in the long run......
Whats next....dishwashers that run on cold water only!...with NO hot water heating option!.....some things you cannot build a better mouse trap for!
besides I think we already save a lot on the cold rinses alone.....
Tide Cold Water may be more advanced in cleaning most stains in cold water.....but now your gonna have to spend money also on a Washing machine Cleaner to get rid of the mold/mildew build up in the machine because of the cold water washes.....theres another one, running an empty machine to clean itself.....
dollar for dollar.......I think your better off using warm or hot water, all cold rinses.......a simple detergent like Sears UP, and bleach on ocassion........your clothes and machine will be cleaner, and more cash will stay in your pocket in the long run......
Whats next....dishwashers that run on cold water only!...with NO hot water heating option!.....some things you cannot build a better mouse trap for!
I refuse to continue reading past "Although some of these detergents have been available for several years, customers cling to mom’s age-old advice that hot water washes best — squandering energy and contributing to greenhouse gas emissions." I'm never going to wash a towel that passes through the folds and crevices of my flesh with cold water just because a detergent maker claims I can and politicized pseudo-science says I must.
White 100% cotton towels, hot water, chlorine bleach. Anything less is a dirty towel.
White 100% cotton towels, hot water, chlorine bleach. Anything less is a dirty towel.
westingman123
Well-known member
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This, just after I heard on the radio that most American washing machines are contaminated with fecal matter and ecoli! Yuck, yuck, yuck. Makes you understand why our Grandmothers boiled laundry.
If I recall correctly, John said most washing machines that use cold water exclusively have detergent build-up problems, too. More yuck.
Give me hot water for whites. I'll pay a little more on the gas bill.
If I recall correctly, John said most washing machines that use cold water exclusively have detergent build-up problems, too. More yuck.
Give me hot water for whites. I'll pay a little more on the gas bill.
the only time I purposely select cold wash is when I do a cold prewash on my whites with Biz. then I do a hot water wash. I haven't used chlorine bleach in years. Until sometime this year, I'd been using Sears HE Stain Fighter formula. Back in the spring sometime I switched to Tide HE (and then the new with bleach HE) when I could get my hands on it for whites, my light colored sheets, and lighter colored towels. I have two 120 load boxes of Cheer HE I got from Sams and started using one of them last weekend (had to finish the Sears Ultraplus). I have somewhat sensitive skin and as long as I wash my hands after putting in the dosage of detergent, my hads don't break out and crack on the skin. Have ha no problems on my body either, but the extra rinse and washing in a front loader period probably help with that. I did have problems growing up with irritation with Tide being used, but then there was no 2nd rinse or it wasn't used when it was available when my mom did laundry. Whites (undes kitchen stuff); towels, and sheets are done in hot water 120 degrees or more. My flannel sheets are washed in warm. And I will also add, I did boil some whites with boiling water added through the dtergent dispenser) last spring (and I believe Id ocumented it here), which ended up having stains removed that had been set in. So that proved to me even hotter water washes even better for whites.
ozzie908
Well-known member
To prove or not that really hot water helps...
Tomorrow sunday I am going to try boiling some whites with Ariel powder similar to your Tide I think and will see if they look any better I will let you know...!
Austin
Tomorrow sunday I am going to try boiling some whites with Ariel powder similar to your Tide I think and will see if they look any better I will let you know...!
Austin
I washed everything in temp-controlled cold water using liquid Tide Cold Water and a first-generation FrigiLux front loader for about a year---maybe a year-and-a-half. I used, as I always have, liquid chlorine bleach for whites. To be honest, I had great results.
Why did I switch back to using other temps? I was bored using the same detergent all the time!
Nothing cleans my loads of heavily-stained kitchen whites like the Sanitize cycle on my new generation FrigiLux. It amounts to a profile wash, starting with cool water and heating it to 155 degrees. I use UK Persil Bio powder for those loads, as that detergent is made for long wash cycles.
I could certainly switch back to temp-controlled cold for everything else. In fact, my washer has basically done that for me. Hot water is really only warm, and warm is what used to be temp-controlled cold in my former washer.
I highly recommend liquid Tide Cold Water. It's a great detergent. HOWEVER...if you live in a cold climate, as I do, its stain removing power decreases noticeably when water temperatures go below 55 degrees or so.
Why did I switch back to using other temps? I was bored using the same detergent all the time!
Nothing cleans my loads of heavily-stained kitchen whites like the Sanitize cycle on my new generation FrigiLux. It amounts to a profile wash, starting with cool water and heating it to 155 degrees. I use UK Persil Bio powder for those loads, as that detergent is made for long wash cycles.
I could certainly switch back to temp-controlled cold for everything else. In fact, my washer has basically done that for me. Hot water is really only warm, and warm is what used to be temp-controlled cold in my former washer.
I highly recommend liquid Tide Cold Water. It's a great detergent. HOWEVER...if you live in a cold climate, as I do, its stain removing power decreases noticeably when water temperatures go below 55 degrees or so.
What does it matter anyway?
If the hot water or electricity is generated via renewable energy why worry about washing hot/warm? Under such conditions the environmental reasons touched on in the article make absolutely no sense.
Isn't this just another marketing ploy to renew an old concept, repackage it as enviro-sensible and watch the $$$ rolling in? I can see where it becomes much easier and cheaper for manufacturers to only offer one blanket formulation that can be repackaged for different consumer interests, rather than offering a range of different formulations for varying customer needs.
If the hot water or electricity is generated via renewable energy why worry about washing hot/warm? Under such conditions the environmental reasons touched on in the article make absolutely no sense.
Isn't this just another marketing ploy to renew an old concept, repackage it as enviro-sensible and watch the $$$ rolling in? I can see where it becomes much easier and cheaper for manufacturers to only offer one blanket formulation that can be repackaged for different consumer interests, rather than offering a range of different formulations for varying customer needs.
whirlcool
Well-known member
I think it's because if washer manufacturers can sell washers that only wash and rinse in cold water they will be cheaper to make AND they could sell them at a higher price because it's a "new concept". Hmph!
This is just another reason to keep whatever washer you have now even longer. Especially if it has a true hot wash and warm rinse option.
I have sensitive skin and I have not had any problems since I started rinsing my clothes in warm water. We wash whites and sheets and towels in hot water. Everything else warm/warm. How else are you going to get body oils etc out of your clothes? I don't think cold water will do it. Every other week I wash whites on warm with some bleach thrown in. That'll kill anything that may be living in the washer.
This is just another reason to keep whatever washer you have now even longer. Especially if it has a true hot wash and warm rinse option.
I have sensitive skin and I have not had any problems since I started rinsing my clothes in warm water. We wash whites and sheets and towels in hot water. Everything else warm/warm. How else are you going to get body oils etc out of your clothes? I don't think cold water will do it. Every other week I wash whites on warm with some bleach thrown in. That'll kill anything that may be living in the washer.
lordkenmore
Well-known member
"If the hot water or electricity is generated via renewable energy why worry about washing hot/warm? Under such conditions the environmental reasons touched on in the article make absolutely no sense."
This is true. Unfortunately, here is the reality in the US:
-A lot of our power comes from coal. Not exactly renewable.
-I don't know what the infrastructure is like right now with power lines--but I assume it's about to fall apart at the seams like so many other parts of infrastructure (roads, bridges, etc, etc).
Making an effort to conserve could help both issues until a real fixes can be made--updating/improving power lines, possibly renewable power, possibly new and improved coal plants, etc, etc, etc.
I'm not holding my breath waiting for this to happen. It seems to me that ending dependence on foreign oil has been seen as Very Important since 1970-something. We're still waiting on that one...
This is true. Unfortunately, here is the reality in the US:
-A lot of our power comes from coal. Not exactly renewable.
-I don't know what the infrastructure is like right now with power lines--but I assume it's about to fall apart at the seams like so many other parts of infrastructure (roads, bridges, etc, etc).
Making an effort to conserve could help both issues until a real fixes can be made--updating/improving power lines, possibly renewable power, possibly new and improved coal plants, etc, etc, etc.
I'm not holding my breath waiting for this to happen. It seems to me that ending dependence on foreign oil has been seen as Very Important since 1970-something. We're still waiting on that one...
"Unfortunately, here is the reality in the US:"
Unfortunately this is also the reality in Australia. Years of industry inaction, privatization and government inertia have brought us to a similar point where the easy solution is to deflect the onus (of not fixing the problems) back onto consumers. We've had electricity price increases of over 30% in the last 3 years. That seems to be the blanket solution to everything - raise prices and tell everyone that using electricity is morally wrong. Businesses and households, who can't afford to stick solar panels on their roofs, are doing it tough.
Unfortunately this is also the reality in Australia. Years of industry inaction, privatization and government inertia have brought us to a similar point where the easy solution is to deflect the onus (of not fixing the problems) back onto consumers. We've had electricity price increases of over 30% in the last 3 years. That seems to be the blanket solution to everything - raise prices and tell everyone that using electricity is morally wrong. Businesses and households, who can't afford to stick solar panels on their roofs, are doing it tough.
Have you seen the NEW wind turbines? They have a ring around the perimeter of the blades and produce almost twice the KWs from the same speed (amount?) of wind. There is probably a technical term I don't know. Sorry. I believe the technology comes from Japan. Unfortunately, carbon-based energy industries and the money/power they wield have so insinuated themselves into the governments of so many nations that any effort to move away from them is tantamount to walking against a tsunami. It was only after Senator Robert Byrd of West Virginia died that the plant that provides steam and chilled water to the Legislative Branch buildings on Capitol Hill was able to switch from coal to natural gas.
yogitunes
Well-known member
I'm curious......
some machines have temp controlled water....some to make cold water cool....others to make HOT tap water warmer....
what about in a laundromat?.......I was in one the other day....Matag TL's, and you could tell they were washing in HOT water......the steam was rising out of the machines like a pan of boiling water on a stove top.......
I didn't see one machine set on cold wash....
now why aren't these places forced to dub down, or give a warm or cold option only?......
yet our home machines are!
some machines have temp controlled water....some to make cold water cool....others to make HOT tap water warmer....
what about in a laundromat?.......I was in one the other day....Matag TL's, and you could tell they were washing in HOT water......the steam was rising out of the machines like a pan of boiling water on a stove top.......
I didn't see one machine set on cold wash....
now why aren't these places forced to dub down, or give a warm or cold option only?......
yet our home machines are!
