Cold Water Wash?

[dogboy44]

I have been wanting to ask, but have been a little leery based on what I see here, on the Today show some months ago, they had "green guests" that were touting the virtues of washing in cold water, he stressed that he tried it on whites and it worked well. I have to tell you, I have done it several times, and everything came out really nice. Anyone else have this experience? It may be the balance of detergent and additives that I use?

 

[maytagbear]

Whites in cold water?

Not for me! I might use warm water, but I do prefer tank hot (120-130F) for whites. I use hot for whites, and for bath towels, and warm for everything else. Cold rinses for all loads, however.

Since it's just me (Boris T.Catt does his own laundry,)I don't hesitate to wash whites in hot.

Lawrence/Maytagbear

 

[toggleswitch2]

It may work nicely THIS 'round, but over time the body oils will accumulate in the clothing/towels/sheets.

IMHO water needs to be 98.6*F or 37*C MINIMUM!

 

[pulsator]

NEVER!!! I specifically do NOT allow cold water washes! Everything is to be washed in water at at LEAST 100 degrees F!!!! Whites of course are done in HOT at 140 degrees F!!!! I've even toyed with the idea of getting a small tankless water heater to heat the cold water going to the washers to 85 or 90 degrees F! I'm ok with doing cool washes, as long as the water is at least 85 degrees F! I also HATE doing cold water rinses, our water is between 35 and 40 degrees right now and it just doesn't rinse anything very well! If I had that tankless heater heating the cold water to 85 or 90 degrees F, I might consider doing cold water rinses at least! lol

 

[toggleswitch2]

Hi junior. *WAVES*

IMHO, get thee a mechanical mixing valve to temper your cold water up to a more reasoanble temp. In your istuation it woeuld mixe tap cold with hot to produce a more moderate "cool". These valves are availabale with a range of output temperatures. Key is to select one that suits your needs.

I has one to temper the hot water produced by my steam(central heating) boiler to make hot water for the taps a safer/cooler temperture.

When I wanted super-hot water for a whites wash I simply turned the knob!

Mine was Australian, but the name of which, I foget!

http://www.watts.com/pdf/pg-mxv.pdf

 

[DADoES]

I used Tide Coldwater, in cold water, for a short while, just to see how it'd do. Which it seemed to clean quite well (although highly sudsy) .. but there's just something icky about running everything in cold water as normal course.

 

[jeffg]

The enzymes used in most laundry detergents work best at moderately warm-hot temps, 100-120F. Cold water might work for very lightly soiled loads, but it causes clothing fibers to tighten up and not release ground-in dirt and stains.

 

[gyrafoam]

Glen said it right ----it is icky----regular usage of the "trailer" setting will allow a nasty black slime to build-up in areas you can't see-------FEH!

Lightedcontrols likes that Coldwater Tide too, even though he doesn't always use cold water. It is sudzy,and smells good.

I wash nearly everything in Hot and rinse whites in hot as well. In the winter, here in Roanoke, the water is too cold from the tap to provide thorough rinsing.

 

[launderess]

There is "cold" water, and there is cold water.

What is cold water in Main or even New York this time of the year is obviously colder than tap water in most parts of California.

One thing is certain oils, fats and such do not really come out of textiles when laundered in water below 85F, and even then it is better to launder most laundry at 100F.

Using more detergent or a more powerful detergent to compensate for the lack of thermal action upon textiles, can give good results.

Being as that may aside from woolens, silks and other things washed at 85F, the lowest one goes for normal laundry is 100F.

While even "hot" water does not totally destroy germs in laundry, it certianly leaves less of the buggers on one's laundry than washing in cold water.

L.

 

[pturo]

For me it depends on the load. Never cold for undies or sheets and white towels, always hot. But jeans and outergarments like bright sweatshirts, sweatpants and khaki pants I will wash in cold, using Coldwater Tide(tis sudsy) The closer the garment to the body, the hotter the water, for me. Laundress brings a good point to the table. Cold in Miami is Warm in Syracuse if you dont have a temp sensor in the fill solenoid. You are mixing here 35 degree water with 120 degree water, vs in a warm climate, the ground water could be 60 degrees mixed with 120 degree water, which is quite different.

 

[xraytech]

I have never washed anything in cold water I use warm water with a warm rinse on colors and on my good JC Penney bathroom towels that are set out. Whites, everyday towels, and my scrubs are washed in hot water. I am not too concerned with conservation of anything except wash water in summer because we are still on a well and have to be careful in summer

 

[joelippard]

Yuck!

I can't stand the thoughts of washing in cold water! Sheets and towels get HOT Water. I wash underwear and socks together and they also get Hot Water. Regular clothing gets Warm wash and rinse. My water heater is on 145 degrees and is close to the washers, I mean to cut the sludge and kill those germs! I just don't buy into all of this "green" stuff. I stand by the old-time proven methods.

 

[chuffle]

Ugh!!!

I try to be as "green" as possible (compact fluorescent bulbs throughout the house, front-loader, dry on the line as much as possible), but I draw the line at cold water only wash.

HOT water for whites and towels, warm for everything else, save for my cotton shirts. Those items get a cold water wash.

I have always been pleased with the results.

Joe

 

[brisnat81]

In australia, most people wash in cold, and have done for 20 years or so.

True that our cold water is probably 10-20degC and it does lead to scum build up in the washer, but things come clean with the way our detergents are formulated. People will run a hot wash with epsom salts every few months when they notice. Most of the germs are killed by the alkaline water and sun/heat during drying unless there is something particularily infectious, nobody seems to get sick.

I've never held with the theory, but I grew up in a house where mum did and everything was clean and bright, but she used to spend an awful lot of time pre-treating and soaking. These days I dont tend to wash below 40degC unless its a delicate item.

Hot water was seen as being expensive here, even before it was green to think that way. Probably because most houses didn't get it easily on tap until the late 60's. The washing, Dishwasher and even baths were seen as a huge waste of water. The Dishwasher on only when full, kids bathed in the same bath water and suds savers and twin tubs were common into the 80's. You just use more chemicals to make up for the loss of temp.

 

[autowasherfreak]

I wash whites in hot. Colors in either cold or warm. Sheets in either warm or hot. During the winter my colored clothes don't get that dirty so I usually wash them in cold. But during the summer months I wash them in warm.

 

[frigilux]

Two years ago, I washed everything--highly stained loads of kitchen whites included---in mechanically softened, temp-controlled cold water.

I used powdered Tide ColdWater, which was new at the time. Although it is not an HE detergent, I used it in my Frigidaire front-loader.

I had great results with all types of loads, although I did give the detergent a big boost by using liquid chlorine bleach on the loads of whites. I have to say that stains were removed just as well in temp-controlled cold water as they had been when I was using 140-degree hot water. I also noticed that kitchen towels, etc., had less wear-and-tear.

Frankly, I stopped washing in cold because I got bored with it. I wanted to experiment with different detergents, etc. But if push-came-to-shove, I'd go back to washing in temp-controlled cold water without a problem.

My only concern was slimy, gunky build-up one sometimes sees in washing machines when only cold water is used.

I also tried using cold water straight from the tap---and here in Minnesota, that's around 40-degrees in the winter---but cleaning ability on my loads of kitchen whites decreased markedly.

And there's my 4-cents.

 

[vintagesearch]

well i use cold water alot except for whites and sheets i use cold for everything and i get great results and our cold water here in ny especially in the winter feels like Anartica cold LOL. i usually do overnight soak for towels that are mixed with undies and socks. And for anything thats stained or funky and always get great results. my friends mother used cold water for everything and i mean everything she bleached her whites used powder detergent and always had great results! its more preference i guess and yea it helps use less electricity. But im still a cold water cat LOLZ.

 

[sudsman]

Just the last 2 days have had to do test with low temp washi

Had 2 samples left from a UNX rep and have tried them both. New dist. mgr over all the hospitals is after me to cold wash as much as possible.. Did a number of test just Monday and Tuesday lab work back in yesterday as follows..
Directions on samples say.12 to 15 mins. @ 90 to 120 Sorry you cans see the pics well,
2 washcloths from "Breakthru" sample washed @ 100F had only very small traces of bacteria, fell within a acceptable level. 2 washcloths washed in cold water 60F Had bacteria too numerous to count. 2 washcloths washed in 120F still had some bacteria but only a small amount and was "considerable" less than washed @ 100F they too were acceptable. 2 washcloths washed @ 140 with no bleach were near bacteria free. After tumble drying @ 180 were.
All looked quite clean and white.
In short cold water washing (under 100) is NOT the way to go.. WIth newer formulas of detergents hot water is really no longer as much of a need as it once was. I am of the old school and do like washing @ 160 but am having to change with the times and it is VERY hard. When in laundry management classes years ago we were always taught the hotter the water the better. At that time it was true.. But keep a open mind and use good judgment as there are many changes comming about. Enzyme detergent will do a very good job and must be used 90 to 120 or the higher temps will "kill" off the enzyme action. With cost as they are these days lower temp washing makes "cents" and in the long run and save big dollars.As I have proven here a number of times, Proper loading and lower temps can render a load clean. the key is to not go too low on the temps. Seems from our finding that anything below 90 is in the danger zone.

 

[sudsman]

Now known as ALM

1

 

[sudsman]

Samples

UNX chemicals

 

[sudsman]

Directions on samples

Sorry dont understand why did not come out well Reads 4 ot 6 oz for 50 lb wheel.. Wash 12 to 15 mins. @ 90 to 120.

 

[sudsman]

a note from the lab manager

In his thought it really does not pay any longer to use higher temps.. As any bacteria left on washed items will be killed when tumble drying or ironing. both methods will leave fabrics bacteria free. Temperatures in both methods will be high enough to "sanatize" all work. But still hard for me to accept.

 

[panthera]

Thanks, Lee!

It always helps to have you and Laundress on board.

Personally, I wouldn't wash my dishes in cold water and expect to kill the microbes...and their surfaces are much easier to clean, so why expect it of clothing fibers?

 

[launderess]

Remember reading a hospital manual that was printed by and for doctors, from around 1920's or so. One section dealt with hospital laundry (buidling, design, practices, etc), and it clearly recommended wash temperatures of no more than 140F, held for ten minutes as good enough for most general hospital laundry. Wash was proceeded by a warm water "pre-wash", and obviously items from infectious wards were handled differently.

Sudsman is correct, "disenfection" of laundry by temperature is not very accurate as one has no idea what bacteria one is trying to kill, and different germs are killed at different temperatures. Some "germs" can withstand 180F and above temperatures. Chemicals are much better way to go.

Being as all this may, simply laundering textiles in warm or hot water along with a good detergent or soap goes a long way towards "germ free" laundry. The buggers are disloged from laundry and flushed down the drain, alive, but still away from one's laundry.

What one wants to do is remove the muck and filth germs feed upon, from one's laundry, that is what is important. We keep our persons and households clean to reduce places for germs to get a foothold, same with laundry.

 

[launderess]

Cold Water And Chlorine Bleach

Chlorine bleach will whiten, remove stains and disenfect in cold water, which is why those who mention laundering with cold water and still having "white" whites, when adding LCB.

Activated oxygen bleaches, depending upon the formula can disenfect the same or better than LCB, and indeed such chemicals are used in Europe,where chlorine bleach never was popular. Commercial laundries on that side of the pond have access to detergents containing TAED (oxygen bleach activator), and oxygen bleach that will give total disenfection of wash loads. Wash temps must be 140F or above and held for 8 to 10 minutes. Again as boil washing is nothing new for Europe or the UK, it is not a big deal, especially when using washing machines that have built in heaters and can do a profile wash.

Such detergents as mentioned above are marketed to hospital laundries, B&B laundries, and other places that have "public" used laundry.

 

[ronhic]

Brisnat is spot on about the washing scene in Oz (well away from this forum at least).

Our family seem to have bucked this trend and I think my mother will go to the grave (and I will too) professing the benefits of 40c or higher (104F). Her 'hotel quality' white Actil cotton sheets are enough to almost blind you hanging on the line in summer. All washed at 60c with no bleach and a couple of them are well over 40yrs old.

Several of our detergent formulations are designed and promoted for cold water use. Cold Power being one of them. Most are promoted for cold water use regardless. Personally, even if they are 'cold water' formulations, I have always used them in warm (30-40c) water.

It is undoubtedly true that there is a build up of scum in washing machines as a result of cold water washing. Some of this has to do with the use of fabric conditioners too. The technical term is 'Scrud' and it is a horrible off grey oily sludge that comes about because conditioner isn't washed off the machines innards with a warm or hot wash the next time round. People who wash in warm or hot water rarely get 'Scrud'. Most people have no idea what it is until a washing machine mechanic tells them and THEN tells them to do a full hot wash with no cloths and a double dose of detergent. (Agitate and let sit for 1/2hr and then let it finish the cycle.) People only run a maintenance cycle if they know to do it.

It is an interesting comment about people not getting ill and I don't know if it can at all be attributed to cold water washing, but there appears to be an increase in general illness, lingering colds/coughs (colds in children especially) and allergies which I do wonder if some of this could be attributed to NOT washing in hot or warm water and not just the 'daycare' syndrome - particularly given Sudsmans comments above.

Many a time I as a child I reused the bathwater or vice versa from my sister and this is still common. Even with the advent of off peak storage hot water rather than continuously heated storage hot water (electric), people have this 'issue' about using it.

Personally, I like warm and hot water washing and won't change....speaking of which, the towels (60c with Persil tablets..mmmmm) have just about finished.

 

[logixx]

"Activated oxygen bleaches, depending upon the formula can disinfect the same or better than LCB"

So that's why Whirlpool insists on using OxyClean on its Sanitary with Oxi cycle. (Use this cycle to eliminate 99.9% of bacteria when used in conjunction with the Stain Boost with Heater cycle. Preset cycle setting must be used to achieve the proper sanitization. Be sure to add an oxygen based stain fighter or color safe bleach.)

As for cold water washing: I tried it (with Ariel Excel Gel) and went right back to 104/140°F for colors/whites.

 

[panthera]

I do think

that between the easily programmable electronic controls of modern machines and the range of low-temperature oxygen activators, acid-releasing agents and enzymes for now four tough areas of dirt/stain, it should be possible to set up wash programs which clean and reduce microbial loads to a safe level.

But until that happy day, my wash program is going to stay at 40C for delicates and 60C for the rest, with a boil wash for the rare occasions when I have been ill or had house guests.

Of course, there is a big difference between setting up a 140° wash in a machine with heater and putting 140° water into a machine from a hot water heater located 70 feet of pipe away, as at my parents' house.
Solved that problem by installing a 10 gallon heater right next to the FL and dishwasher in their kitchen. The water leaves the heater at 145° and the actual temperature in the washer when it begins washing is still well above 130°.
This is extremely good - to my peanut of a brain, it always seemed as tho' mixing the same volume of 40° water and 140° degree water should produce 100° water, but that is not the way Mother Nature wrote the calculations, at all.

Personally, I am an advocate of saving the environment. But when it comes to hygiene, well, near as I can tell, the microbes are winning, we are losing and anything is fair in war.

 

[sudsman]

When cold water is mentioned one MUST keep in mind

They are so wide variations to what cold water really is.. anywhere from 40 to 85 can be called cold water. DO keep in mind that many stains can be set in cold water just as they are in hot water. The "ideal" Temperature for a Prewash is 95 to 98F for a min of 3 mins. then continue with a regular wash of disired temp. There is really NO one method that is PROPER for all washes. A good laundry person relys on a number of different methods times and temperatures to achive the goal. All depends on the fabric the machine the soil content and the type of formula one wishes to use. What may work well in one machine across the street may not work well in another. Just so so many variables.

 

[logixx]

Speaking of...

I do think that between the easily programmable electronic controls of modern machines and the range of low-temperature oxygen activators [...] it should be possible to set up wash programs which clean and reduce microbial loads to a safe level.

Clean+ Technology, Whirlpool UK