Does cold water washing cause mold?

[norgechef]

Lately I have been reading up on people washing in all cold water and then have it causing bad mold problems but what most concerns me is can using cold water for every wash cycle cause your tub seal to go bad quicker? I have a Maytag performa (Ensignia labled) washer that has MAV2757AWW for the model number and i know if the model number is SAV then tub seal failure was prevalent in those models.......i guess what im asking is what are the chances of me using all cold water in my washer causing a problem with the seal and is any of what im reading even true because i think 20% or less of what you read on the internet is true (and im being generous in saying that) so theres a question only true washer experts would know.

 

[kenmore71]

It can be true. Some of it depends on whether or not you leave damp clothes in the washer for an extended period of time after the cycle is finished, some of it depends on whether or not you leave the washer lid open in-between uses and it also depends on how COLD your cold water is. There is a significant difference between Phoenix cold water in the summer (90-ish degrees) and Minneapolis cold water in January (about 40 degrees).

If you remove laundry from the washer promptly and leave the lid open between uses I doubt that you will have trouble with mold.

That said, I wash with 150 degree water and chlorine bleach about once every two weeks in my Mayatg and I have have NO issue with mold.

 

[combo52]

Cold Water Washing and Mold

I do see lots of evidence that people who routinely wash most or all their clothing in cold water have a lot more problems with moldy-smelly washers. We believe this is caused by the lack of cleaning you get at lower temperatures which leaves behind dirt and oils that coat the outer tub and main seal areas.

 

Most people do not realize that to clean clothing in cold water that you must use up to twice as much detergent to do the same job. So when you calculate the cost of detergent or the hot water you would it usually comes out cheaper and more environmentally friendly to go the hotter water route.

 

While I am sure rinsing or just running your washer with cold water would do no harm [ in fact cold water would probably make rubber seals and hoses last longer, even the hot water inlet hose fails more often than the cold water inlet hose on a washer ] it is the soils that build up on and around the seals that keep these areas damp and allow excess corrosion occur, this same thing diffidently coats the major aluminum parts that are in virtually all washers are causes the corrosion problems that we see.

 

[arbilab]

I would use not less than 100F. Below that, body soils turn to wax.

 

[ozzie908]

Mould problems.

I have witnessed mould growth in a washer always on warm/cold washes it was like a pink sludge that reminded me of animal fat in a blender, it coated the top part of the outer drum as it dried the smell was quite something. The door boot was black which came off with bleach but it was due to being closed to contain the stench after each cycle.
I repaired the bearing and said to the owner it would be less impact on the environment to hot wash as it would to replace the machine. I believe my advice was heeded as the washer went on for a number of years after.

Austin

 

[brummybear]

Vinegar

I wash in cold or warm water 99% of the time. But I give it a very hot wash every couple of months and add a bottle of white vinegar.

The washer emptys into the sink and I am always amazed how much crap comes out and left in the sink after doing this.

 

[pierreandreply4]

me i mostly wash in cold water and never had mold in my washer and all my loads whites light colored clothes or dark coloreds clothes are all wash in cold water and i never had mold in my washer.

 

[combo52]

Cold Water washing

To Eean if when you clean your washer periodically stuff comes out you can not possibly be getting cleanest possible clothing out of your washer. We have used washers come into our shop all the time for rebuilding and it is amazing the crap that comes out of the drain hose when you start using the washer properly with a little hot water, plenty of detergent and some LC bleach.

 

The same thing is true of DWs, if the machine is getting dirty while it is suppose ability cleaning your dishes it just does not add up, for the most part it should NEVER be necessary to clean a clothes washer or dishwasher if the machine is being used properly.

 

[rolls_rapide]

I wash coloureds at 40°C, apart from lycra items which get 30°C as recommended on the care label. Powder or liquid detergents, usually liquid with the lycra items, although the powders do make the laundry smell cleaner and fresher.

Whites get 60°C with a powder that contains its own oxygen bleaching agent: usually Daz, sometimes a different brand. The whites are always blazing white, especially compared to the neighbours' laundry!

 

[rolls_rapide]

"for the most part it should NEVER be necessary to clean

Agreed. The machines are supposed to be self-cleaning - if used properly with hot cycles. After all, you wouldn't attempt to clean a greasy pan by hand, in the sink, with tepid water, would you now?

 

[whirlcool]

I have found that the use of cold water combined with liquid detergents is the worst culprit.

But then again my nutty sister has a Kenmore 2T and she uses liquid Tide by the CUP full, uses Downy until the dispenser overflows and always washes in cold water.
She also never keeps the door to the washer open because the cats will go in there and use it as a litterbox.

Yet she has had this machine for 7 years and still has no odor at all! Go figure.

 

[combo52]

Odor Free washing in Cold Water

Allen it is possible to get clothing fairly clean in cooler water temperatures, as I mentioned in an earlier post you just have to use a lot of detergent. The number of cases of customers using too much laundry detergent and causing some sort of problem with either the laundry or the washer is outnumbered 10 to 1 by the folks that use too little.

 

[Iowegian]

Molds need a combination of favorable temperature, moisture and a food source to grow.

Some molds are considered good - like the ones that give some cheeses their distinctive flavors. Or Japanese sake that uses a certain form of aspergillus mold. But other kinds of aspergillus are toxic.

I don't know what the "bad" molds found in washers use as a food source. But it's pretty clear that moisture is available, and a wide range of temperatures exist in washers depending on ambient conditions and water temperatures.

I'm not convinced that cold water washing is always a bad thing - Proctor and Gamble is marketing a specific version of Tide called "Tide Coldwater" - and certain equipment manufacturers, like Maytag, are partnering with them to promote it. One would think that P&G wouldn't march into a liability trap if it were clear that washing in cold water was a universally bad thing.

 

[Iowegian]

@combo52:

I have heard people blame bearing failures (suds crawling through seals and dissolving lubricants) and spider failures (corrosion) from using too much detergent. What is your thought on this?

 

[DirectDriveDave]

Do any of you leave your dishwasher slightly open for a while after unloading? we never have (with no problems), but just something I happened to think of.

 

[beekeyknee]

Mark's right and I agree with John completely on this. Grease and dirt will not release in cold water, for the most part.

Put some butter in a cold skillet and it sets there; put it in a hot skillet and shazam, it melts. Combine this with the right chemicals and agitation and shazam again! Out comes the mess.

The ladies back in the day knew all about it. They didn't have our fancy chemicals but they had the heat. They had to keep an eye on that boilin' pot, though. One slip-up and scarred for life or death.

Just ask, "Launderess". She can tell you all about it. Not that she's a lady from back in the day. Pardonnez-moi, Madam.

There is also a book that I enjoy, if one can get a hold of it. It's called, "Laundry: The Home Comforts Book of Caring for Clothes and Linens", by Cheryl Mendelson. I've gleaned much information from it.

Happy fall everyone. Enjoy this time of nice weather and pretty colors before the time of hectic holidays and the sequestration of winter sets in.

Brian

 

[Iowegian]

@DirectDriveDave:

Good Point.

You are correct - we run the machine, unload it, and there's still a bunch of moisture left in it, even with the rinse aid and using the dry cycle. But we keep the door shut and latched. No funkosis that we know of.

 

[kenmore71]

Dishwashers are a whole different deal for a number of reasons. First of all, many detergent contain a significant amount of chlorine bleach. Secondly, as far as I know, all dishwashers made within the last 20 years heat the final rinse water to at least 125 degrees. If you add a heated dry on top of that, any water that's left in the machine will be mostly bacteria-free by the end of the cycle.