Finally, a word of sanity about wash water temperatures
- Thread starter tomturbomatic
- Start date
I'll stick to Consumer Reports advice rather than unknowns and continue washing my clothes in coldish to warm water. quote "
When It Comes to Water, Keep Cool
Some people don’t believe cold water can clean well, but at CR, we’ve found it gets clothes just as clean and can preserve items longer than warm or hot water. In fact, most modern detergents are designed for cold water, and at CR, we test them using cool water. It’ll also save energy. If it makes you feel better, you can use hot water when you need an extra germ-killing boost. Outside of that, chill out.
I never wash clothing/fabric in tap-cold water. 85°F to 90°F is the lowest I'll go for some types of 'sensitive' items that may bleed or shrink.
I washed a couple jackets yesterday.
One states a choice of "Machine wash warm or cold, do not spin or wring, hang to drip dry" OR "Machine wash warm or cold, complete cycle with spin, machine dry at 160°F." Rather much disparate choice of methods! If it can handle 160°F drying then it doesn't require a cold wash.
The other says "Machine wash cold, gentle cycle, tumble dry low." Low on dryers typically is 125°F to 140°F.
I washed them together on the AquaSmart's designed Bulky/Jackets cycles, which is hard-coded for Warm fill (ATC of 50°C/122°F!). I set the water heater to 105°F, which makes the machine throw a hot-water fault code when it can't attain the ATC target but it doesn't stop filling while beeping in distress. Low/300 RPM final spin but I canceled it after drain and restarted Spin Only at medium/670 RPM.
I have oily hair and tend to sweat to some extent during sleep. Pillow cases develop and retain a shadow-stain if washed at less than a strong warm temperature, 112°F to 116°F is my minimum for that.
I've shared pics of the greasy brown smutz accumulation in my mother's washer via her everything in cold "because that's what you're supposed to do."
I washed a couple jackets yesterday.
One states a choice of "Machine wash warm or cold, do not spin or wring, hang to drip dry" OR "Machine wash warm or cold, complete cycle with spin, machine dry at 160°F." Rather much disparate choice of methods! If it can handle 160°F drying then it doesn't require a cold wash.
The other says "Machine wash cold, gentle cycle, tumble dry low." Low on dryers typically is 125°F to 140°F.
I washed them together on the AquaSmart's designed Bulky/Jackets cycles, which is hard-coded for Warm fill (ATC of 50°C/122°F!). I set the water heater to 105°F, which makes the machine throw a hot-water fault code when it can't attain the ATC target but it doesn't stop filling while beeping in distress. Low/300 RPM final spin but I canceled it after drain and restarted Spin Only at medium/670 RPM.
I have oily hair and tend to sweat to some extent during sleep. Pillow cases develop and retain a shadow-stain if washed at less than a strong warm temperature, 112°F to 116°F is my minimum for that.
I've shared pics of the greasy brown smutz accumulation in my mother's washer via her everything in cold "because that's what you're supposed to do."
Many programmed cycle washers did not fill with any cold wash water for the myriad of cycles they offered. Cold water came about purely as a means to save energy.
phillymatt53
Well-known member
Cold water..... Just another widely spilled bunch of propaganda that the masses will actually believe.
(Manipulation!)
Stop listening to propaganda, use your own judgement, freedom, and common sense.
Stop doing what "they say" you "should" do.
I wash my whites in HOT, and my colored in WARM, and I don't have any issues.
(and warm rinse for everything)
