Low Temperature Washing!!! Feedback Trail.....!!!

[chestermikeuk]

Need your help everyone, am doing a feedback trail with P&G regarding ARIEL powder and how it performs at lower temperatures.....this is to do with real user feedback and not lab testing etc....(they are getting dealers /servicemen to collate feedback etc)

Its linked to the government initiative as to how we "Save Power in the Future",

What I'm asking is for people to wash a normal load of clothes at Cool 30d, and tell us how it works and what stains are left behind if it doesnt???

The PRIME test is if you can do it with a load of WHITES!!! (also if you feel you have to extend the wash time/programme and /or use more powder etc to achieve this as well)

Not specific to UK as I know a lot of you use it overseas as well...AND, Robert, Greg & Jon, would welcome you feedback as well from the convention samples!!!

I know how we all feel about this, just look at the webmasters reaction when I mentioned it!!!

Results can be posted here or emailed to me, I have a month to collate any data from us, Many thanks for your co-operation and looking forward to reading your responses .....Cheers, Mike

 

[vivalalavatrice]

Whites

I wouldn't find any problem to do my whites at 30°C... but as I did it some other times ago I feel to answer this:

- low temp doesn't solve well the powder detergent (risks of residue left on fabrics), but works with less suds than the liquid one...
- oil-origin stains are the hardest to get out...no problem with the others
- the longer the cycle the better the results...

often the lower the temp the shorter the cycle! Unfortunately this is the non-applied BIOlogical theory of the wash...decrease the temperature (to save energy) and increase the time of wash...
This is instead applied onto DW here which cycles are becoming always longer and at an even lower temp...while in WM this would be better but producers think that to save energy should decrease cycles water level (so les energy to heat it up!)

Thanks to you Mike...this Energy topic would be useful for me either...for my TESI of course

BYE
Diomede

 

[spoodles]

I wash all colours at 30 and find no problems - but I never let stuff get so dirty or stained that it needs to be washed at higher temps. A 30 wash with Persil Colour Small & Mighty even got dried in blood out of a light coloured shirt - a result of a nosebleed!! - which I thought was particularly impressive.

Whites are OK done at 30 so long as you use Ariel or Persil - but particularly grubby white collars tend to need at least a 40 wash or they need re-doing. I guess the real test for whites would be washing them at 30 for months and seeing if they looked dingey. I have yet to try that!

I always use reduced time/quick wash cycles as I have never found any difference in wash performance if a full 2 hour+ cycle is used.

 

[aquarius1984]

Prob be best for me to drop you a phonecall Mike, could do with a catch up anyway. Id be very interested myself to know what happens. Im off now to remove that Low Temperature wash slime from the LG, must get round to it today or tomorrow, im almost out of clean clothes and im not letting anything in that machine until its sterile and cleaner than clean. Rob

 

[sudsmaster]

WAshing everything no warmer than 30C (86F) is great... if you like a moldy smelly washer and incompletely cleansed fabrics.

No thanks!

 

[lederstiefel1]

Washing at low temperatures

As a German I must say that we still have - and always had - the opportunity to do boil washs here in our FL, and still many, mostly older women, do when it comes to whites or boil-proof coloured articles (towels with INDANTREN colours). On the other hand hardly anyone uses chlorine bleach here in Germany for washing anymore for at least 100 years.
Me and my mate use ARIEL Cold-Wash powder for nearly 2 years now and ARIEL liquid, too, and never had any problems with mould or bad smells or dirty clothes. ARIEL advertises here on the market with "full wash power available already at 20°C".
During summer (when the cold water temperature is almost 15°/20°C) we use our SpeedQueen TL with cold wash, during winter (water is seldom above 10°C then) we use the HOTPOINT TL from UK (with heater) and our twin-tubs and single-tubs or even our FL (which all have heater elements in as we usually do not have hot water taps in the basements here in Germany) but do not raise the temperature over 40°C anymore in any of them.
The highest temperatures (35-40°C) I use in the Pulsator TwinTubs as they have very short wash-cycles (1-4 minutes!; all others wash fine with 20-30°C. Stained items I put in straight away from beginning and let them heat up in the machine together with the wash water so they are longer in contact with the detergents, soak longer and therefor break down dirt and bad stains more thoroughly.

Ralf

 

[panthera]

It depends entirely

Upon the formulation of the product one is using. I am, however, disinclined to believe anything the manufacturers promise in their advertising. They have lied grandly and badly in the past; why shouldn't they have learned to lie grandly and well today?
My experience over the last 20 years has been that between TAED and enzymes, a normal wash (roughly two hours, that is: Full wash with slow-rise to enable enzymes to work, four thorough rinses with spins in between and a final, deep rinse with 12 minute spin (six minutes as 1200rpm) will clean even the dirtiest, stained whites at 40°C.)
Given my deepest distrust in these firms, probably best I not take part in the test, am, however curiously awaiting the results.
But when I have been ill, or friends with pets have visited, it's 60°C for me...
And once a month, just out of hygiene, I do a load at boil just to make sure the machine is as clean and free of mold as possible. Haven't seen any yet, but those spores are everywhere. It is the old story with all microbes: You can't kill all of them, just keep their population down. True for washing machines, true for underwear...

 

[paulc]

Hi Mike. I used to wash a lot at 30 deg when I had my Hotpoint wd440, but now I have a hot and cold fill(we get "free" hot water in my building) machine I have got back to shorter hotter washes and have noticed a differance in the apperance of my washing, especially my white towels. I always thought they were white before but they are now super white and Iam sure it isn't just down to having a new machine.

I personally do not use P&G products, the detergent I use works very well at 30 deg, removing all the dirt but you get that extra "sparkle" with hotter water!!

I know we should all be doing our bit for the planet ( I suffer terribly from eco guilt at times ) but I do my bit in other areas so for now I am going to stick to 60 deg for towels and underwear.

Paul.

 

[nmaineman36]

I have used that Ariel that Robert is holding up and I have not tried it at the cold temp that it says to try. Using the Hot 140 on my Miele gave extremely white whites. More so than Persil. Sometimes I will mix Persil...the German Persil...with Ariel and I have to wow!. I can get the British Ariel in Peabopdy on RT 1. The other day I came across a huge bag of Chinese Tide at a Building 19...but didnt get it since I read that its very high sudsing.
Great thread!

 

[sudsmaster]

Seems to me there are much better ways to save energy than washing laundry in cold or tepid water. Let's start with SUV's driven by single drivers to/from work every day. Then there are the electricity rate breaks given to large commercial and industrial companies - the more they use, the less they pay per kilowatthour. Open refrigerated or even freezing display cases in markets. And for those who use electric water heating, putting a heating element in the washer is more efficinet, since there are no energy losses due to hot water storage tank losses, or losses in pipes between the water heater and the washer.

 

[gansky1]

Baby steps...

I agree, Rich, there are quicker ways of saving tons of energy - but that's clearly not on the mind of most Americans yet, fuel is still to cheap. Ban the SUV and people will whine endlessly, but teaching them to wash clothes, dishes and flush twice for poo is relatively whine-free and will last for generations.

I haven't given over completely to the Gen. HE life, I still have 3 gallon/flush toilets and top loading washers. I put a pretty dirty load in the 806 tonight so I've closed the lid on the dirt and grime and will post the results later.

 

[mattywashboy]

well i put a load of socks, undies and t-shirts through the whirlpool front loader on a cold synthetics wash with a new form of Cold Power liquid for front loaders and it did and oookay job but there they just didn't *feel* clean, not to mention some of the white socks still had some staining on them.

Nah, cold water washing not for me, been through that phase and didn't enjoy it. So its clothes on 40 and whites on 70 from now on and forever. Energy saving is all well and good, but there are limits.

Matt

 

[hoovermatic]

I have always been a big fan of washing at low temps and since Ariel introduced this new forulation for 30 degree washing I have done a great deal of experimenting with it.

I tried the dirty white wash at 30 and it just didn't do it for me despite using the longest wash time. I had much better results using Tesco Cold Wash if truth be known.

I always wash undies and socks together and 30 didn't leave them smelling clean enough although they were visibly clean so have reverted back to 40.

Towels were also clean but smelled musty so have gone back to 40 with no problems

All coloured clothing, formal shirts, white shirts even gym kit all gets done at 30 and is clean and fresh.

As far as bedding goes, I can't wash it in anything less than 40 and the white cotton bedding even gets 50. Guest bed that has been slept in once gets 30.

I lot depends on what mood I am in to be honest. I find in the summer I am more prone to reduce temps than the winter. Almost a comfort factor involved.

Have never had a prob with machine slime as always keep lid up for two days after use.

 

[rolls_rapide]

Have never had a prob with machine slime...

This mainly applies to liquid detergents, and to overdosing of such detergents. They tend to leave a residue over a substantial period of time. This residue clings to various parts of tub, mainly the doorseal area and the drum support-spider. Because it contains soap and body oils 'n' soils, this acts as a bacterial soup and attracts bacteria, hence the strong smell from affected machines.

Prolonged use of low temperatures and liquid detergents can apparently cause the metal drum-spider to eventually be eaten through, as the residue is alkaline and remains in contact with the metal for a substantial period of time.

Moulds and mildew are different to bacteria, and lurk where conditions are always damp. This is why the door/lid of the machine should be left ajar, to dry the machine.

Powder detergents are, by their nature, abrasive. Their cleaning and disinfecting ability is further enhanced if they have an integral bleaching system.

This is why manufacturers of washing machines mention "maintenance wash" and "powder" in the same sentence. A maintenance wash should be done regularly, especially if you use liquids, and it has to be decently hot temperature - usually not less than 60degrees C.

 

[DADoES]

30°C, 40°C, 50°C, etc.

Interesting, my F&P IWL12 is temp-controlled to 16°C for Cold+, 34°C for Warm/Cold, 46°C for Warm, and 52°C for Warm/Hot. The targets are globally-adjustable +/- 2°C, 4°C, or 6°C. Hot is tap-hot and there's also tap-Cold. The higher target temps normally come into play only for the EcoActive wash phase. The agitated wash phase is topped-off with Cold+. Of course, there's the optional "Traditional" wash, or the various "LifeCycles" that have particular temp combinations for EcoActive and deep wash.

 

[Unimatic1140]

Hi Mike, I can try washing a white wash in cool water, that is a mix of warm and cold solenoids which would bring it to around 80 to 85F, which is about as close to 30 as I'm gonna get. But my whites are very white from years of warm soaking and hot washes so I think it would take many washings at low temps and to really see what the results would be.