If you’ve been in the laundry aisle lately, no doubt you’ve seen the ever-expanding selection of cold-water-only laundry detergents. You may have also had the unpleasant experience of putting a white blouse into a hot wash and pulling a pink one out. Is it best (and safest) to just wash all your clothes in cold water?
When it comes to laundry, temperature does matter. Believe it or not, your washing machine has different temperature settings for a reason. To find out which temperature works best for what clothes, we consulted CleanOrganizedFamilyHome.com, which provided helpful guidelines for selecting the proper temperature for your laundry.
Washing in Hot Water
Pros:
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Effectively cleans white clothes, very dirty or greasy clothes, diapers, etc.
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Great for cleaning sturdy fabrics
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Removes germs, e.g. effective for washing bedsheets used by someone with the flu
Cons:
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May shrink or fade clothes
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May cause dark or bright colours to run
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Not ideal for delicate fabrics or bright colours
Washing in Warm Water
Pros:
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Removes tough stains while minimizing colour fading and wrinkling
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Great for cleaning light colours that won’t run
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Provides a solid clean for sturdy fabrics (cottons, jeans, towels, etc.)
Cons:
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May cause dark or bright colours to run
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Not ideal for delicate fabrics
Washing in Cold Water
Pros:
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Effectively washes dark and bright colours that may run or fade in other temperatures
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Washes delicate fabrics
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Ideal for the removal of blood, red wine, and coffee stains
Cons:
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Limited ability to remove stains (any tough stains should be pre-treated before washing)
When it comes to properly cleaning your laundry, temperature does make a difference. While washing everything in cold water all the time will help ensure you minimize fading, running, and shrinking, it also won’t get your clothes as clean as you need them to be and you’ll end up doing more laundry in long run.
However, one time it is prudent to use cold water all the time is during the rinse cycle. CleanOrganizedFamilyHome.com recommends setting your rinse cycle to cold as this will save energy and minimize wrinkling in some fabrics.
If this all sounds like way too much work and you’re starting to think you may need a how-to manual to properly clean your laundry, why not let the professionals at Simply Laundry handle it? Our expert cleaners know exactly the right temperature to wash your clothes at so that they come out as fresh and clean as the day you bought them. Best part is, with Simply Laundry there’s nothing for you to do but sit back and relax. Place your order online and Simply Laundry handles the rest – picking up your laundry from your home and delivering it back fresh and clean right to your front door.
Nothing could be simpler, that’s why we’re Simply Laundry! Trust your clothes to our dry cleaning and laundry professionals today and never do laundry again.
Categories: Laundry, laundry wash temperatures, laundry delivery, dry cleaning delivery, Toronto