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Last Updated on: 2nd July 2023, 03:22 pm
Did you ever get confused while using hot water for your clothes? Most consumers don’t know a whole lot about washing machines, for instance, what type of washing machine to choose or whether or not every washing machine has a dryer.
It’s okay if you don’t know everything about washing machines. One of these things is whether we should use hot water or cold water for washing our clothes in the washing machines.
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Does Your Washing Machine Need Hot Water?
The latest washing machine models don’t require a separate hot water connection alongside the cold water pipeline. You may have noticed that older washing machines have had two water inputs at the back — hot and cold.
However, the latest washing machines don’t require hot water. They only use regular (cold) water to wash their clothes.
Some consumers believe that most of the latest washing machines have built-in heaters, steam, and temperature control system that adjusts the water temperate if required.
Anyway, when you are already using a heavy-duty detergent, you don’t need to use hot water because such detergent can work best with cold water very efficiently due to its advanced cleaning formula. Also, get to know how much detergent you should use in your washing machine.
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Let’s dive deep into this and find out more about washing clothes using washing machines.
How to Choose Between Hot and Cold Water for Laundry
Selecting the right water temperature for your laundry depends on the type of clothes, load size, and the water cycle in your washing machine.
- Read the Garment Care Labels
Your clothes or the washing machine itself comes with a garment care label on which it is mentioned what temperature is suitable for a particular type of fabric. So, always make sure to follow such precautions.
- Sort similar types of fabrics together
The most effective way to boost your cleaning action is to wash similar types of clothes together since they have similar fabric properties and requirements.
- Set the first rinse cycle with Cold Water
The best way is to wash your clothes first with cold water because this will cause less damage to your fabrics like discoloration, shrinking, and fading. If you do not feel satisfied with stain removal results, now you can move towards warm or hot water.
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Water Temperature Guide for Laundry
The water temperature setting usually talks about three types of water, and it is different for each type of fabric. They include hot water, warm water, and cold water. Each of them has different cleaning effects depending on certain factors.
| Type | Fabric | Temperature |
| Hot Water | White cotton clothes (such as underwear), bath towels, sweaty garments, bed, and kitchen sheets | Up to 130 degrees Fahrenheit |
| Warm Water | Artificial fabrics like nylon, polyester, rayon, and spandex | 110 – 90 degrees Fahrenheit |
| Cold Water | Bright and dark-colored clothes | Between 80 and 60 degrees Fahrenheit |
Pros of Washing Clothes in Hot Water
- Kills germs and bacteria
Germs that are anywhere in your house, such as shower curtains, pillowcases, towels, underwear, sheets, pants, shirts, or any other place, can easily be washed away using hot water in your washing machine.
- Removes stubborn dirt and stains
Hot water molecules have the unique property of moving fast. Therefore, they can easily remove dirt particles and stains because of their best scrubbing action.
Cons of Washing Clothes in Hot Water
- Discoloration of Clothes
Hot water is good for its scrubbing and cleaning action, but on the other hand, it can also cause roughness, damage of fibers, discoloration, and shrinking of clothes. Sometimes, it also leaves permanent stains on your clothes which is the worst.
- Expensive and not Eco-friendly
Hot water uses energy that is produced by non-renewable resources. This makes it costly, and it also causes air pollution. Hence, it is expensive and not eco-friendly at the same time.
- Not suitable for woolen clothes
In a nutshell, whenever a washing machine uses hot water, its cleaning action is improved. On the other hand, this has some disadvantages also. So, use hot water during washing but in a limited amount.