Is it better to wash in cold or warm water? The answer may surprise you
Washing is not one of the most complicated household chores. You simply put clothes in the drum, add detergent, set the appropriate program and turn it on. However, even here, you can make a mistake.
Each washing machine has a temperature selection option, and there are several options. Starting from cold, through lukewarm, to very warm and hot.
Meanwhile, most people always choose the same one or limit themselves to two different ones. Usually, it is 40 degrees Celsius and 60 degrees Celsius. And contrary to appearances, these are not optimal settings at all.
Is it better to wash in cold or warm water?
It is worth knowing that the device uses the most electricity to heat the water. Therefore, washing in cool or completely cold water is more ecological and cheaper. Experts have calculated that heating water to 40 degrees Celsius requires almost twice as much energy as in the case of 30 degrees Celsius. And the clothes will not be cleaner at all.
What’s more, modern detergents are also great at removing dirt in cold water. Often, there is no need to heat it up, because the effect will be the same, only the bills will be higher. In some cases, instead of removing stains, warm or hot water can actually set them in place – this is the case, for example, with blood stains.
As you can see, cold water is not so bad after all, and it is good to get used to it. Our clothes will also benefit from it, as they will retain their colour and shape longer. Frequent washing at high temperatures can cause colours to fade and damage the structure of the fabric.
Does this mean that a higher temperature in the washing machine is completely unnecessary? Not really. It is worth using it if we want to disinfect the material, for example after an illness. It also works well for white, cotton bed linen or towels.
They say that habit is second nature to man and most of us instinctively choose warm or even hot water for washing. Completely unnecessarily, because our wallets and clothes suffer, and everyday dirt can be successfully removed with good-quality powder and cold water.