If you are thinking to use hot water setting on your washer because of the assumption that hot water makes your clothes cleaner, you may want to think again. Firstly, not all fabrics can withstand hot temperature, for example, washing silk with hot water will potentially damage and shrink its natural fibers. Furthermore, some protein-based stains such as blood and sweat will actually set in further if you wash them in warm water. Also, according to a consumer report, the advances in detergent formula and washing machine design have made cold water to be as effective as hot water to clean your clothes. Having said that, hot water is still an effective method to sanitize contaminated clothing items or potentially infected fabrics.
A summary of the advantages and disadvantages of using hot or cold water is as follows:
Advantages of using hot water: Kills bacteria, sanitize clothes, effective in getting rid of the smell
The disadvantage of using hot water: Risk of damaging, fading, discolouring and shrinking certain fabrics, environmentally unfriendly*
Advantages of using cold water: Minimal risk of fading, discolouring and shrinking, environmentally friendly*, more effective in removing stains
The disadvantage of using cold water: Not recommended for sanitizing and killing bacteria
For stains removal tips, you may click here to learn more!
*When using hot/warm water setting, more energy is required to power the washing machine as more energy goes into heating the water. Therefore, using cold water saves more energy, reducing the emission of carbon dioxide. Additionally, lesser energy means lower electricity usage – when you save energy, you save more money and the earth!
Alternatively, you can always send your dirty laundry to specialists like us. We are well-trained to handle your garments and let us help you to take care of the hassle of getting your laundry professionally cleaned.
