Washing Using The Cold Water Cycle

[mikey4444]

I have visited my friends in America many times over the last 40 years, and they always seem to use cold water detergents, on the cold wash in their washing machines. The only time they use a hot wash is if something is very heavily soiled, like work overalls.

I have been trying this at home for the last few weeks. I use whatever the cheapest own-brand laundry detergent I can find and very rarely use the expensive makes. Towels, tea towels and the like come out perfect...I can't see a difference to using a normal 60 degrees cycle. I usually go through 5/6 shirts a week and again these are fine on cold. ( I don't own much white stuff) Ditto with underwear.

So, are we missing an energy-saving trick here in Britain ? It has occurred to me that none of our detergents that you see on sale in the shops say specifically that they are "cold water" Do Americans have access to special detergents and if they, why can't we buy them ( bear in mind that my experiment seems to work OK using our brands )

[mallyh]

i always use lidls own formil capsules which are very good ,i have a cold fill machine but no cold wash , my washing comes out fine .

[ummmm]

I wouldn't be confident that cold water would kill bacteria or bed bugs or other nasties....

[mikey4444]

mallyh...you say that you don't have a cold wash. Most washing machines that I have used have a facility where you can vary the wash temperature ......does your machine not have that ? If so what is the lowest temp. it will allow you to wash at ?

When my American friends came over to visit in 2008, they were utterly amazed at my undercounter washer-dryer ! They even took photos of it to show the "folks back home" as they would never have believed them if they hadn't !

On a side issue, this was the first time they had been to Britain. I picked them up from Bristol Airport and as we were approaching the Severn Bridge, they started to frantically to search for their Passports, as I had earnestly assured then that they would needed at the Toll Booths !

[mikey4444]

ummmm...I hadn't thought of that but how do our Colonial Cousins manage in that department, if they only use the cold cycle ?

[ummmm]

Mine has a cold wash for trainers. I don't think it's completely cold though.

[Hopkirk]

The coldest on my machine is 30 degrees, and some of the major brands claim good wash at this temperature so this is nothing exceptional

https://www.persil.co.uk/laundry-tips/washing-at-30-degree/

[ummmm]

Would they use a cold wash if, say, someone was ill and vomited.

I just remember years ago something on telly saying that there was a rise in bed bugs because washing powers were made to work a lower temps. Could be complete nonsense but it's stuck in my head now.

[mallyh]

mikey 30 my lowest temperature but i like my towels and bedding on a 60

[mikey4444]

Thanks Hopkirk...very informative.

I was hoping that one of our North American ABers could shed some light on the different detergents on sale there. ( but I guess they are all still fast asleep ! )

[AlwaysConfused]

I do most of my washing at 30 degrees. 60 for bedding/towels etc. OH buys expensive detergent, but I would imagine cheap-as-chips own brand labels are just as good as the known brands. My then 2 year old niece drank some washing detergent a few years back. My sister called through to NHS direct immediately for advice. She was told to give the kiddy lots of water to flush it through - they said that it contains the same ingredients as washing up liquid, so nothing to worry about.

[mikey4444]

Mallyh...try washing your towels one a cold/30 degree wash a couple of times. I was amazed when I first did it, as the results were identical to the normal 60 degrees that I have been using for nearly 40 years ! I must have wasted an awful lot of money over the years on electricity bills.

I have been doing some research on the 'net this morning. Apparently we should always use cold water for blood stain removal, red wine stain removal, and coffee spills, as warm or hot will "set" the stains.

[Retrochic]

mikey in Canada we always put a scoop of Arm & Hammer in with towels and sheets as a disinfectant -well its called 'wash booster' I had a top loader which I adore as you can add things in if you forget and somehow it seems to give a better wash with all that soapy water.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Arm-Hammer-Super-Washing-Soda-Detergent-Booster-Household-Cleaner-55-oz/19407690

[mikey4444]

Thanks retrochic ! I can remember my Mum putting some ordinary washing soda (Sodium carbonate) to her old-fashioned top loader washing machine, in addition to Persil !

[netibiza]

Been doing this for years here in Spain, in fact our machines are cold fill only, most of my washing is done on 30º, it seems fine, obviously bedlinen and towels get washed on hot every other week. Ariel used to make a colkd wash powder here. Which mag says Lidl formil is the best detergent to use anyway.

[Prudie]

I think it's a toss-up between being environmentally friendly or health aware. I wonder if there is a bit of a backlash against cold water washing because it doesn't kill germs - I notice there are now washing products advertised that make the killing of bacteria their selling point. I certainly prefer bed linen and towels done on a hot wash, I feel they come out cleaner.

[Sqad]

Never washed an item of clothing in my life......

Mrs sqad says......30 deg is what she uses.

[mikey4444]

Morning Sqad and a very good morning to poor Mrs Hardworking Sqad !

[grasscarp]

Neither has my husband Sqad. It's as much as I can do to get him to put dirty clothes in washing basket. Mostly I look for his stuff when doing a wash. He doesn't Hoover either.

[Sqad]

Morning mikey.....I have put a roof over her head, given her pocket money and treated her as my equal (well almost) so at least i deserve my clothing washed.

grasscarp.....LOL.....same here....although i tell her that i am cutting down on the ironing.

[grasscarp]

He did iron something once many years ago, but only to show me how I was not doing it right!