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Does anyone do laundry in cold water?


TheMagician

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TheMagician

I have a new machine, much better than the old one which finally gave up the ghost. I;m considering washing in cold water (with the exception of course - linens, DH dirty work stuff, whites and if there's sickness in the house) but wonder if it really does do a good job.


I just use the Aldi powder for everything.

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I've always washed on cold. Works fine.

My new machine adds a little hot water on the cold setting still though (my old one didn't). But the water here gets very cold.

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tinselfoil hat

I always wash in cold water too. I wouldn’t bother with those exceptions. It’s better for the environment, power bill and the soap does a good job of killing germs.

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LemonMyrtle

Only if there isn’t any other option. Here in Melbourne cold water is very cold, and I think this affects the detergent effectiveness. I like at least 30 degrees.


I don’t separate my laundry, so cold might be ok on clothes, but I wash everything together, and tea towels and towels definitely need a warm to hot wash. And cold water never gets grease stains off the kids clothes either.

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TheMagician

I always wash in cold water too. I wouldn’t bother with those exceptions. It’s better for the environment, power bill and the soap does a good job of killing germs.

 

You mean you would wash linens in cold too? If you had gastro in the house? I thought washing in cold water would only clean things but not get rid of germs. It's the temperature mixed with the detergent that sanitizers? Maybe I'm wrong?

Edited by TheMagician
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I have not washed in hot water since using my twin tub machine in the early 80s. It is just not necessary with modern washing machines and such a waste of power.

This has been for mine and my DH's uniforms too (and they were pretty bad sometimes ) cricket whites, the whole lot.

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I always wash in cold water too. I wouldn’t bother with those exceptions. It’s better for the environment, power bill and the soap does a good job of killing germs.

 

You man you would wash linens in cold too? If you had gastro in the house? I thought washing in cold water would only clean things but not get rid of germs. It's the temperature mixed with the detergent that sanitizers? Maybe I'm wrong?

Yep, vomit, poop all the things :)

The water would need to be boiling if we wanted to actually kill the germs but cold water and soap will do the trick for general household stuff.

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I think I do 40degrees, I just use 2 main settings a delicate one and an mixed load one on a bosch machine

 

Me too. I do quite a long wash with hot water if it’s full. Dh washes smaller loads and uses “intensive cold” wtf means.

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I always have until the last couple of months as where we are living has fancy machine that seems you can’t just do a cold wash, pisses me off. I much prefer cold only wash.


I never even bother to hook the hot water tap up normally. Never been an issue and we have lived cold or hot places!! I only separate washing into clothes and towels and never had issues with grease stains or anything....

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I just did a test as I have never bothered to think about the temperature of our cold water and it was 19.7 degrees. Melbourne and it is 18 degrees outside.

The only time our water is truly freezing is from the garden tap if there has been a frost. Maybe it depends on where your water comes from?

Edited by STBG +2
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tinselfoil hat

I always wash in cold water too. I wouldn’t bother with those exceptions. It’s better for the environment, power bill and the soap does a good job of killing germs.

 

You mean you would wash linens in cold too? If you had gastro in the house? I thought washing in cold water would only clean things but not get rid of germs. It's the temperature mixed with the detergent that sanitizers? Maybe I'm wrong?

 

Ok you got me, if there was vomit on anything it’d definitely be a hot wash! But otherwise sheets get washed cold here. We are in QLD though. Not sure if that makes a difference. Our cold is probably the same as others warm!

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Kiwi Bicycle

I always wash in cold water too. I wouldn’t bother with those exceptions. It’s better for the environment, power bill and the soap does a good job of killing germs.

 

You mean you would wash linens in cold too? If you had gastro in the house? I thought washing in cold water would only clean things but not get rid of germs. It's the temperature mixed with the detergent that sanitizers? Maybe I'm wrong?

 

That's what laundry santiser is for. Napisan, Dettol Laundry santiser etc. Just add to the wash. Most machines won't heat and hold at over 100 degrees anyway.

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I always wash in cold water too. I wouldn’t bother with those exceptions. It’s better for the environment, power bill and the soap does a good job of killing germs.

 

You mean you would wash linens in cold too? If you had gastro in the house? I thought washing in cold water would only clean things but not get rid of germs. It's the temperature mixed with the detergent that sanitizers? Maybe I'm wrong?

 

Ok you got me, if there was vomit on anything it’d definitely be a hot wash! But otherwise sheets get washed cold here. We are in QLD though. Not sure if that makes a difference. Our cold is probably the same as others warm!

 

With vomit I do soak and rinse first, I didn't mention that.

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My machine doesn't have a setting for cold water - it's a Miele and the lowest setting is 30 degrees.

 

Our Asko is the same. 30 degrees for Colours and it self heats. We also have a top loader and don't have the hot water connected so cold for everything.

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GrannySmith

I’ve only ever washed in cold. I never separate clothes, everything gets chucked in together on a cold cycle. Daycare educator commented on how lovely DS always smells yesterday so I going to assume this method is working just fine.

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30 degrees for everything except for bed linen for a kid with allergy to dust mites( we don’t use dryer to kill them and killing them with heat from the sun while drying on cloths lube is unreliable).

Dirty kitchen towels are waiting to be washed in a bucket with napisan. Same as soiled pants ( separated bucket!).

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See, maybe that’s it? I can’t be bothered separating out tea towels and chux, so I just wash on hot.

I do nappies, bath towels, sheets separately. Everything else is all in.

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Seayork2002

My loads are


underwear, socks, pjyamas etc.

'normal' clothes

sheets in one

and then towels in another


not always this sometimes if we are going away and I want is all done for when we get back I will mix loads but generally keep it seperate


I have been adding laundry disinfectant stuff to the towel and bedding one


We have 2 baskets for the clothes loads and the bedding/towels get done as they are changed (or live on the floor for a week or so...)

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I use 30 degrees for everything except for the loads with nappies.


Other than the prewash of nappies, I don't bother separating anything. There are better things to do in life than separate out your laundry!

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