Kathleen in VA Posted October 1, 2009 Share Posted October 1, 2009 We're trying to cut back on electricity to save money. I've read several places that using cold water in the wash is just as effective as hot. But I also remember reading a long time ago that only hot water will kill certain bacteria that cause odors. Dh is a letter carrier and both older dss work at physical jobs, so their laundry is, well, smelly.:) Will it get clean and odor free if I use cold water? Are there differences in the laundry detergent that is available now that enables it to clean clothes just as well in cold water as in hot? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted October 1, 2009 Share Posted October 1, 2009 Hot water. I would not willingly use cold water for the wash cycle if hot water is available. My washer uses only cold water for the rinse, and I'm fine with that, but I want *hot* water for the wash cycle(s). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K-FL Posted October 1, 2009 Share Posted October 1, 2009 Can't answer the science questions, but dh is a contractor here in the tropics. Granted our cold water isn't as cold as yours in VA, but his clothes come out fine. All our running clothes do too. I just use the powered detergent that comes in the big buckets (various brands, depending on store) & that doesn't seem to matter. If you're unsure, try washing dh's clothes separately 1 load & see what you think. You can also add Borax to see if that helps. The only time I use hot or even warm water is if I have extra dirty whites. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
usetoschool Posted October 1, 2009 Share Posted October 1, 2009 I have never had good results with cold water - either in getting things clean or getting rid of odors. My daughter is a runner and if her things get washed in cold water you can smell the body odors coming from the dryer. I use liquid Tide, if you think the detergent might make a difference. We also have fairly hard water. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renthead Mommy Posted October 1, 2009 Share Posted October 1, 2009 I just don't have enough laundry to split things out, so I wash pretty much everything in cold, including sweaty smelly gym clothes and don't have a problem. Because everything is one temp, I usually just do a load of whatever there is, meaning lights, darks adn whites. Because of that, sometimes, maybe once a month, when I haven't touched it all week or so, I'll have enough landry built up that I have a large enough collection of whites to do a white only load. Then I'll do that one on a hotter temp with a little bleach just to help keep things whiter. Sometime they get a little dingy looking, especially if there have been new jeans or something in the load. I do however put in a scoop of borax and I think that helps. I started doing that back in Texas when we had horribly hard water. It helped with the water as well as keeping things a little brighter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tammy Posted October 1, 2009 Share Posted October 1, 2009 nt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
babysparkler Posted October 1, 2009 Share Posted October 1, 2009 I'm clueless... what is Borax? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathleen in VA Posted October 1, 2009 Author Share Posted October 1, 2009 I think I'll try a load in cold water with detergent and Borax and see what happens. If that fails, I guess I'm back to hot water for the smellies. Thanks, ladies! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abbeyej Posted October 1, 2009 Share Posted October 1, 2009 I've used cold for many years on nearly everything, and am perfectly content with the results. Very few washing machines use water hot enough to have much impact on bacteria (however the dryer does have an effect!), so I don't really get that argument. I do prefer using liquid detergent in cold water, since sometimes the powdered stuff doesn't dissolve as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathleen in VA Posted October 1, 2009 Author Share Posted October 1, 2009 I'm clueless... what is Borax? There's an entry at wikipedia for the chemical composition. I've always thought of it as a laundry booster. The most common brand name is Twenty Mule Team and you find it in the laundry aisle - often hidden on a top or bottom shelf. You can also add a mixture of glue and water to it and create a fun polymer called "Goo." It's fun to play with on rainy days.:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet in WA Posted October 1, 2009 Share Posted October 1, 2009 I use the coldest water that experience has shown me will be effective. That means I almost always use warm water. Sometimes hot water is necessary and sometimes cold will suffice. But generally, my washer is set on warm. My recommendation to you is to experiment, and use whatever temperature does the job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tammyla Posted October 1, 2009 Share Posted October 1, 2009 I use cold for colors and hot for towels, sheets and any thing I want super clean. Hot also kills dust mites:tongue_smilie:. Anyway, for colors that are smelly, plain old white vinegar in the wash or rinse will leave your laundry smelling fresh. It also works as a mild disinfectant and softener. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KidsHappen Posted October 1, 2009 Share Posted October 1, 2009 I use cold water because hot water sets many stains. I have never had any problems with smells, well unless I forget a load and it stays in the wash too long. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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