Technological advancement has ensured the use of both hot and cold water for rinsing clothes in Washing Machines. But there remain a lot of unanswered questions relating to rising clothes using cold water in a Washing Machine. Many people believe cold water will not help Washing Machine to rinse dirty laundry.
So, Do the Washing Machine Rinse In Cold Water? Yes, Washing Machine rinses in cold water. You can obviously use cold water to clean your clothes, and the best part is it has got a lot of advantages. However, you need to maintain a definite lower temperature and use the detergents that will perfectly dissolve in cold water.
In this article, you will get to know a lot about the relationship between cold water and Washing Machines. You will also get to know about the benefits and disadvantages of using cold water in a Washing Machine.
I will also provide a detailed guideline where you will get to know when and why you should use hot water or cold water in a Washing Machine.
So, without any further ado, let us get started. Happy reading.
Does Washing Machine Rinse With Cold Or Hot Water?
Washing Machines can use both hot and cold water as per requirements. Both carry different pros and cons. However, you can use the hot water option only when the Washing Machine allows.
There are many Washing Machines that do not give you the privilege of using hot water for the cleansing process. Well, these only use the regular tap water at its own temperature.
Using hot water in Washing Machine will help to get rid of the stubborn stains and shrinks from the fabrics. It also cleans the oily or sweaty clothes effectively.
On the other hand, using water at cold or regular temperature is a cost-effective option as it will not only save electricity bills, but the Washing Machine that only uses cold water is the lowest priced Washing Machine.
The washing machine uses almost 90% of its energy just to heat the water. Moreover, the cold water resists the clothes from shrinking or being hard. It also keeps the fabric’s color intact.
No matter which cloth you intend to wash, try to check the label before washing as the washing conditions will be mentioned there. Never use too much hot water or the water below 60 Degree Fahrenheit, which might make it difficult for the detergent to dissolve.
Does Rinse And Spin Use Cold Water?
As mentioned earlier, a washer can have either a hot and/or cold water system. However, by default, a Washing Machine will always have the way to use the cold water from the tap. Modern advancements have brought the facility to use hot water.
The Washing Machine will come with a definite programming system where just by simply pushing a button extra, the Washing Machine will be able to use hot water. If this function is missing, you can only use cold water while cleaning your clothes.
By default, every washing machine can use the cold or regular temperature water from the attached tap. So, if you are wondering if your Washing Machine uses cold water for rinsing and spinning, let me tell you that it completely depends on the Washing Machine you own.
That is if you use a Washing Machine that only uses cold water, then rinses and spin will be done using the cold water. But if your Washing Machine has both cold and hot water using the facility, the option you selected while setting the program will be used.
Does Washing Clothes In Cold Water Kill Germs?
Yes, washing your clothes with cold water will kill germs up to a certain level. However, you might need to add some disinfectants. Unlike hot water, there is no surety that using cold water to clean dirty laundry will kill germs.
If you want to kill the germs present in the clothes, you will need to use hot water. Hot or warm water will sanitize the clothes by killing germs. Cold water might kill some bacteria all by itself, but using some disinfectant will surely do the job perfectly.
That is if you want to sanitize the clothes using cold water, adding some disinfectant with detergent will give you the maximum result.
What Is The Ideal Temperature Of The Water To Clean Different Type Of Fabrics?
For most types of fabric 90 – 130 °F is considered ideal. But washing clothes can be done using hot, warm, or cold water. Nonetheless, all of these options have their own benefits and drawbacks. Mostly bright and dark-colored delicate fabrics should be washed using cold water.
No matter what the temperature of the water is, you first need to know if the cloth can bear this temperature or not. Along with that, you will also need to know if the water can dissolve your detergent or not.
There are some detergents that may not dissolve or might take so much time to dissolve in cold water. Then again, some fabrics might get hardened after washing with hot water.
You can check the attached label to the cloth to know the conditions of cleaning that particular cloth. All most all garments mention the washing instructions in the attached label.
Let me provide you with a table so that you can get the basic idea;
| Type of Water | Temperature | Type of Fabric |
| Hot Water | 130 °F | White-colored cloths, kitchen or bed linen, baby or aged person’s clothes, bath towels, and many more. |
| Warm Water | 90 -110 °F | Nylon, Spandex, light clothes, polyester, baby clothes, undergarments, Carpets, and many more. |
| Cold Water | 60 – 80 °F | Bright and dark-colored clothes, regularly used clothes, soft and delicate fabric. |
Pros And Cons Of Washing With Cold Water
Using cold water for cleaning dirty clothes has both advantages and disadvantages. It would be best if you were very careful before making the decision. You need to know if the cold water is capable of cleaning the dirty cloth or not.
For better understanding, let me provide you with a table containing all the pros and cons of using cold water for the washing process.
| Pros of Using Cold Water | Cons of Using Cold Water |
| The fabric will not shrink or lose its shape | Removing the stains or dirt can be challenging. |
| It will save on energy bills | Cold water can damage nylon, linen, polyester, or rayon blends. |
| Less harmful to the environment; less microfiber pollution. | The level of sanitizing of the clothes is very minimum. |
| Less harm to the clothes | Many detergents do not dissolve in cold water or might take a lot of time to dissolve. |
| The color of the fabric does not fade. | White garments and underwear might not be completely cleaned using cold water. |
| Cold water can reduce wrinkles, so the need for ironing can be minimized. | It takes a lot of time to clean the clothes. |
| By default, all Washing Machines come with a cold water facility. | Not every clothes can be cleaned using cold water. |
Now you know how cold water can affect or care for your clothes and different kinds of fabrics. You need to use the cold water adequately for the definite type of fabrics to get the best result.
Related Questions
Do Washers Rinse In Hot Water?
A washer can rinse in both hot, warm, and cold water. There are many washers that come with a hot water wash. You will find them effective when you will wash very dirty clothes with oily or stubborn stains.
How To Adjust Water Temperature On Washing Machine?
To be frank, each Washing Machine comes with its unique system. Mainly the difference occurs when the manufacturing brands are different. Moreover, the technological advancements are making the process way smoother.
Some Washing Machines have separate temperature setting buttons, whereas some Washing Machine does not have separate buttons but use cold or hot water when required. You will need to press the lower arrow button to decrease the temperature and the upper arrow button to increase the temperature.
For example, when you need to wash baby clothes, you will need hot water to disinfect them. You will press the baby clothes setting, and the Washing Machine will use the hot water as the programming will auto-enhance it.
However, some Washing Machines do not come with the temperature setting option.
Is 30 Degrees A Cold Wash?
A cold wash is usually done around 16 to 20 degrees Celsius. Undoubtedly, a 30 Degree Celsius wash is not a cold water wash; rather, it is considered a warm water wash.
If the water is below 20 Degree Celsius or 60 Degree Fahrenheit, then you can consider the wash as cold water wash.
When To Use Cold Water For Laundry?
Cold water is mostly used while using regularly used clothes. The dedicated and soft fabrics need to be washed using cold water. When it comes to bright-colored clothes, always use cold water.
When To Use Hot Water For Laundry?
Hot water is always recommended when there is a need to remove stains or sticky and oily dirt from the fabric. Other than that, white-colored clothes, kitchen or bed linen, baby or aged person’s clothes, and bath towels require hot water.
