How to wash clothes hot or cold water?

I don’t know if you have been like me. When washing clothes, you always think that it is easier to clean the hard-to-wash stains by scalding with boiling water, and it can also be disinfected by the way.

This statement is certainly not without merit. Because we want to remove stains from clothes, mainly with the help of surfactants contained in laundry detergents. And its solubility depends on the temperature, so when the temperature is higher, the cleaning power is naturally better.

However, clothing fibers will expand and stretch when exposed to water, and the natural properties of different fabrics make them different in their ability to withstand temperature. Fabrics such as silk, cashmere, linen, etc., are prone to deformation and shrinkage when washed with hot water. Moreover, most brightly colored clothes are easy to fade, and they will be more serious when it encounters hot water.

Also, it’s a mistake to just wash with hot water without knowing the source of the stain. For example, stains containing protein such as sweat, blood, milk coffee, etc. will be more easily absorbed on clothes after being heated. Therefore, it is more correct to wash with cold water.

That’s why the enzymatic laundry detergent needed to remove these stains should not be used in water temperatures above 40°C. The alkaline protease it contains will lose its activity at high temperatures and affect the washing effect.

However, it should be noted that fabrics such as wool and rabbit hair contain protein fibers, and the protein will be dissolved by enzymes, so it cannot be cleaned with enzyme-added laundry.

However, if the clothes are stained with oil, then it is most suitable to use hot water and detergent to clean, especially cotton clothes.

Therefore, in general, it is not that the hotter the water temperature, the better. For different situations, the water temperature of 30℃-60℃ is the most suitable. Although the washing machine also has the function of heating washing, it is best to choose according to the actual situation. Otherwise, it will not hurt the clothes, and it will consume a lot of electricity and not be environmentally friendly.

At the same time, the appropriate temperature and washing method will also be marked on the washing label of the clothes. Strictly following the above requirements is the least error-prone.