more laundry detergent versus hot water – which more economical?

Posted by on . 5 comments.

best stain removercleaning suppliesjanitorial suppliesremoving stains

I read the best way to cut laundry costs is to use cold water. What is the cost trade-off between using more laundry detergent with cold water, instead of using warm water? Would there be an added benefit of better color retention with cold water instead of warm? (also possibly more ‘clean smell’ to your clothes).

In other words how much does it cost per cycle to use warm water, and what if you instead use cold and then applied those savings to using more detergent?

What are disatvantages , such as poorer stain removal etc.

Facebook comments:

Comments

  1. SUSAN P says:
    June 24, 2010 at 11:14 pm

    if you cold wash all the time you,ll get grease and oily build up in your washing machine also you won,t kill dust mites with low temp wash

  2. Defluo says:
    June 24, 2010 at 11:14 pm

    you just answered your own question

  3. dogfostercare says:
    June 24, 2010 at 11:14 pm

    I have found that cold water is not okay for cleaning undergarments no matter what detergent or how much you use. It just does not get clothes clean or even feeling clean. The only times I use cold water is to try to retain the color i.e. cotton pants, sweaters, dresses, etc. My washer has four levels of water: small, midway between small and medium, medium and large. It helps saves me money when I just fill the washer with as much water as necessary to handle the particular load. I have found that I don’t need to use as much liquid laundry detergent (whether I am washing in cold or warm water) as the manufacturer recommends. I’m not sure how much it cost per cycle of using cold vs. warm water.

  4. It's just me says:
    June 24, 2010 at 11:14 pm

    The amount of detergent you use DOES NOT depend on water temperature. You should always measure the detergent for the appropriate size load using the cup on the lid.

    I usually use cool or warm water for all my loads. I never use hot. I don’t think you’d be saving that much by only using cold. Maybe a couple hundred a year if you do a lot of loads.

  5. mswnana says:
    June 24, 2010 at 11:14 pm

    Cold water removes stains such as blood better. If it is white such as towels, underwear, etc., and you want to use cold water, use some Clorox in the water to whiten them. Some stain remover would work well if you let the garment sit awhile after applying, then washing in cold water. Some things I absolutely us hot water for, but there is really no need since we have bleach which will kill germs anyway, and stain remover.

Leave a Reply