Quote:
|
Originally Posted by flash
Hate to be technical, but the need for hot water depends! Depends on if you have soft water, what detergent you use, etc. If you are just washing dirt off, cold is okay, but if you want to get dirt or stains OUT, or trying to kill bacteria/dust mites/other live things, temperature does matter.
Laundry detergents (surfactants) are designed and tested to work best at specific temperatures. You need them to get in and do their job. Seriously, a fortune goes into designing and improving every year!
For towels, anything that may have mold, mildew, etc., hot is best. Bleach works for whites, but it also breaks down the fabric, so it wears out much faster. Allergists will insist you wash sheets HOT, but rinse in cold.
Baking soda OR vinegar both have cleaning properties, but if you use them together, they cancel each other out.
I wash most things warm, I rinse everything cold. But I adjust my detergent to what I'm trying to get out.
|
I completely agree!
Newer laundry detergents contain enzymes (biological catalysts) that help break down the proteins, oils and starches in stains at lower temperatures. Then the water washes away these small particles. Years ago, women used to have to boil clothes to get out the stains, but that was before all these synthetic detergents.
Bacteria, viruses and fungi are also made up of protein (including enzymes). To destroy the germs, you have to destroy their proteins. Chemicals like bleach can achieve this, as can water hot water (normally over 65*C, whatever that is is fahrenheit). As the temperature increases, it helps break down the chemical bonds that hold the protein in its shape. Once the bacteria/virus etc. loses its shape it cannot function. It is "denatured" or dead. Some germs can be killed at lower temperatures than others. Chlorine bleach will do the trick, but it also destroys fabric and is hazardous to the environment. You may save money by washing in cold water, but your clothes might wear out faster.
Just as hot water can destroy the proteins that make up bacteria, boiling water *might* damage the enzymes in detergent. You would need to verify this with the detergent mfr. though - I'm sure they use different formulations.
I wash all of our towels, sheets and Whites on a hot wash. I very rarely use chlorine bleach. I prefer to pay for the hot water than have the chemical smell and fabric deterioration from chlorine bleach. Animal bedding and towels should also be washed with bleach and/or hot water to destroy germs, ringworm spores and minimize allergens.
A good solution to this issue is to get a front-loader with a built-in water heater. That way you can sanitize the clothes that need a hot wash, but only use the electricity to heat water for one load, not the whole tank. Front loaders also use less water and are easier on clothes. If you are thinking about a new washer, I would go with a front-loader. JM2C.
links:
http://www.chemistry.org/portal/a/c/...17245d8301 00
http://www.tomfarrell.org/laundry/temperature.shtml
http://www.miele.com/usa/laundry/abo...umber=5&bhcp=1
(scroll down to info on temperature)
Info on a new way to sanitize at lower temperatures:
Revolutionary OTEX system
kills superbugs on all wash cycles
A revolutionary laundry system
which kills all bacteria on all wash
cycles has been developed
specifically for care homes.
The OTEX system has been launched in
light of new evidence that critical laundry
health guidelines - as outlined by the
National Minimum Care Standards - are
often ignored in the care market.
Data obtained by JLA indicates that
high temperature wash programmes are
frequently not used when they should be.
And even when they are, scientific tests
have shown that they do
not kill all superbugs.
JLA’s concerns were
a key reason behind
the company’s
development of OTEX.
The system works by
injecting ozone into the wash process
and kills all bugs common in care homes -
including so-called superbugs such as
MRSA and C. diff - on all wash cycles.
Remarkably, it even destroys bacteria on
low temperature programmes.
To prove the effectiveness of OTEX,
independent microbiologists Microsearch
Laboratories carried out comparative
tests on nurses’ uniforms contaminated
with a strain of MRSA.
The care labels of many nurses’
uniforms carry the recommendation that
they should be washed at 40º C.
Therefore, one test was carried out using
a conventional 40º C wash and a second
test with an OTEX cycle.
The 40º C wash had little effect on
MRSA and the bug was still very much in
evidence after the cycle. But after the OTEX
cycle, there was no viable trace of MRSA.
Microsearch’s senior microbiologist, Mr
R D O’Connor, described the OTEX result
as ‘outstanding’. Microsearch also tested
water containing C. diff and held at a
temperature of 80º C for 15 minutes.
Disturbingly, they found the reduction of C.
diff spores to be ‘insignificant’ - whereas an
EU Suspension Test on OTEX water found
no viable trace of
spores after only twoand-
a-half minutes.
Other, ongoing
tests by the
respected Laundry
Technology Centre -
well known in the NHS for its bug
counting projects - cast further
doubt about the effectiveness of
thermal disinfection.
The centre’s Dr Richard Neale said: ‘The
tests involve the use of bacteria dipslides
and continue to show a 50% failure rate
when thermal disinfection programmes are
used in healthcare laundries.’
Because OTEX uses mostly cold water,
it substantially reduces electricity, gas and
water bills. It also cuts labour and
detergent costs and lengthens linen life.
Total laundry savings are an
average of 30%.
Microbiologist
said OTEX result
was ‘outstanding’
The OTEX system destroys bacteria on low temperature wash programmes