This week’s Tuesday Tip is wash your laundry in cold water. My job doesn’t require me to get very dirty, at least not normally (unless you want to count dirty little hands touching me!) So my clothes usually are lightly worn and don’t require much more than a cold wash using my home-made laundry detergent.
Tip # 28: Wash your laundry in cold water.
Cold Water Costs Less
- Though I still must pay for the water and electricity, I don’t have the added expense of gas to heat the water. I save a few bucks by washing most of my laundry items in cold water.
- Cold water plus detergent, even home-made, washes lightly used clothing just fine. It also is less harsh on fabric, meaning your clothes should last longer than washing them in scolding hot water.
Cold Water Washes are better on the Environment
- Using less hot water means using less gas. Conserving gas means there’s more for future generations.
- Less wear and tear on your clothing means a longer life-span; again conservation is an important factor for helping our planet retain its resources.
Do you wash your clothing in cold water? If not, what keeps you from trying cold water washes?
6 Comments
@Rebecca – That’s a good point. I don’t normally worry about germs because they only have a life span of a few hours to a few days. By the time I wash the laundry, it’s definitely been sitting there for a few days! As for the new washers, that’s great to hear that they don’t take very much detergent.
@Heather – I’m definitely for washing really dirty rags and towels in hot water; especially soiled rags!
@Everyday Tips – Thanks for the vinegar tip. I’ve heard of that, but haven’t tried it yet.
This must be one of those scarred for life remnants of my childhood. My mom was very stingy with hot water and the dishes always felt greasy and the clothes never got that clean.
I use hot water a lot..plus I’m a bit of a germ freak.
@Sandy L – I think that washers today are more efficient and get clothes cleaner than the old models, even if you wash in cold most of the time. Just remember, germs do eventually die within a few days!
We wash everything in cold water. But I never use fabric softener. I would love to try the vinegar idea. How much do you use?