A Guide On How To Use A Cold Wash

You’ve probably wondered why there are so many different temperature options available when setting up your wash cycle. Will a cold wash effectively clean your clothes? Is a hot cycle always more effective?

The first step when doing your laundry is to check the basin icon on the care label stitched on the inside in order to ensure a longer lifespan for them. Washing with warmer water at a higher temperature, such as 40°C and above has it’s down sides;

You don’t need to wash on a high temperature to remove tough stains, Use 1 scoop of Vanish Oxi Action Multi Power powder in your colour wash loads to remove stains safely at 20°C and in just 30 minutes. For your white wash loads, use 1 scoop of Vanish Oxi Action Crystal White Powder to remove stains at 20°C and restore your whites.

Read our washing machine temperature guide to find out how to pick the appropriate wash cycle temperature.

Most washing machines have a cold wash setting, a temperature up to 30°C is still considered a cold wash. So 20°C and 30°C settings in your washing machine are both classed as cold washes. Don’t forget to watch out for the cold wash symbol on the garment label – it can either show a single dot in a basin or any number below 30.

Some clothes require a cold wash in order to lengthen their lifespan, such as dark laundry and delicate fabrics. 20°C is a cold wash but is a high enough temperature to remove dirt and most stains with a reduced risk of fading or shrinking.

Thanks to Vanish Oxi Action Multi Power powder, you can wash at 20°C to remove tough stains safely, prevent colour transfer and remove odours in your colour wash loads. You can restore your whites and remove stains in a 20°C wash with Vanish Oxi Action Crystal White Powder.

30°C is a cold wash and can be a good option for clothes that you want to preserve, such as jeans and other denim pieces. Colder wash cycles save on power and help the environment, as well as save on your energy bills!

The truth is washing in cold water helps slow fading in colours, reduce shrinking in fabrics and protects delicates. Fabrics like wool, silk and acrylics should be washed in cold water, as there is less chance of damage happening to your most loved garments. 

Whether you do two loads of washing a week or 12 loads a week, there are many benefits of washing clothes with cold water:

1. Helps Your Clothes Live Longer

Lightly soiled clothes that you wear every day (and need to wash frequently) should be washed in cold water. This is because the heat can cause damage to your fabrics and fibres*.

2. Save Energy

When you put a load of washing, around 90% of the energy used by your washing machine is needed to heat the water**. That means only 10% goes into running the machine. By lowering your wash temperatures on a regular basis, you will save more energy. You can save up to 60% energy when you switch from 40°C to 20°C (saving based on washing machine electricity consumption on a normal cycle). This will help you reduce your household bills and reduce your carbon footprint.

3. Safely Remove Stains

If you’re worried that stains won’t come out in a cold wash, that’s not the case with Vanish. From ink stains to red wine stains, our formula in Vanish Oxi Action Multi Power powder,can effectively remove stains from your clothes on a 20°C cold cycle. Simply follow the instructions on the pack for the best results.

*https://www.bosch-home.co.uk/customer-service/get-support/washing-machines/is-it-better-to-wash-my-clothes-in-cold-or-hot-water

**https://coldwatersaves.org/