Place white clothes labeled for warm-water washing in your machine. For instance, a cotton shirt and a rayon blouse can be washed at the same time. Use a warm, normal setting or your machine's gentle setting.
Ideally, whites should be washed at 60 degrees to keep them pristine, although this can depend on the fabric.
White clothes should generally be washed using hot or warm water. Using higher temperatures for whites can effectively help remove stains and bacteria.
As a general rule, higher temperatures are the most effective at removing dirt and stains, so if it's bright whites you're after, hot water is a good bet.
Overall, we've found that washing on a lower temperature does conserve energy and will save you money, but if you have fabrics which need a little extra stain-removal power then you might see a better result washing at 40 degrees.
30 degrees is no good for heavy stains
If laundry is heavily stained you will need to wash it at the normal temperature. Especially laundry with dried-on, strongly-coloured food, thick grease, heavy mud and grass stains.
Remember, washing with a warm water temperature – on cycles at 40°C or higher – can come with a few downsides: It can cause colours to fade. It can damage certain fabrics over time. It can cause items to shrink in the laundry.
Washing at 60°C will not shrink every type of clothing, but may shrink items made of natural fibres such as cotton and wool.
Whites Should Always Go Separately
White laundry is the most likely to receive color from all other items, so make sure to always wash plain white clothes and white clothes with light-colored patterns in a separate batch.
Helps prevent color fading. Washing your clothes inside out allows the inside of your garments to take the brunt of agitation and color fading that occurs during a wash cycle. This helps to protect the outside dye of your shirt or pants by reducing friction and contact while still ensuring a thorough wash.
A 60 degrees laundry can be used for heavily soiled white clothing as well, but it is suggested that you check the label first to ensure it is ok to do so. You may want to add bleach to add sparkle to your whites as well.
Whites: On most machines, the whites cycle is designed for bleachable white items. This cycle will dispense the liquid chlorine bleach at the correct time in the washing process. The whites cycle has a high-speed wash and spin cycle.
Generally 40°C and above can be classed as a warm wash and most clothing can be washed at these temperatures.
Helping your clothes stay vibrant and last longer - Washing with a warm water temperature − on cycles at 40°C or higher – is more suitable for heavy soiling, but can come with a few downsides such as colours fading and shrinking fabrics. Washing at 30 degrees can help keep your colours vibrant an minimise shrinking.
A 90-degree cycle should really only be used for items that are very soiled or extremely dirty. Bedding and sheets should ideally run on a 60-degree wash, as should towels and even underwear and baby clothes.
According to Speed Queen, anything below (60°F) can prevent your detergent from providing a proper clean. Cold water is the preferred choice to prevent color bleed. Also, choosing cold water can make your clothes last longer by reducing wrinkling, reducing fading and preventing shrinking – all while saving energy!
So, is it safe to wash bedding at 60 even if the label says 40? Many people disregard the care label and wash their bedding at 60 Celsius without anything bad happening. If your bedding isn't particularly expensive and you really need to wash it at 60 degrees, it's usually fine to do so.
30°C - 40°C
Whites (material dependant) White items can show dirt very easily and people are used to washing them at higher temperatures. The key here is to separate by material and pay close attention to the care label.
If you're washing at 20 your clothes aren't going to be clean, and 30 is pushing it really. Do you not have any quicker cycles. I wash at 30 on a 59 minute cycle and even grass stains on cricket whites come out.
Which Is Better Overall – 30°C or 40°C? At 30°C, less energy is used (which helps reduce your carbon footprint). Your whites will also last longer as there will be less wear and tear on the fabric.
If you are doing a wash of mixed colours and fabrics, it's probably best to use 30ºC to prevent colours from running. While 30ºC works great for everyday washing, a 40°C wash is better at tackling tougher stains. Most clothes, including cotton and a lot of acrylics, are made to be washed at 40ºC.
Is a 15-Minute Wash Cycle Long Enough? The answer to this question will depend on what you are trying to wash. If you wanted to quickly wash a small batch of clothes that don't have any staining on them then yes, a short wash can be a great idea as it will freshen up your clothes and leave them smelling great.