Hot v cold: What is the best way to wash your clothes to help them last longer? Photo: Different washing cycles at certain temperatures can have an affect on your clothes. (ABC Radio Brisbane: Jessica Hinchliffe) Where do you stand on the great laundry debate? Hot or cold — your choice could be affecting the life of your clothing, and the environment. Key points:Most Australian homes use cold water to wash their clothesHot washing can strip clothes of colour and cause fadingWashing in cold water is better for energy costs and the environment The cold wash is a mainstay in many Australian households, but internationally many homes lean towards a hot wash. Choice whitegoods expert Ashleigh Iredale said our preference had a lot to do with our warm climate. "It's in part because cold water in Australia and Northern Europe are two different things," he told ABC Radio Brisbane's Sarah Howells. "We test washing machines with a cold wash as our studies have shown that most Australians do use cold water. He said the improvements in washing machines had made the difference between hot and cold less noticeable. Photo: Looking at the tag on your clothes can help you understand how to care for them. (Unsplash: Waldemar Brandt) "We've found that with enzyme-based detergents, the gap between performance of washing in cold and washing in warm is negligible," he said. "You do get a slight performance improvement washing in warm, but we found it's not worth the extra energy cost. "If you have solar hot water or solar electricity then washing in hot water is free, but it might not be great for all your clothes." Mr Iredale added that, aside from detergent, the energy used to heat the water during washing was the biggest cost in the laundry.How big of a role does detergent play? The type of detergent you choose can also make a difference to your wash, as different brands in the market target different things. "We suggest you use a good quality detergent that you know will work, [and] it's often not the most expensive detergent," Mr Iredale said. "We've found some of the cheaper ones work just as well as the ones with a premium price tag. Photo: Different washing detergents work better in cold water than others. (ABC Radio Brisbane: Jessica Hinchliffe) He said that it was important to keep your washing machine clean when continually washing in cold water. "Even if you're a cold-water devotee, run a hot water wash occasionally to get rid of the detergent residue and mould as well as giving the machine a longer lease on life."Should you use hot water when the family is sick? Mr Ireldale suggested that consumers should look at the different program settings on their machine, especially the hygiene program if people in the home were sick. "Sometimes a warmer wash is needed if you're dealing with an unwell family or dust mites," he said. "Your quick cycles and delicate programs may only be able to wash half the usual capacity or less."Moving from
Hot v cold: What is the best way to wash your clothes to help them last longer? Photo: Different washing cycles at certain temperatures can have an affect on your clothes. (ABC Radio Brisbane: Jessica Hinchliffe) Where do you stand on the great laundry debate? Hot or cold — your choice could be affecting the life of your clothing, and the environment. Key points:Most Australian homes use cold water to wash their clothesHot washing can strip clothes of colour and cause fadingWashing in cold water is better for energy costs and the environment The cold wash is a mainstay in many Australian households, but internationally many homes lean towards a hot wash. Choice whitegoods expert Ashleigh Iredale said our preference had a lot to do with our warm climate. "It's in part because cold water in Australia and Northern Europe are two different things," he told ABC Radio Brisbane's Sarah Howells. "We test washing machines with a cold wash as our studies have shown that most Australians do use cold water. He said the improvements in washing machines had made the difference between hot and cold less noticeable. Photo: Looking at the tag on your clothes can help you understand how to care for them. (Unsplash: Waldemar Brandt) "We've found that with enzyme-based detergents, the gap between performance of washing in cold and washing in warm is negligible," he said. "You do get a slight performance improvement washing in warm, but we found it's not worth the extra energy cost. "If you have solar hot water or solar electricity then washing in hot water is free, but it might not be great for all your clothes." Mr Iredale added that, aside from detergent, the energy used to heat the water during washing was the biggest cost in the laundry.How big of a role does detergent play? The type of detergent you choose can also make a difference to your wash, as different brands in the market target different things. "We suggest you use a good quality detergent that you know will work, [and] it's often not the most expensive detergent," Mr Iredale said. "We've found some of the cheaper ones work just as well as the ones with a premium price tag. Photo: Different washing detergents work better in cold water than others. (ABC Radio Brisbane: Jessica Hinchliffe) He said that it was important to keep your washing machine clean when continually washing in cold water. "Even if you're a cold-water devotee, run a hot water wash occasionally to get rid of the detergent residue and mould as well as giving the machine a longer lease on life."Should you use hot water when the family is sick? Mr Ireldale suggested that consumers should look at the different program settings on their machine, especially the hygiene program if people in the home were sick. "Sometimes a warmer wash is needed if you're dealing with an unwell family or dust mites," he said. "Your quick cycles and delicate programs may only be able to wash half the usual capacity or less."Moving from
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