Photo: Pexels/Cottonbro Studio
Laundry day—the bane of many people’s existences — continues to give people grief despite technological advancements streamlining the process. Although washing no longer involves a day-long laborious affair, it still takes time.
Even with the help of machines, washing your clothes still includes a range of various steps. Using certain laundry best practices ensures that you finish laundry day with clothes in excellent condition. Read on to learn more about why you should wash your clothes with cold water.
Color Protection
Washing your clothes in hot water opens up their fibers. As these fibers loosen up from the heat, they release the dye, causing the color to bleed. Cold water, on the other hand, seals the fibers, keeping them closed and securing the dyes.
Doing laundry on a cold cycle is one of the best ways to keep your graphic tees looking fresh and colorful shirts pigmented and bright. Don’t let the heat steal your color thunder; prevent fading with a cold rinse!
Photo: Pexels/Ron Lach Reduced Shrinking
Open fibers do more than just release dyes—they also cause your clothes to shapeshift. The loosened fibers from the heat make the fabric of your clothes more malleable, releasing tension in the fabric.
When manufacturers create a garment, they stretch the fibers to a specific shape. Releasing the tension in the fibers causes them to recoil back to size, shrinking your clothes in the process. Cold rinses don’t affect the fibers in your clothes in the same way, allowing them to maintain their shape and reduce the risks of ruining your favorite outfits.
Pro Tip: Always double-check your clothes’ specific washing requirements. Not all fabrics contain pre-stretched fibers. Plus, some materials are more temperature sensitive than others.
Sustainable Washing
Living a more sustainable lifestyle offers many benefits. These practices reduce utility costs, benefit the planet, and make you feel like a hero. However, no matter how you approach it, laundry day will use a lot of energy and water.
Hot water requires extra energy to generate heat throughout the cycle. Fortunately, cold water doesn’t. Cold rinses save energy, using significantly less energy than warm water cycles. Opting for cold water allows you to wash your laundry more sustainably.
Photo: Pexels/Anna Nekrashevich Wrinkle-Free Clothes
Cold water reduces wrinkles. The sealed fibers from the cold temperatures remain in a tight and tense shape, but hot water does the opposite. The more malleable and loosey-goosey your fabric composition, the more pull, tug, and creasing your clothes experience. Rinse your clothes in cold water to keep fibers in place and wrinkles at bay.
Overall, there are plenty of excellent reasons to wash your clothes with cold water. Washing your clothes in cold water maintains the quality of your clothes and much more.
It’s easy to fall into the trap of making common laundry mistakes. This chore is not an easy one, especially if your wardrobe is brimming with unique pieces and fabrics. However, sometimes getting the best results only requires making a simple change, such as switching to cold water.
