Can I Wash All Of My Clothes In Cold Water? – Useful Tips For Everyone

The answer to “Can I wash all of my clothes in cold water?” is a No; you should not wash all kinds of fabrics in cold water. 

While cold water typically provides more advantages in washing, in general, it will differ from fabric to fabric. This article will teach you how to wash your clothing properly.


Can I Wash All Of My Clothes In Cold Water?

Overall, for clothing or other fabric accessories, cold water works fine. Cold water has the ability to remove many stains, like those on jeans or makeup stains on your jumper.

Bear in mind, however, that while most fabrics are good with cold water, several are not.

Reasons Why You Should Use Cold Water

Protecting the environment, being friendly with clothes, saving money – that’s the benefits of cold water washing.

Today’s modern washing machines are well equipped to handle cold wash cycles. Many cleaners with enzymes for these present-day washers can begin working at temperatures as low as 60.

Accordingly, you could see that cold washing is very popular. In particular, dark, colorful fabrics, and delicate one (silk and lace) are best cared for in cold water.

Not all stains can be removed by warm water. For instance, sweat and blood can adhere to the fabric if you wash it in hot water. What’s more, hot water tends to shrink, fade, and crease certain fabrics, whereas washing in cold water means clothes are less likely to fade or shrink.

You could reduce your energy costs by switching to using cold water. It is estimated that about 75 to 90 percent of the energy your washing machine uses is for heating water.

Coldwater can also reduce wrinkles. Thanks to that feature, you will save money and time involved in ironing the clothes.

When Should You Use Cold Water To Wash The Clothes?

Rely on the kind of fabrics, and you can decide cold or hot water washing

The laundry amount in the cold mode could be kept at a temperature from 60 to 80 degrees. Yet this number will also depend on your geographic coordinates because it could be lower whether you lived somewhere with lower average temperatures, such as Alaska and Maine.

Nevertheless, you should be aware that many situations recommend cold cycles as below:

For Dark Clothing

Coldwater washing is always a great approach to retain the clothes’ color, especially the dark ones.

For Thin Clothing

For thin fabrics such as silk or lace, hot water can not be suitable for washing. Therefore, you should consider using a cold cycle of machine washing these fabrics in lieu of hand-washing.

For Stains

Hot water may be the best way to get rid of stubborn stains. But more stains may stick to the fabric if the wash is hot.

In particular, when cleaning protein stains or animal products (sweat, blood), you should avoid using hot water because hot water could hold these stains into the garment for longer.

For Items Susceptible to Wrinkling and Shrinkage

Hot water may lead to shrink and wrinkle your clothes. If you’re concerned about this, washing in a cold cycle might alleviate that.

For Clothing Lacking of Care Labels

If you are ready to clean a new item, but it lacks the care label, then the best way is cleaning it with the cold water.

When Should You Not Use Cold Water To Clean The Clothes?

Overall, warm or hot water works better with certain types of fabrics. It is also easier to wash fabrics and synthetic fabrics (such as nylon, polyester, spandex, and rayon blends) in warm water. Washing clothes and bedding in hot water can help avoid germs spread if the purpose is disinfection.

Climate can also play a role. Detergent can not function well in cold weather environments where the tap water reaches 40 ° F or lower in winter. Heat or hot water can be needed to clean clothing in areas with low temperatures.

On the other side, there are a few cases in the laundry cycle where you can use hot water in place of cold water. Let’s discover what they are!


If your family members were sick, washing things like socks, bed sheets, or even casual clothing is essential to retain their hygiene. Nevertheless, detergent can not do a fine job of washing clothing and removing all the nasty germs as well as hot water does.

Artificial Materials

Since you wash tons of washable artificial products, you may like to use hot or warm water. Artificial materials may consist of spandex, nylon, rayon blend, or polyester.

Washing Powder

If you use a powder detergent, the hotter temperature will typically cause the cleaning agent to dissolve more easily in the washer. Meanwhile, using the colder cycle will cause your clothes to leave streaks as the detergent has not dissolved completely.

Low-Cost Detergent

Coldwater may not be your friend if you are making an effort to save up and use cheaper detergents. Some cheaper cleaners do not have the cleaning capabilities needed at low temperatures to handle soil and dirt. 

Hence, to optimize the washing effect, hot water is needed for these types of detergents.

Lower Groundwater Temperature

As I suggested above, in areas with lower average temperatures, like Alaska and Maine, you will need to clean your costume using warm water. This is because lesser temperatures create even lower groundwater levels. It would therefore be counterproductive to wash clothes at a too-low temperature.

Always Have The Label Checked

Always check the clothes label in advance

In the majority of cases, care labels will be applied to garments or other pieces of fabric. However, if an item lacks a mark, washing it in the cold cycle is the best method, as I mentioned above.

It is better to follow the manufacturer’s recommendations on the label. You could see a picture of a bucket of water and several dots in the center (for the temperature). The dots correspond to the maximum possible temperature when washing the item:

  • One dot is equivalent to 86 degrees F or 30 degrees C
  • Two dots are equivalent to 104 degrees F or 40 degrees C
  • Three dots are equivalent to 122 degrees F or 50 degrees C
  • Four dots are equivalent to 140 degrees F or 60 degrees C
  • Five dots are equivalent to 158 degrees F or 70 degrees C
  • Six dots are equivalent to 203 degrees Fahrenheit or 95 degrees Celsius.

Bear in mind that you should refer to those symbols so that you do not exceed these temperature ranges.

The Bottom Line

Cold washing can be the best solution for your clothes if you desire to save money on electricity bills and time and even protect the environment.

However, to determine whether to use a cold or warm cycle wash, carefully check the labels, stains, and fabrics at first. Now you could answer yourself: “Can I wash all of my clothes in cold water?” 

In most instances, cold water is a good choice for fabrics. However, sometimes, depending on the kind of clothes, you may need to use warm or hot water instead.

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