Laundry temperature

Not quite accurate - towels 40 or 60 depending.

I only ever wash on warm or cold. (We don't do exact temps on Canadian washers.) My mum taught me to wash laundry, and the only thing she ever washed on hot was diapers, as she used cloth.

Diapers means nappies.

I’m talking about tea towels dish clothes etc. Common sense really.

I wash mostly at 30, sometimes 20, as its the cheapest for a full load. but I do add laundry detergent to everything, to kill the germs.
I also clean the washing machine with special product and setting, every 2-3 months.
there is only me. I don't like the idea of very hot washing, must be expensive to heat the water that high, also as I am washing just for me it is uneconomical to wait to have enough for different loads. so I tend to put everything in together.
the person who washes knickers at 60, do they have elastic, doesn't that temp wither elastic.
anyway each to his/her own. I don't use any cloths for wiping anything in the kitchen, unless I throw it straight away. never have. don't like the idea. ditto handkerchiefs.
for surfaces I use paper towels or anti-bacterial wipes and discard. the environment won't make me change now. too old. and too young to have ever used cloths, washable.
except, I have gone back to a face only flannel, as i think it helps exfoliate, and is rather a nice feeling, and when in a hurry does for a quick dab when rushing.
don't have a shower. bath takes more time and energy than I have sometimes. never use the flannel in the bath. put my head under the taps so always wash hair at same time.
I wash the flannel at 30 with everything else, but put disinfectant in wash.

Cold water for everything for me, nothing if ever dirty.

In NZ it's all cold wash and the laundry powder is geared accordingly.

Of course you can alter the machine so it uses a mixture, or only hot but as laundry is alwasy white and clean, why use more energy than you need?

My hot water tank is turned to its lowest setting anyway.

Imagine the amazing effects on energy usage if everyone in developed countries used only cold water!
Eco warriors at the laundry!!

Towels and bedding on 60. Underwear (knickers) on 50, most other stuff on 40.

Towels and tea towels on 60, mixed fabric clothing on 40.
I only ever washed once on 30 and was not happy with the results, the wash was definitely not clean.
I do like my laundry to look washed and the whites not to be grey.
I would say that tea towels washed at 30 would be a health hazard.

I soak my dish clothes in a little water and bleach for a couple of hours. I then throw the liquid over the exterior tiles leading up to my front door and leave them to dry. This keeps the tiles clean of moss etc. and also I am recycling.

I do everything on a 30 wash, even that is too long on my washing machine, towels, tea towels, face flannels, knickers etc, are washed together with an antibacterial washing liquid.

I find 30 more than adequate, I'd do a clooer wash if there was one.

A whole new industry has grown to combat the effects of cooler washes. It wasn’t there before and I wonder which has the greater benefit for the eco system? More plastic bottles, more liquids etc etc.

That’s a very good point midgey

Everything at 60. Never at lower temperatures. 30 degrees does not kill off health threatening bacteria.

Now Dettol( and, no doubt other companies) are selling liquids to put in 30 degree washes to ensure all bacteria etc are killed. I cannot think of anything more ridiculous than reducing the temperataure of the washing water to a level where it can no longer satisfactorally wash clothes and then add more chemicals to make it do the job properly.

How much energy is embedded in making these additives and the bottles they come in and transporting them to warehouses and stores, when you can just turn the temperature up and get them properly and safely clean in one go without the use of chemical products that may well damage clothing and cause adverse skin reactions?

Whites, including dish cloths, at 60, with an occasional 90 degree wash to keep them white. Everything else at 40. I've tried 30, but it didn't seem to do the job properly.

I don't treat tea towels differently to anything else. We only use them occasionally, when something's come out of the dishwasher not entirely dry and we need it quickly. I don't see how drying a clean dish can cause problems.

I have noticed that my AC use one towel in the kitchen for drying their hands and dishes then replace it at the end of each day. We have a hand towel and a tea towel and wash them after a few days.

Everything on 40 with the exception of jumpers and cardigans.

I am with Monica on this one.
I do all sheets and towels on 60 and clothes 40. But if it is barely worn a quick wash will suffice.
I cannot see the point of putting extra chemicals in.

Towels, bedding, underwear , any clothing that goes next to the skin at 60 degrees. Anything else can be done at 40; I am another one who doesn't believe that germs are killed at lower temps, unless of course I put in tons of disinfectant.

30 for delicates and jeans so they don't lose their colour; 40 for everything else and 60 for towels (though sometimes do them at 40).

Everything at 30 and we're not dead yet!
Like others above, I use white vinegar instead of fabric conditioner but I don't find the vinegar works well. Perhaps it would in conjunction with a tumble dryer but I hang my washing out when the weather is good, or in front of the fire when it's not. How much vinegar do you use? I've been putting in half a medium sized drinking glass per load.

30 short wash for colours and delicates. 40 for bedding and towels with the addition of a couple of spoonfuls of Napisan.
Very rarely use 60, nothing is that dirty.

If NZ can cold wash then surely we can - I'm going to give it a go.
I've been washing at 40 with liquid detergent as a plumber told me the tablets and powder do not dissolve properly at low temps and causes a buildup of undissolved stuff which can block drains.
Recently bought a bottle of Waitrose Mini laundry cleanser. It was the consistency of water, not like most detergents. I read the instructions to see how much to use and discovered it was to ADD to wash after detergent to kill germs. Agree with MOnica about the absurdity of this.

I always do sheets/towels/tea towles/dishcloths on 95, everything else at 40

There’s some good info here about washing temperatures and when to do cooler/hotter washes www.which.co.uk/reviews/washing-machines/article/washing-machine-temperature-guide

Thank you for the link SirChenjin

These paragraphs struck me:

“When we tested the 30°C cotton program, we found that running costs are reduced by about 46% compared with the 40°C program.”
And
“The 60°C program generally delivers slightly better cleaning than the 40°C program, especially when it comes to greasy stains, and is ideal for bedding and towels. But it will cost you – running costs increase by more than half if you wash at 60°C as opposed to 40°C.”

I shall continue to wash nearly everything at 30 deg.