Is 30 degree wash such a good idea?

[NickStone]

You may have seen tv commercials (Claudia Schiffer?) and posters urging us all to be ecological and reduce our wash temperature to 30 degrees. I have mixed feelings about this and would welcome comments. My concern is the problem of black mould in the machine. According to one washer-repair person, this was not a problem before we all started using these low-temperature washes. The washing machine manufacturers' answer to this (according to my Zanussi instructions) is to do a 'maintenance wash' every week. This involves running the machine empty at 95 degrees. EMPTY! Now, forgive me if I'm missing something, but surely running a machine empty has to be the most unecological wash of all. Instead, why not simply do a hot wash every week? I've been doing that for years and have never had a problem with mould.

 

[Diyisfun]

My other half, keeps moaning about mould, didnt give it a thort about low temp.

 

[NickStone]

My other half, keeps moaning about mould, didnt give it a thort about low temp.

Apparently, liquid detergents are a contributory factor, but we've these for years and we don't have a problem so I'd guess low temp washes are the main culprit. There's some interesting info here: http://www.washerhelp.co.uk/usage_2.html#cl_q1[/i]

 

[JohnD]

get some white cotton towels and give them a hot cotton wash once a week.

 

[Diyisfun]

Nick, good link

 

[NickStone]

get some white cotton towels and give them a hot cotton wash once a week.

Good advice, John. That's what I do. And you can use powder detergent on white things, too, without worrying about the colour fading. We don't use it but I gather the bit of bleach in the powdered stuff helps keep mould away.

 

[JohnD]

I find the white does tend to fade

 

[NickStone]

I find the white does tend to fade

Goes a bit grey, do you mean? I find that, too. I wondered if it was because I'm in a hard water area and the scale affects the fabric a bit. Might be talking rubbish here

 

[JohnD]

no, I meant it goes paler!

(I have a water-softener)

(Nothing coloured ever goes in a white wash. My office shirts are noted for their briliance)

 

[NickStone]

I think there's some product you can buy to keep whites white. Never used it myself, though.

 

[russellm72]

Its a marketing scam!!! Most machines don't have a 30 oC cycle so washing machine manufactures will just bring out new ones and try and make the public feel bad about washing at 40 or 60. Stick with your old machine and don't wash your clothes as much!!! Simple and better for the enviroment. I'm sure Claudia doesn't wash her kegs at 30 oC !

 

[NickStone]

Its a marketing scam!!! I'm sure Claudia doesn't wash her kegs at 30 oC !

I'm sure she doesn't, either, Russell. Having made a few enquiries, though, a lot of people do seem to believe that washing everything at low temps is fine, so the marketing works. Your idea of not washing clothes as much is a good one - but anything with polyester or other synthetic fibres starts to smell if not washed regularly. Natural fibres are better, but those are (typically) more expensive so . . . I give up

 

[nstreet]

Body odour is caused by bactieria that live in nice warm sweaty places on our bodies. these bacteria get transferred to our clothes. As our bodies are warmer than 30C, surley these bacteria wont be killed off and we will end up pongier than our European neighbours.

 

[JonB]

My wife informs me that USA & Canada have been using cool or cold wash for years.

 

[breezer]

itis true, when i went on hols to america the hotel had a "laundry-mat" the m/c did use cold water
the wash temp select buttons were cold or warm, but they have differnt soap powders