Washing at 40 or cold is not a good idea

[Stangerthings]

There is an advert for washing clothes in cold water. I think this is wrong. I washed a load of towels at 40 degrees and had to wash them again as they smelled dirty so how is a cold wash going to remove bacteria?

I wash most things at 40⁰C, a few things at 30⁰C and towels and bedding on 60⁰C if they are in a load in their own. I washed a sheet today on 40⁰C as it was in with other clothes

I wash a normal full load at 30, occasionally 20. Towels at 40. They don't smell.

Why does it matter if there are bacteria on your clothes and towel?

Are you licking them or using them as plates?

I do everything at 30 or 40 except for towels and bed linen, which I do at 60 for that reason.

Towels need to be washed ar 60 to kill off bacteria and mould. I wash normal clothes at 40 or 30, and they cone out fine/ clean generally.

I’ve switched to probably 50% of my washes in cold, not 30, cold. My colours and darks look better for it. Towels etc are done at 40. We’ve not sprouted any weird or wonderful funguses or developed typhoid.

The only time I use 60 is to give the machine a clean through or if I knew there was some sort of biohazard substance involved.

40 should be fine unless they’re utterly filthy. Did you perhaps overload the drum? - they can’t wash properly when you do.

Washing doesn't need to kill germs, it washes dirt away and down the drain instead. We don't wash our hands at 60c even after wiping out bums!

OP, di they smell dirty because you left them to air dry? That would make them smell a bit if they were left for two days during in a cold house. If you use a tumble then they shouldn't smell. Also, so you wash them once a week or leave them longer? If they do, you're all stinkers! Kidding, but a 40degree wash should be more than enough.

Why would towels have mould if you use them, wash them and dry them?I'm glad others are the same as me re germs on clothes... there is no danger or need to have clothes and towels perfectly germ free.

*our not out. That sounded horrible.

I haven’t washed at over 30 in at least a decade.
Sometimes I only use white vinegar and bicarb on a towel wash too.

Bacteria and mould? What are you doing with your towels?

I wash everything at 20 deg on the longest programme. Its takes less energy. But the clothes are washed for a long time. No problem with dissolving laundry pods

We wash stuff far far too much imo.
I hang washing out to dry in uv light as much as poss.
No one has died.

I don't understand people that say they need to wash towels at 40+ or they smell. Mine smell of nothing but the washing liquid ?! I only use my towels to dry myself and I'm literally sparkly clean so how on Earth could they smell from washing in cold water? The only time I wash ANYTHING in hot water is when there is a stomach bug etc in the house.

Crazy!

If you don’t dry towels quickly enough then they start to smell fusty - which is mouldy stuff growing. But washing in 30 on a 1 hr cycle is enough to sort that out here.

I wash towels, underwear and sheets at 60. This is because I read an article that examined underwear that had been washed at 30 and 40 - it still had fecal bacteria on it! But at 60 all the bacteria was gone. I wash everything else on 30. Never separate colours unless something is brand new and likely to run. All my clothes come up very clean on 30 degrees. I do have a very good washing machine.

Why would towels have mould if you use them, wash them and dry them?

exactly. If your towels have a mould problem you’ve got a drying issue not a washing one.

I have washed towels and bedlinen, as well as everything else, at 40C for thirty years. Nothing smells, no mould, no disease, no mustiness. I wash a dark load at 30C these days, but I can't remember ever using the 60C setting.

I wash clothes, underwear, towels all together on a 30C wash.

Kitchen towels, cloths etc on a 40C

Baby's clothes are washed separately as they are kept in a separate laundry basket (can't bear the dog hair on his clothes 😢) and washed at 30C

Bedding at 40C or 60C. Or anything stained by the baby on 40C with a stain remover.

Dog bedding at 90C with a pet hair dissolver.

Nothing has ever come out still stained or smelling grim that I can remember.

The only time I've had an issue is when weve accidentally left something in the washer and have tried to dry it. It would always need another wash again after that if we did.

Your bum has fecal bacteria on it. ..... which you put underwear on. So pristine 60 deg pants will have fecal bacteria on the second you wear them....

Me too, I was dubious at first as like others I washed at 40 and 60 for a lot of things. I was very pleasantly surprised at how clean my clothes came out on a cold wash. Stains and everything. Even tomato based stains came out whereas they wouldn't have on a hot wash.

Twas a revelation!

Well, I say mould because I presume that is the smell from towels that haven't dried properly. Maybe it's bacteria. I've stayed at people's houses who don't wash their towels hot, and they do smell, even when they've come out "fresh" from the cupboard / wash.

Try using powder not liquid and give your machine one hot wash to clean it. I would only bother with a hot wash for sicky laundry, whites that I really want to keep white (lost cause with the kids school shirts) or really sweaty sports wear.

Maybe they’ve just been in the cupboard a while though?