To think DH should know you don’t wash dirty bed linen at 30 degrees?

[BasinHaircut]

I know it’s not the end of the world but honestly, he is 38 and now it’s probably going to have to go on again. He has a sweaty head and pillowcases are unlikely to be clean after this wash. I already have to do our bedding in 2 loads as it’s so big and we don’t have a spare set so it all needs to be dry and back in the bed tonight.

I’m so irritated!

60 for all my bedding. But.....it’s all white, we have cats, and I eat chocolate in bed.

And we wonder why the environment is fucked. So much energy is used heating water.

Last I checked the UK is not a 3rd world country.

coldwatersaves.org/

We wash everything at 30 except occasional bright whites on a hot wash. No need for more than that.

Probably a placebo but my sheets never feel clean when I wash them at 30°. I feel like a minimum of 50° should be used for washing bed linen so I can relate OP. However I wash everything else including towels at 40°

Pretty much everything at 40 for me including bedding and cloth pads
I do use the dettol laundry stuff though

I am super impressed that your 38 year old knows how to operate heavy machinery such as a washing machine - my dear husband (DH?) is 58 and has no idea what goes on behind the utility room door let alone what temperature setting is optimum!!!

Forgot to mention that I use 60 for white linen.

@isthismylifenow

That is never going to stay pristine white. Never mind crisp (although I would hate a crispy bed). I have a white set. Its not going to stay that lovely white colour though, you do know that right??

Looks lovely, Very impractical.

All my bedding is white, it is very white, even after many years. It is all good quality cotton. I have never washed it with anything that is not white though.

Mine too. Some of it’s years old and still pristine.

Well my DH is 56 and wouldn’t know.

I change our bedding every other weekend, but change my DH pillowcases every week ( sweaty head). I wash them at 40 degrees with non bio. Get some spares!

If this is an article of faith with you then you should have communicated it to him. It is not a commonly known fact. Most people choose temperature by fabric colour or washing powder, not by sweatiness of body part.

Well our beds get washed once a month at 60 degrees though so that’s something

@GiveMeCamembert

I was everything at 30. I only have one set of bedding. I never iron. What a disgusting, slovenly scumbag I am.

You are . How can you live with yourself

Well, first I had to convert centigrade to farenheit, but...most detergents today are formulated to work perfectly fine at lower temps. Unless someone is actively sick, you really don't need to use extremely hot water. In fact, most of my clothes and bedding do best on the "tap water cold" setting of my little machine. Hotter water can actually set stains.

Towels and bed linen get washed at 60.degrees in this house 😁

I think you’d have to wash at 100 degrees for the temperature of water to kill bacteria, to be honest be grateful he’s doing washing you wouldn’t have known any different had the load finished before you saw what temp it was on! Maybe splash out on another set of bedding or at least pillow cases

Omg I’m Australian & have NEVER used a hot wash! Cold all the way!! I assure you our clothes are clean

I'm from NZ and it seems this angst over washing temperature is a UK thing. Lots here wash everything in cold water too and yes, it gets everything clean. My whites are very white!

I think you need to buy another set of bedding to take the stress away. I have about 6 or 7 sets. Could not cope with only 1 set at all.

What do you think will happen if it’s washed at 30? Do you think the bacteria will harm you? That the smell of the bedsheets will be intolerable?

Omg I’m Australian & have NEVER used a hot wash! Cold all the way!! I assure you our clothes are clean

Cold water in Australia is normally warmer than cold water in the UK. So doing a cold wash in the UK isn't directly comparable to a cold wash in Australia

@TangerineGenie

Omg I’m Australian & have NEVER used a hot wash! Cold all the way!! I assure you our clothes are clean

Cold water in Australia is normally warmer than cold water in the UK. So doing a cold wash in the UK isn't directly comparable to a cold wash in Australia

Cold water is often 10 degrees in Australia, in New Zealand where cold washes are also the norm tap/cold water is a very similar temperature to the UK.

On our machines the water very rarely gets to the stated temperature, it also rarely stays at that temperature long enough to have any benefit on the hygiene of clothes.

I have relatives in the Northern Territory, their tap water is around 20 degrees! Sister in Melbourne has around 14 degrees, ours is normally around 6. ( I know this in the context of heating water via solar, nothing to do with washing!)

I feel your pain on the sweaty head. My husband's pillowcases are yellow after a week - I think it's because he doesn't have hair to soak up sweat and he exercises late at night so his metabolism is high even after he showers. I wash my white sheets at 60. I'm grossed out by all the people recommending 30 degrees. I never wash anything at less than 40 degrees (I don't wash silk or wool in the machine).

On Which? it says the main benefit of 30 degree wash is saving energy and money. Nothing about actually getting it clean. It says "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."

Which? says that on the NHS website it says you should wash "underwear, towels and household linen at 60°C to prevent the spread of germs... It also says that you should use a bleach-based product, such as a bio washing powder, combined with your washing program. This combination is the key to killing germs, as some bacteria will withstand 60°C temperatures."

Read more: www.which.co.uk/reviews/washing-machines/article/washing-machine-temperature-guide-aLiyf2p96y4d - Which?

All my washing goes on a 30 degree wash even kids clothes. YABU for only having one set of bedding, who does that? To be hoped one of you doesn't throw up or anything else happens during the early hours and you need to strip the bed, put clean on and get back to sleep. I've had to do that when kids have decided our bed was the place to be sick, my period decided the middle of the night was the time to be really heavy and my senile dog thought 3am was the time to decide my quilt was her toile All stripped off, clean bedding put on and problems dealt with then back to sleep while dirty laundry was in washing machine. (I probably have 8 sets of bedding just for my bed 😬)