Washing 30 clothes at 40

[toomanychickens]

My washing machine will not wash at 30. You can have 20 or 40. DD's jacket says 30. It's a baseball jacket type thing - polyester with polyurethane on sleeves which are cream. I don't think 20 will get it clean, but am worried 40 will damage it. Will it be ok?

I’d go lower, wash twice if necessary

I wash absolutely everything (other than delicates or wool) that says 30, at 40. I think 30 is for environmental reasons. For me it doesn’t seem clean to wash at less than hand temperature. I’ve never had a problem, and I’m quite obsessive about keeping clothes in pristine condition.

Alternatively you could wash by hand and then spin in the machine.

I'd go for 20. I washed on cold for 18 months (non heating machine in a shed laundry that only had a cold tap). Clothes were a bit musty dried inside in the winter but fine if they dried in the sun or on a windy day.

My machine is the same. I wash everything at 40 and never had a problem. Just hang it to dry after and you'll be fine

If it says delicate cycle though I would go with that.

@Svara

I'd go for 20. I washed on cold for 18 months (non heating machine in a shed laundry that only had a cold tap). Clothes were a bit musty dried inside in the winter but fine if they dried in the sun or on a windy day.

Clothes being musty will be from taking to long to dry not from washing on a 20.

FWIW most machines don't actually wash at a 40 degree temperature- whenever it's been properly measured it's always a few degrees below.

Clothes being musty will be from taking to long to dry not from washing on a 20.
Yes, they were fine in the sun or wind. It didn't happen other places we lived when I could wash at 30, though it may have just taken longer to dry at that house, it was an icebox!

I'd wash at 40 unless it has two lines underneath the washing symbol on the label - from your description (polyester) it should be ok. I have made the mistake before and shrunk clothes as more clothes seem to be getting these special care labels these days, so now if I'm in any doubt I wash on a hand wash cycle.

I almost enjoy the suspense of finding out if that handwash o dry clean item will have disintegrated into 1000 tiny pieces or that 30°C item will
go in adults size and come out child size. The relief when it comes out totally fine, which it does 99% of the time. I wash everything at 40°C except towels and sheets, they get 60°C. Life's too short to fuss.

Thanks for the advice. I decided to go for 20 and actually the marks on the sleeves have gone.

I wouldn't usually care that much, but the jacket is dd's pride and joy!