What Temperature To Wash Clothes At And When To Use 60°C

Choosing the right setting keeps clothes clean without wasting energy or damaging fabric. Knowing what temperature to wash clothes at depends on three things: what the care label allows, how dirty the load is, and whether anyone in the house is unwell. Cooler washes suit most everyday laundry, but a few loads still need proper heat to deal with germs.

The Quick Answer On What Temperature To Wash Clothes At

• 20°C: lightly soiled clothes and delicates such as lace, wool and silk.
• 30°C: coloured clothes, mixed colours, wool and silk.
• 40°C: everyday cottons, linen, viscose, acrylics, jeans and towels.
• 60°C: bed sheets, underwear, white or light towels, greasy stains and laundry from someone who is ill.
• 90°C: only very robust items whose label allows it, and machine cleaning.

Whatever the load, never go above the number shown in the wash tub on the care label. Our guide to laundry symbols explained shows how to read it.

Cooler Washes At 20, 30 And 40°C

20°C For The Lowest-Energy Wash

A 20°C wash works well for clothes that have only been worn briefly and for fabrics that dislike heat. The Energy Saving Trust notes that new washing machines have had to include a 20°C option since 2013.

According to Which?’s washing machine temperature guide, washing at 20°C rather than 40°C cuts running costs by an average of 62%. Which? recommends liquid detergent for the best results at this temperature, along with regular maintenance washes to keep the machine fresh.

30°C For Colours And Delicates

A 30°C wash is a good everyday choice for coloured clothes, mixed colours, wool and silk, as it helps colours stay bright. It uses 38% less energy than a 40°C wash, according to Which?.

The trade-off is that 30°C will not shift tough stains or kill bacteria. Shorter, cooler cycles are also kinder to fabric, which our guide on how to care for your clothes covers in more detail.

40°C For Everyday Washing

A 40°C wash is the standard setting for most households and suits cotton, linen, viscose and acrylics. It uses more energy than 30°C but is better at removing stains. Which? gives these pointers:

• Jeans: no hotter than 40°C, to limit shrinking and fading.
• Baby clothes: 30 to 40°C to avoid shrinking small, delicate items.
• Towels: 40°C with a biological powder, with the drum no more than three-quarters full.

What Temperature To Wash Clothes At For Hygiene

A 60°C wash is the one to use for bed sheets, underwear, white or light towels and greasy stains. Which? advises 60°C with a good-quality detergent to remove germs effectively. The downside is cost: running costs rise by more than half compared with 40°C.

A 90°C wash is rarely needed for clothes. Most care labels will not allow it, and Which? points out that NHS hygiene advice refers to 60°C, not 90°C. Which? also notes that some bacterial spores and viruses can survive 60°C, so good general hygiene still matters.

Washing When Someone Is Ill

If someone in your home has a stomach bug, the NHS advice on norovirus is to wash any clothes and bedding with poo or vomit on them on a 60°C wash and separately from other laundry. The NHS also advises washing your hands with soap and water, as alcohol hand gels do not kill norovirus.

For people with allergies, Which? suggests washing bedding at 60°C or hotter more than once a week. When you want a cooler wash but better hygiene, Which? says biological or bleach-based laundry products can help at lower temperatures, as long as the care label allows bleach.

Machine Care And Saving Energy

Keep The Machine Clean If You Wash Cool

Regular cool washing can leave mould and residue building up in the drum and drawer, which then passes smells to your clothes. Which? recommends running hot service washes with an empty drum, and one of its washing machine experts suggests a monthly 90°C service wash with detergent or a specialist cleaner.

Between service washes, wipe the door seal with a damp cloth every week or two, clean the detergent drawer and leave the door and drawer open after each wash so the inside can dry. Our guide to getting rid of washing machine odours has more tips.

Saving Energy On Every Wash

The Energy Saving Trust says wet appliances account for nearly 10% of a typical household’s energy bills. Along with lower temperatures, it recommends avoiding half loads where possible and using the half-load programme if you have to run a small wash. For best results, leave about a hand’s width at the top of the drum.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Washing At 30°C Hygienic?

For lightly soiled everyday clothes, 30°C is usually enough. It will not kill bacteria, though, so use 60°C for bedding, underwear and laundry from someone with a stomach bug.

Do Towels Need A 60°C Wash?

Which? suggests 60°C for white or light towels, or 40°C with a biological powder as an alternative. Towels soiled by someone who is ill should go on a separate 60°C wash, in line with NHS advice.

Is A Hotter Wash Always Cleaner?

Not always. Heat helps with germs and greasy stains, but it costs more to run and can shrink or fade fabrics. When deciding what temperature to wash clothes at, choose the lowest setting that suits the load and the label.

When To Call An Engineer

If a hot wash leaves clothes cold or still dirty, the machine may not be heating properly. Switch it off and unplug it before checking anything, and stick to simple jobs your manual describes, such as cleaning the filter. Electrical faults should be left to a qualified engineer. If you live in Merseyside or West Lancashire, Appliance Repair Men provide washing machine repairs in Southport and nearby.

Quick Checklist On What Temperature To Wash Clothes At

• Check the care label and never exceed its temperature.
• Use 20 to 30°C for lightly soiled clothes, colours and delicates.
• Use 40°C for everyday cottons, jeans and towels.
• Use 60°C for sheets, underwear and laundry from someone who is ill.
• Run a hot service wash with an empty drum regularly.
• Wash full loads to save energy.

Knowing what temperature to wash clothes at usually means going cooler than you think, with heat saved for the loads that need it. You will find more practical home guides at Beyond The Garden Gates.

Kaan Rassad

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