colly0410 1,181 Posted August 23, 2013 Report Share Posted August 23, 2013 Been a bit of a hoo-aah in media over washing clothes at cold/low temperatures: saying it doesn't kill germs & bad for us ect. When I was in USA I bought some cold water laundry powder & it seemed to wash OK. Any of our US, Australian or New Zealand friends heard or seen anything in there media about this? Anyone had any problems washing at cold/low temperatures? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Beefsteak 305 Posted August 23, 2013 Report Share Posted August 23, 2013 I remember reading that the best thing to kill bacteria in clothes is to hang them out on the line to dry as opposed to putting them in the tumble dryer, don't know if there's any truth in it though. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ayupmeducks 1,730 Posted August 23, 2013 Report Share Posted August 23, 2013 We always wash in cold water, clothes get hung outside on the line to dry, been doing it that way for many years now, our ancesters washed their furs in the stream or river, beat them with rocks to wash them.......Wonder if beating with rocks will kill the germs....LOL Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ayupmeducks 1,730 Posted August 23, 2013 Report Share Posted August 23, 2013 Just an after thought Ian, wouldn't warm water help germs to breed, after all, only boiling water would kill them and most of the clothes too.. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
colly0410 1,181 Posted August 23, 2013 Author Report Share Posted August 23, 2013 Our tumble dryer conked out years ago, never got another one. Put washing on line if fine, if yuk, under canopy or clothes horse in front of the gloworm hideaway gas boiler if frosty. Usually cold wash since been to USA, had no problems so far but bit worried about media reports.. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DAVIDW 1,690 Posted August 23, 2013 Report Share Posted August 23, 2013 For economy , we always wash at a low 30 degrees but I'm sure it doesn't kill off all the bacteria . Not only on the clothes , towels etc but also in the machine . Certain items soon go a bit "sour". Our machine a few months ago started to pong and having googled the cause , the reason seems to be constantly using low temp washes . It seems you have to perform a maximum "service wash" every now and then to kill off the bacteria within the machine itself . Quote Link to post Share on other sites
colly0410 1,181 Posted August 23, 2013 Author Report Share Posted August 23, 2013 I set the washer of by mistake on a boil wash with jumpers in it, ruined the lot. My Wife Sue was not a happy bunny that day. Mind you they were sterile.. :) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ayupmeducks 1,730 Posted August 23, 2013 Report Share Posted August 23, 2013 My wife, before I ever met her, used to go country and western dancing, she had this western style dress...Anyway, we'd been in Sacramento a few weeks when our household things arrived. So I decided to wash all the clothes, as container they had been shipped in had been fumigated with some oily liquid at customs in Seattle.... I hung everything out to dry on the line, didn't take long to dry in the September Sacramento sun, so got most done in one day.. I thought, when I was bringing the stuff in from the line, "the missus will be real pleased with me" LOL...... She nearly murdered me, that dolls dress I took in, yeah it shrunk to a dolls size, was her pride and joy C&W dress, it would now only fit a childs doll............Never thought anything could shrink that much... Oh well, I was banned from using the washing machine for the next few years......... I still get dirty looks if I even think about that episode......LOL Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mick2me 3,033 Posted August 24, 2013 Report Share Posted August 24, 2013 Colly0410, no doubt like Ayup you were banned from doing the washing? After my split up from the first wife I did my own washing mixing dark coloureds with whites. At least my clothes were 'co-ordinated "Why do you wash in Tide?" "Cos its too damned cold to wash out tide" Quote Link to post Share on other sites
banjo48 928 Posted August 24, 2013 Report Share Posted August 24, 2013 Here in oz we only ever use cold wash, in fact our current machine in the RV only has one cold feed pipe to it ! We did have a european front loader at home but even that was mainly run cold. Mind in summer the water comes out of the cold tap at around 38c in Perth :-) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
colly0410 1,181 Posted August 24, 2013 Author Report Share Posted August 24, 2013 Every washer I saw in America were top loader vertical axis jobs, most of the ones I've seen in UK & Europe were front loader horizontal axis ones. Top loader Countries seem to prefer cold washes & front loader Countries hot washes. Is this coincidence or is cold washing better in a top loader? Banjo48, our new-ish washer is cold fill only, they all seem to be now for some unknown reason... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ayupmeducks 1,730 Posted August 24, 2013 Report Share Posted August 24, 2013 You can get front loading washing machines here stateside, but all the top loaders are made by one company for different manufacturers, which keeps the costs down... Sear's has their own features added as most of the other brand names... Makes it easy to repair a machine though, same motor, same gearbox, same clutch etc... So instead of buying Sears expensive spare parts I just need to either cannibalize an old washing machine or just contact another manufacturer who sells the parts at a fraction of sears parts prices. Sears has a range of front loaders as do some of the International brand names now.. I think the reason the UK ones are front loaders is for space saving under the kitchen counter installation, where as over here it's either in the basement, utility room or garage.. Be extremely rare to see a washing machine in an American kitchen. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
colly0410 1,181 Posted August 24, 2013 Author Report Share Posted August 24, 2013 Ah yes John you're right, most UK homes don't have utility rooms so top loader would take too much room. All three places my Wife & I have lived, we had a front loader under the worktop near the sink. As Australians & Americans seem to have no problems with cold water washing I'll carry on doing the same, just do the odd hot service wash to freshen up the washer now & then.. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ayupmeducks 1,730 Posted August 24, 2013 Report Share Posted August 24, 2013 Nowt like the smell of washing dried on the clothes line.. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LizzieM 9,514 Posted August 24, 2013 Report Share Posted August 24, 2013 All the clothes we've bought in America seem to say on the label that they should be washed in cold water. That's a bit of a problem in the UK, well with my washing machine anyhow, because although it's a cold water fill there isn't a programme for cold water wash, the lowest is 20C. We have a top loader in our place in the States which is really great, it's got a cold water wash and also you can drop stuff in part way through the cycle. What I don't understand is that you're told to wash in cold water, presumably to stop the clothes shrinking, but then it's suggested that they are tumble dried (with heat). Sorry, bit of a boring subject for most men!!! 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ayupmeducks 1,730 Posted August 24, 2013 Report Share Posted August 24, 2013 We don't use a clothes dryer, way too energy hungry, solar drying is dirt cheap, don't cost a penny and if it's damp, we use the clothes horse I built the wife years back.. Winter, the house has very low humidity due to the wood stove, so clothes dry very fast indoors. Our washer has four heat settings, "Cold, Cold warm, warm and hot", it's never moved from cold. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
colly0410 1,181 Posted August 25, 2013 Author Report Share Posted August 25, 2013 Nowt like the smell of washing dried on the clothes line.. Ahh yes, bed sheets straight off the line & onto bed, have a nice shower just before bedtime = bliss.. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
StephenFord 866 Posted August 28, 2013 Report Share Posted August 28, 2013 Remember clothes on the line in winter freezing hard? That sorts out all those little microphobes and Hanimal Horganisms lurking in yer freshly washed smalls! 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
colly0410 1,181 Posted November 28, 2013 Author Report Share Posted November 28, 2013 Just read a thing in the paper that washing at any temp less than 60 degrees doesn't kill germs but washes them away. So it's now OK to wash at cold/low temps again. Wonder how long it'll be before they change their minds AGAIN? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TGC 216 Posted November 28, 2013 Report Share Posted November 28, 2013 I do me washin' at the launderette, on 'Warm' setting normally. Is that all right do you think? Did it on hot once by mistake - my chair blanket thingie is now about the size of a tea towel, and wrinkled. A bit like me really. Hehe! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ayupmeducks 1,730 Posted November 28, 2013 Report Share Posted November 28, 2013 "If yer" worried about bugs, drop some disinfectant in the wash... I remember when I was a kid, Mum hanging washing out on a Monday morning in winter, by lunch time there were "cardboard" clothes on the line...By late afternoon they had "freeze dried". Quote Link to post Share on other sites
StephenFord 866 Posted November 28, 2013 Report Share Posted November 28, 2013 Re #20 : What, shrunken and wrinkled like your chair blanket? TGC, have you bin getting in the washing machine with your laundry again to keep warm? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TGC 216 Posted November 28, 2013 Report Share Posted November 28, 2013 Me extremities What, shrunken and wrinkled like your chair blanket? Have you bin getting in the washing machine with your laundry again to keep warm? Me extremities! I blame it on me medications. (And age of course) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
carni 10,094 Posted November 28, 2013 Report Share Posted November 28, 2013 TGC, I shouldn't worry about it to much, I have washed on low temperature and quick wash for years and we are all still here to tell the tale. Sorry about ya chair blanket thingy. I once knit myself and daughter a beautiful jumper each in Mohair and it took me ages, i thought i would wash them before we wore them to soften the wool and guess what...the washer was on high and they came out like your blanket and never even wore them. Lol Quote Link to post Share on other sites
loppylugs 8,429 Posted November 28, 2013 Report Share Posted November 28, 2013 Always washed cold in Canada. Water temp was so cold it froze the bugs! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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