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Doing laundry may seem challenging. With so many settings on the washer, different detergents from which to choose, and figuring out the best way to dry your clothes—it can get overwhelming. A huge concern for many people is what temperature to wash color clothes.
The ideal temperature to wash your clothes typically depends on the color, fabric, and level of soiling. Before you do laundry, read the label on your clothing. It will tell you whether the manufacturer recommends machine washing, hand washing, or dry cleaning. The tag also offers an easy way to know what temperature to wash clothes.
The color of your clothes determines how you care for them and can impact the wash cycle you use. In this post, we’ll discuss what temperature for dark clothes and what temp to wash colors.
Before You Wash
Always separate clothing before washing to avoid dye staining. Have whites on their own, medium colors and pastels together, and dark and bright colors separately. While you can launder all dark colors together, consider adding a dye trapping sheet to the washer when laundering dark clothes.
These sheets absorb and trap loose dyes during the wash cycle. Turning the garments inside out can also help to prevent the fabric dyes from coming into contact with each other.
Temperature to Wash Dark Clothes
Many assume that hot water does the best job of cleaning clothing and getting rid of germs, but that’s not always the case. If you live in a cold region or you’re washing the clothes of someone sick, warm or hot water may be your best bet. Otherwise, always use cold water on dark clothing.
Perhaps you need to know what temperature to wash dark clothes in Celsius. To find the recommended dark clothes wash temperature, simply use the coldest setting on your machine, around 16 degrees Celsius.
Cold water decreases the chances of clothes bleeding, shrinking, or wrinkling. Use the shortest full-cleaning cycle on your washing machine when washing dark clothes. This setting, along with a proper bleach-free detergent, can prevent fading and other fabric damage.
Then, select the appropriate setting depending on the fabric and how soiled your clothes are. Also, wash items of similar fabric weight together. Avoid washing items such as jeans and a cotton t-shirt or sweater in the same load just because they’re all black.
If your clothes have stains, pre-treat them for the best results. Also, remember that washing clothing more frequently than necessary can shorten their lifespan.
Colored Clothes Wash Temperature
Since fabric manufacturers use dyes that can bleed, fade, or transfer in hot and warm water, always wash your colorful clothes in cold water. If your colorful fabric has stains, you can pre-treat it as you would with white or dark clothes. It also helps to turn your bright garments inside out before washing to keep the longevity of the vibrant colors.
Bright-colored clothes will lose some color over time because of natural wear and tear. Still, you can prevent the majority of the color loss or fade with proper care and by using the recommended color clothes wash temperature. Wash bright clothes and pastels separately to prevent color bleeding, especially when washing brand-new items of clothing.
So, what do experts recommend as the washing colored clothes temperature? Wash color loads in cold water—16-27 degrees Celsius. Laundry becomes less stressful when you know what temperature to wash color clothes.
Go Green With Cold Water
If your clothes don’t need a thorough cleaning or whenever you’re in doubt about what temperature to wash dark clothes, use cold water. However, always check the manufacturer’s label for guidelines. Most modern detergents work well in cold water, and you’ll reduce your carbon footprint by consuming less energy.
What About the Rinse?
Cold water works efficiently at getting all the soap out of your clothes. Besides being safe for all kinds of laundry regardless of the wash temperature you use, it lowers your energy consumption and reduces wrinkling in sturdier fabrics.
Unfortunately, many detergents don’t dissolve well unless washed through a hot or warm cycle. However, this is becoming less of a concern as companies redesign their products to suit the growing demand for environmentally friendly washing habits.
As far as detergents go, the following rules can come in handy:
- Liquid detergents work well in warm or hot water, but some formulations work well in cold water
- Pod detergents perform best in warm or hot water, though they can also work in longer cold cycles
- Powder detergents work well in hot or warm water rather than in cold
- Only use stain removers as a pre-treatment and never during the actual cycle
- Fabric softeners work in hot, warm, or cold water
If you plan to use cold water exclusively, consider investing in a cold-water detergent. Some formulations will even handle heavy-duty cleaning if you wash plenty of towels and linen.
Bottom Line
Your clothes often show off your personal style. So, knowing how to take care of them properly matters. It starts with learning how to identify and sort your laundry. Once you know what temperature to wash color clothes, your favorite pieces will maintain their colors and serve you for longer.
Get Help From the Pros
Need more help figuring out what temperature to wash color clothes? Contact East Bay, CA’s most trusted dry cleaner—Martinizing Dry Cleaning. Call us at (925) 938-5000 or text (925) 309-5298 for more information about our services.
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