Translate as one dot for cool/cold, two for warm, three for hot. Wash TemperatureĪ tub-like icon with dots tells you the recommended wash temperature. If the circle is crossed out, dry-cleaning is not an option. If the tub is crossed out, the item can't be washed. Washing MethodĪ clean tub-like icon means safe to machine wash. Here's how to decipher what you see, along with a shortcut chart below. After all, we've all heard those stories of ruined silk thought to be washable or that wool sweater that came out of the dryer three sizes too small. Read your clothing care label: it's the secret to successful laundry. Clothing care labels tell you all you need to know about how to wash, dry, and iron your favorite dress or work uniform. They will be either solely symbols or symbols and words. The Federal Trade Commission ( FTC) requires manufacturers and importers to attach a label with proper care instructions to garments. Look to the care label on your clothes for guidance on the optimal laundry temperature for the fabric. It can leave them looking dingy and worn instead of bright and clean.Īnd you'll be back in the store looking for new chinos or Oxford shirts sooner than if you had taken a few moments to wash them at the proper water temperature. Sure, the quickest way to do the laundry is to separate the whites, lights, and darks and then wash each load in cold water.īut the time you save using the "everything in cold" routine (ostensibly to prevent color transfer) may not be worth the cost to your wardrobe.Ĭold water doesn't clean some dirty fabrics nearly as well as warmer temperatures. Why the Right Laundry Temperature Matters This laundry refresher will have you setting the wash water temperature like a pro in no time. It directly affects how well your laundry detergent (and any disinfecting or sanitizing additives) clean, and it also affects the life span of your clothes. So it's essential to follow the care labels. Faded care tags, missing tags? No problem. Practically, what that means is that depending on where you live, and what season it is, even when your clothes call for a cold water wash, you may need to add some warm water to the cold water coming into your washing machine to make sure it is warm enough to be effective.įor example, cold water in the winter in Canada will most likely be colder than 65° F, which means you would need to add warm water to bring it up to approximately 85° F to be classified as what the manufacturers are referring to as "cold" water on the fabric care labels.How important is the right laundry temperature? In addition, it is generally accepted that you cannot wash clothes effectively in water that is colder than 65° F. On the other hand, powdered detergents do not generally dissolve as well in cold water. Generally all clothes are rinsed in cold water (but you may want to rinse in warm water if you have had to add extra detergent for stain removal to make sure more dirt and detergent is rinsed from the clothes).Cooler water slows shrinking and fading.Certain fabrics, or dyes must be washed in cold water because otherwise the colors will run.Some advantages to washing in cold water include: One dot on fabric care labels means cold water, which is defined as water that is 85° F (30° C).
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