Do you think you would be on the safe side with a 60 degree wash? Not even close! Instead, the opposite is the case: you should definitely avoid the 60 degree wash cycle. This is the reason …
Have articles read out loud
How many of us grew up with the following rule: wash colorful and black clothes at 40 degrees, white and heavily soiled clothes at 60 degrees – hands up! Now it’s time to be strong, girls. Unfortunately, this directive is long outdated! For clean laundry we need the 60 degree cycle washing machine namely not at all anymore. Instead, it only brings disadvantages!
The bitter – and at the same time relieving – truth at a glance:
- With today’s standard washing machines, even very dirty clothes can be flawlessly cleaned at just 40 degrees.
- Modern detergents even clean at 30 degrees.
- Washing at 60 degrees uses an unnecessary amount of energy and is harmful to the environment.
- Washing at 60 degrees costs more electricity, which means more money that goes to waste! For the energy cost of a 60 degree wash, you can wash almost twice at 40 degrees or almost three times at 30 degrees, like that Federal Environment Agency reported.
Washing laundry: No more 40 – 60 – 90!
And yes, a 40 degree normal wash cycle is also sufficient for bed linen, towels and underwear. “By washing and later drying, the germ load of normal laundry is sufficiently reduced,” reports the Federal Environment Agency. Instead of relying on the 40-60-90 degree gradation, the Federal Environment Agency recommends a wash cycle variation of 20, 30 and 40 degrees. The following applies: wash colored laundry at 20 or 30 degrees, white laundry at 40 degrees.
A spokesman for Stiftung Warentest even knows: “For healthy people, 30 degrees is completely sufficient.” Light dirt and the smell of sweat can even be combated with just 20 degrees! The only exception: illnesses. If you have a cold or caught a virus, you should wash your clothes with the good old 60 degree cycle.