What Temp to Wash Clothes?

You want to know what temperature to wash clothes. Maybe you’ve been using the same temperature for everything and your clothes are fading, shrinking, or not getting clean. The right water temperature is the most important factor in washing clothes. Different fabrics, colors, and stains need different temperatures. Here’s what temp to wash clothes.

The right wash temperature depends on the fabric type, color, and soil level. Cold water (60 to 80 F) is best for darks, brights, and delicates. Warm water (90 to 110 F) is best for everyday clothes and synthetics. Hot water (120 to 140 F) is best for whites, towels, and heavily soiled items. Choosing the right temperature keeps clothes clean, prevents damage, and saves energy.

To choose the right wash temperature, check the care label first, sort clothes by color and fabric, use cold water for darks and delicates, use warm water for everyday clothes, use hot water for whites and towels, and use cold water for blood stains. Don’t use hot water for darks, don’t use hot water for blood stains, and don’t use cold water for heavily soiled items.

Temperature Guide

Temperature	Range	Best For	What to Avoid
Cold	60 to 80 F	Darks, brights, delicates, blood stains	Whites, heavily soiled, oil stains
Warm	90 to 110 F	Everyday clothes, synthetics, permanent press	Blood stains, very delicate items
Hot	120 to 140 F	Whites, towels, bedding, heavily soiled	Darks, delicates, blood stains

Temperature by Color

Color	Temperature	Why
Whites	Hot (120 to 140 F)	Removes soil and body oils, keeps whites bright
Darks (black, navy, dark gray)	Cold (60 to 80 F)	Prevents fading and dye bleeding
Brights (red, orange, yellow)	Cold (60 to 80 F)	Prevents bleeding and fading
Lights (pastels, light gray)	Warm (90 to 110 F)	Better cleaning, safe for light colors
Medium colors (blue, green, purple)	Cold to warm (60 to 110 F)	Balance of cleaning and color protection
New colored items	Cold (60 to 80 F)	Prevents bleeding, wash separately first 3 to 4 washes

Temperature by Fabric

Fabric	Temperature	Cycle	Notes
Cotton	Warm to hot	Normal	Hot for whites, warm for colors
Synthetics (polyester, nylon)	Warm	Permanent press	Don’t use hot, which can damage
Delicates (silk, wool)	Cold	Gentle	Don’t use hot or warm
Towels	Hot	Heavy duty	Hot kills bacteria
Bedding	Hot	Normal or heavy duty	Hot removes dust mites
Activewear	Cold	Gentle	Cold protects synthetic fibers
Jeans	Cold to warm	Normal	Cold preserves color

Temperature by Stain Type

Stain Type	Temperature	Why
Blood	Cold	Hot water sets protein stains permanently
Sweat	Cold	Hot water can set protein stains
Grease and oil	Hot	Hot water dissolves oil
Food and drink	Warm	Warm removes most food stains
Chocolate	Cold (fresh), warm (dried)	Cold prevents setting, warm for dried
Coffee	Cold (fresh), warm (dried)	Cold prevents setting tannins
Grass	Warm	Warm activates enzymes in detergent
Ink	Cold	Cold prevents setting ink

What Works

Check the Care Label First

Check the care label on each item. The label tells you the recommended water temperature, cycle, and any special instructions.

Sort Clothes Before Washing

Sort clothes by color (whites, lights, darks, brights), fabric (cotton, synthetics, delicates, towels), and soil level (lightly soiled, heavily soiled).

Use the Right Detergent

Use Tide Free and Gentle. It works in all water temperatures and has enzymes that break down stains.

Add Baking Soda

Add half a cup of Arm and Hammer Baking Soda to the wash for extra cleaning and deodorizing.

Add Vinegar to the Rinse

Add half a cup of white vinegar to the rinse. Vinegar removes detergent residue and softens clothes.

Pre-Treat Stains

Pre-treat stains before washing:

• Grease: Dawn Ultra Dish Soap
• Food and drink: OxiClean Max Force Spray
• General stains: Shout Advanced Grease Busting Foam
• Ink: Amodex Ink and Stain Remover

Use the Right Products

Laundry sanitizer: Lysol Laundry Sanitizer

Machine cleaner: affresh Washing Machine Cleaner

Use Cold Water to Save Energy

Cold water washing uses 90% less energy than hot water washing. Use cold water for darks, brights, and delicates to save energy.

Don’t Overload the Washer

Fill no more than 3/4 full. Overloading reduces cleaning and increases wear on clothes.

What to Avoid

Don’t use hot water for darks. Hot water fades dark colors. Use cold water.

Don’t use hot water for blood stains. Hot water sets protein stains permanently. Use cold water.

Don’t use cold water for heavily soiled items. Cold water doesn’t remove heavy soil. Use warm or hot water.

Don’t use hot water for delicates. Hot water can shrink and damage delicate fabrics. Use cold water.

Don’t use hot water for brights. Hot water causes bright colors to bleed. Use cold water.

Don’t use cold water for oil stains. Cold water doesn’t dissolve oil. Use hot water.

Don’t mix temperatures in the same load. Mixing temperatures causes uneven cleaning. Wash each load at one temperature.

FAQ

What temp should you wash clothes? Use cold water (60 to 80 F) for darks, brights, and delicates. Use warm water (90 to 110 F) for everyday clothes and synthetics. Use hot water (120 to 140 F) for whites, towels, and heavily soiled items.

What temperature should you wash dark clothes? Use cold water (60 to 80 F) for dark clothes. Cold water prevents fading and dye bleeding.

What temperature should you wash white clothes? Use hot water (120 to 140 F) for white clothes. Hot water removes soil and body oils and keeps whites bright.

What temperature should you wash towels? Use hot water (120 to 140 F) for towels. Hot water removes soil, kills bacteria, and keeps towels fresh.

Does cold water clean clothes well? Yes. Cold water cleans clothes well when used with Tide Free and Gentle, which is formulated to work in cold water. Add baking soda for extra cleaning. Cold water is best for darks and delicates.

References

1. Tide. “Wash Temperature Guide.” tide.com.
2. The Spruce. “Laundry Temperature Guide.” thespruce.com.
3. Good Housekeeping. “Wash Temperature Guide.” goodhousekeeping.com.
4. Consumer Reports. “Laundry Guide.” consumerreports.org.