April 20, 2026
Choosing the right water temperature when doing laundry is one of the simplest ways to extend the life of your clothes, protect colours, and get a genuinely clean wash. Use too much heat and you risk shrinkage, fading, and fabric damage. Use too little and stubborn stains or bacteria may not be fully removed. This guide breaks down exactly which fabrics and items belong in hot, warm, or cold water — so you can wash with confidence every time.
Before you load the machine, always check the care label on your garment. Care labels are your first and most reliable guide to how a fabric should be treated. When in doubt, go cooler — it's always safer to under-heat than to overheat.
Hot water is your go-to for deep cleaning and sanitising. It's most effective at killing bacteria, removing mould, and breaking down the toughest stains — making it ideal for items that come into close contact with your body or are exposed to heavy soiling.
Use hot water for:
Hot water is particularly important for bedding and towels, which can harbour dust mites, sweat, and bacteria over time. Washing these items regularly in hot water — once a week or as needed — helps maintain a hygienic home environment.
A few things to keep in mind when washing in hot water:
Warm water — typically around 30–40°C (86–104°F) — offers the best of both worlds. It cleans more effectively than cold water while being gentler on fabrics than a hot cycle. For most everyday laundry, warm water is the safest and most practical choice.
Use warm water for:
Warm water is especially effective at loosening ground-in dirt, removing body oils, and tackling general grime without the risks that come with high heat. It's the ideal temperature for clothes you wear regularly and wash frequently.
To get the most out of a warm wash, add a quality fabric softener like Sta-soft® to your rinse cycle. Fabric softener helps to reduce static cling, keep fibres feeling soft, and leave your clothes smelling fresh long after they come out of the machine. This is especially noticeable on denim and thicker fabrics that can feel stiff after washing.
Cold water is the gentlest option and the right choice for the majority of your wardrobe. It protects colours from fading, prevents fabrics from shrinking, and is kinder to delicate fibres. As an added benefit, cold water washing uses less energy — making it a more sustainable choice for everyday laundry.
Use cold water for:
One of the biggest advantages of cold water washing is colour protection. Heat causes dyes to bleed and fade over time — a cold wash keeps your blacks black and your brights vibrant for much longer. If you've ever pulled a once-vivid item out of the wash looking dull and washed out, high water temperature is likely the culprit.
Cold water is also your best option when washing items you're unsure about. If a garment's care label is worn or missing, playing it safe with a cold wash significantly reduces the risk of damage.
A note on stain removal: For stubborn stains like rust, red wine, or grease, cold water alone may not be enough. Always pre-treat the stain with a specialist stain remover before washing. For more advice, read our article on how to treat stubborn stains at home.
Temperature | Best For | Avoid For |
| Hot (60°C+) | Towels, bedding, white fabrics, heavily soiled items | Synthetics, delicates, coloured fabrics, wool |
| Warm (30–40°C) | Jeans, jackets, moderately dirty everyday clothes, activewear | Silk, delicates, items prone to shrinking |
| Cold (30°C or below) | Colours, delicates, silk, Lycra, lightly soiled clothes | Items needing sanitising, heavily soiled linens |
Getting the water temperature right is an important first step, but there are a few other habits that will help you get the best results from every wash:
Yes. Hot water causes the fibres in many fabrics — particularly natural ones like cotton and wool — to contract, which leads to shrinkage. This is often permanent. Always check the care label before using a hot cycle, and if you're unsure, opt for warm or cold water instead.
Cold water is very effective for lightly to moderately soiled clothes and for protecting colour and fabric quality. It's not as effective at killing bacteria or removing heavy stains as hot water, but using a quality detergent and adding Sta-soft® fabric softener to your rinse cycle will improve your results significantly. For most everyday laundry, cold water does the job well.
As a general guideline, towels should be washed every three to four uses, and bedding once a week. Both benefit from a hot wash to remove bacteria, sweat, and dust mites. If someone in your household has been ill, washing bedding and towels at the highest safe temperature immediately is strongly recommended.
Yes. Sta-soft® fabric softener is formulated to work effectively in hot, warm, and cold water. Simply add it to the fabric softener compartment of your machine (or during the rinse cycle if hand washing) for softer, fresher-smelling results every time. Browse the full Sta-soft product range to find your favourite fragrance.
Warm water (around 30–40°C) is ideal for jeans. It removes dirt and oils effectively without causing the dye to fade or the denim to shrink as quickly as a hot wash would. Turn jeans inside out before washing to further protect the colour.
Yes — significantly. Heating water accounts for the majority of the energy used in a wash cycle. Switching from hot to cold water washing can reduce the energy consumption of each load by up to 90%. For lightly soiled everyday laundry, cold water is the more sustainable and cost-effective choice.
