Why Not Wash Clothes In Hot Water?

Thursday, June 14, 2012, 15:07

How do you wash your clothes? Soak it in water and detergent solution and then rinse with fresh water. Right? But, to remove stains from few clothes, you soak them in hot water. What do you see ultimately? A faded fabric material. This is because hot water damages the quality of your fabric. You have to be very careful before soaking your clothes in hot water.

Why you should not wash clothes in hot water?

Clothes shrink: If you think that laundry in hot water will remove dirt and stains from the clothes, then think again. Hot water shrinks the clothes and makes it look smaller. So, if you wash your clothes and wear it next time, your clothes will be tight on your body. Do not mistake to think that you have put on weight. It is just an affect of hot water on the fabric material.

Fades colour: Hot water has the power to take away the fabric colour. This is because temperature of water affects the colour of the fabric. The dye lightens if you soak the clothes in hot water. If you see your bucket filled with the colour of your cloth, just take it out and rise with cold water immediately. This will prevent the fabric from losing out more colour.

Loosens thread: Apart from shrinking the clothes, hot water also weakens the thread structure of the fabric. If you use a brush to scrub out stains or dirt from the clothes, you will definitely take out the loosen threads from the fabric material.

Points to remember-

Always read the label that is stitched on the fabric. See the directions to know if it can be washed in hot water or not. Cotton can be washed in hot water but, read the label to be on the safer side.
Test on a small portion of the cloth piece before soaking it in hot water. Sprinkle hot water on the small part that can be hidden off easily. For example, the bottom of the shirt that can be easily hidden by tucking it inside the pant. Leave the water for 4-5 minutes. If the fabric doesn't lose colour or shrink, you can soak it in hot water.
Do not soak your clothes in hot water for more than 10-15 minutes. This can shrink the fabric.
Prefer warm water over hot. You not only save energy that is used to heat normal water, but you will also protect the clothes from getting damaged.

If you love your clothes, then avoid using hot water unless necessary. You can remove stains from the clothes by using other alternatives such as lemon, baking soda or white vinegar.