Do laundry It is a daily task for a large majority of homes that seeks to always have impeccable everyday clothes while spending little, while at the same time sanitize items of daily use such as sheets, blankets, towels, etc., something of special interest especially in the midst of viral diseases whose family expansion we want to contain.
For this reason, choosing the right washing temperature that we use in our washing machine is essential if we want optimize hygiene but at the same time preserve the integrity of the garments and avoid wasting energy. What are the ideal temperatures in the washing machine for each type of use?
Ideal washing temperature if we want to disinfect clothes
One of the main cases of use of the washing machine in winter, with so many viral and bacterial epidemics, is related to the disinfection of our clothesfor example because we have been in a highly contaminated environment (hospital, health center, business, etc.) with the possibility of having been in contact with germs such as viruses and bacteria, allergens, dust and even volatile polluting substances, etc.
But also in the typical case that a virus has already entered the houselike the flu, and what we want is to keep its spread throughout the home at bay, avoiding or reducing contagion to other family members.
In this case, the most general recommendation is wash the bedding (sheets, pillowcases, blankets), towels, sofa covers and even curtains, underwear, pajamas, etc. more frequently than usual (at least once a week) and at maximum temperature allowed by the fabric, information that is usually indicated on the product label.
Manufacturers such as AEG, Haier or Siemens and detergent companies such as Sanytol usually agree on recommending a minimum temperature of 60ºC to achieve effective disinfection, although in specific cases if our washing machine allows it we can even exceed this figure in the case of fabrics that support it. Thus, the heat will be able to eliminate germs and deactivate contagion capabilities of viruses, bacteria and mites.
Image: Siemens
In addition to temperature, choose a long wash cycle It also helps to improve disinfection, as well as taking additional measures such as the following:
- Employ a detergent to disinfect clothes that includes a certain percentage of bleacheven if it is punctually for certain specific days of the year in which we want to prevent infections.
- Use a dryer after washing Instead of air drying, it allows you to add an additional layer of heat and eliminate more residual viruses, bacteria and germs than just the normal washing machine cycle.
Finally, it is important Make sure clothes are not damp after the drying cyclein order to avoid the possible appearance of bacteria and mold that can be harmful to health.
Ideal temperature in the washing machine if we want to save electricity and take care of the clothes
Most of the washing machine's electrical consumption is due to the washing process. water heating for washing, hence choosing a very high temperature can cause our costs to skyrocket.
Therefore, whenever we can and that the laundry is not very dirty, it is advisable to choose low temperature washing modes. In fact, according to the OCU, by washing at 30 degrees or less it is possible to save up to 60% of energy in the process, although logically we will not have the same efficiency in cleaning complicated garments.
However, with temperatures below 50 degrees It should be more than enough for most cases of lightly soiled clothing that we have used, for example, once or twice, obtaining acceptable average electrical consumption, something that increases if we select modes above those 50 degrees.
Furthermore, we can also save by lowering the machine's revolutions when spinning clothes by selecting values of between 500 and 600 rpm if our model allows it, compared to values above 800-1000 rpm.
This way we will achieve significant savings although, as expected, the clothes will come out wetter at the end of the cycle, so it is a measure that should be taken especially in regions where it is usually hot so that there is no excess moisture in the fabrics and bad odors may occur.
If what we want is to take care of delicate garments, the temperature chosen should also be low, typically 30 or 40 degrees. This will maintain the integrity of the fabric fibers and extend the useful life of the product.
Cover image | Siemens
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