Keep it Cool: Benefits of Cold-Washing Your Clothes

Why cold-washing your clothes is better for your wallet, clothes, and the environment! 

Ideally the best way to wash your dresses (or any of your clothes) to ensure their longevity is by hand-washing. But, let’s be real – unless you are lucky enough to have someone who can do it for you, who has the time for hand-washing these days?!

The next best alternative would then be machine-washing your clothes on the cold setting. By doing this you can not only ensure your clothes last a little longer, but save some money and the environment at the same time!

You may be thinking that cold washing is not effective at removing stains. Well, the truth is, it depends on the kind of stain. For example bloodstains are best removed with cold water as warm water can actually help the proteins in the stain set in the fabric.

 The next question you may ask is “aren’t most laundry detergents optimised to work in warm water?” – This used to be the case, but the detergent industry has come along in leaps and bounds and there are plenty of detergents out there that are effective in cold water. Just be sure to use a liquid detergent as the powdered ones don’t tend to dissolve/work too well in cold water. For an extensively researched list of the best detergents and types of stains check out this article.

It is also estimated that up to 90%* of the energy your machine uses goes into heating up the water, and so by using the cold setting, you are saving a tonne of energy – and thus depending on where you live (and the cost of electricity in your area) you could also be saving a significant amount of money. Additionally, if you’re cold washing you’re also preventing a whole heap of CO² from being released into the environment as a by-product of heating up all that water.

Hot-washing/heat drying can also have a significant effect on the material your clothes are made out of. Heat can actually break down some of the dyes used in fabrics and cause overall shrinkage to the material. By avoiding heat you can help increase the longevity of your clothing – allowing you to wear it more often and thus prevent it from ending up in the rubbish heap. The longer you can wear a piece of clothing, the better for the environment and the better for your wallet (because hopefully you won’t need to replace the item, and can therefore buy less!).

Our dresses can be washed cold, and air-dried flat, or on a clothes-hanger to help maintain their shape. Some of the fabrics are also wrinkle-proof so you don’t even have to iron them (yay for saving time and energy!). To keep your dress the best it can be for as long as possible we also recommend washing it inside a mesh bag so that it doesn’t get caught on zippers/buttons/hooks of other items in the load. There are many more articles you can check out (linked below) if you are interested in further reading. So let’s ditch the heat and stay cool you beautiful souls.

Much Love,
Team Anna Rainn

*Statistics vary depending on the report/country. 

[N.B. – If you have really stinky clothes or tough dirt stains you may want to consider washing on warm. Please use your own judgement when washing your clothes as the above is a suggestion, and you should following washing instructions on the labels for your other garments. Common sense is key and we won’t take any responsibility for clothes that still come out stinky after the wash!]

More Articles: 

General:
https://www.thelaundrybutlers.com/laundry-temperature-affects-clothes/

Eco-Friendly Tips
https://www.treehugger.com/htgg/how-to-go-green-laundry.html
https://www.washlaundry.com/residents/laundry-tips/temperature/
https://www.washlaundry.com/green-laundry/green-laundry-tips/#1

Cold-Water Detergents
https://www.thespruce.com/tide-coldwater-laundry-detergent-review-2146549
http://thesweethome.com/reviews/the-best-laundry-detergent/