A doctor has revealed the ideal temperature for washing your garments while maintaining low energy costs. Dr Xand van Tulleken, a doctor and presenter, offered the guidance during a previous appearance on Morning Live.
Dr Xand's Temperature Recommendations
During the segment, he shared that some people could be spending more than needed on operating costs. Fortunately, Dr Xand also revealed which temperatures he uses at home, plus the reasoning behind his choices. Dr Xand said: "The hottest your washing machine will go is 90°C usually, and that will kill everything. It's almost boiling. It's bad for the clothes. It's very expensive. Whatever's happened to those clothes, I bet you've got to get new clothes at that point."
"60°C, certain bugs will be killed, and that can be quite good. So if you've got an infection going around your house, particularly if you think of something like Norovirus, put it up at 60°C, along with the mechanical cleaning, and the detergent. That's quite good."
But Dr Xand doesn't use the next setting discussed in the segment. He continued: "Personally, I don't see the point in 40°C because it's too hot to be cheap and it's too cold to kill anything. Commit to one or the other, or either go hot or go cold."
Energy Savings with Lower Temperatures
However, he praised 30°C, reasoning that it "gets the job done" and "it is much cheaper." Dr Xand said: "Going from 40°C to 30°C saves you almost 40% in energy costs. It's quicker. Make sure you get a lower-temperature detergent."
Dr Xand added: "I've got to say, I'm a 20°C guy for everything except my workout clothes, which go in hotter. 20°C saves 62% of your money compared to 40°C. So that is a big deal. But at the lower temperatures, you've got to think about cleaning your machine."
Machine Maintenance Tips
Explaining how he tackles the problem, the doctor said: "The tray that you pull out, the detergent tray, where all the mould grows, that can be a real nuisance to clean. I put it in the dishwasher.
"Then mechanical cleaning of the drum, just a cloth, some vinegar, wiping is really good. And if your machine has a cleaning cycle, which runs it at a high temperature, do that according to the manufacturer's instructions, and then air it out."
Always check your manufacturer's instructions before use and follow the cleaning instructions after use. Failing to do this could invalidate the warranty.
